Abusing religion: Sheikhs who pleased, not God, but Osman House sultans (4 -4)

 Mahmud al-Batakoshi

The Islamic caliphate as a concept was not important for the members of the imperial House of Osman. These members were only after power. They knew Islam as a religion belatedly. However, their presumed pity was widely used by their agents to promote their project in the region. They did this before their armies mercilessly invaded other countries.

The sultans of the Ottoman State committed horrible crimes and massacres throughout their history. They used fatwas (edicts) from religious scholars at the time to justify these crimes and these carnages.

The record of Ottoman sultans is full of terrifying stories about their killing of each other for power. Fathers killed their sons and brothers killed each other and mothers conspired against everybody, all for power.

Molla Fahrettin Acemi, the sheikh of Islam for 24 years under the Ottoman state, did everything possible to violate the teachings of Islam and please Ottoman sultans. He issued edicts for killing brothers, sanctioned sexual relations with female slaves and boys and allowed the killing of opponents. Fahrettin Acemi also allowed emirs to snap photos of themselves. However, he banned the same thing for the subjects of the same emirs.

Fahrettin Acemi took over under sultan Murad II. When differences erupted between the sultan and his children over succession, Fahrettin Acemi issued a fatwa for accusing opponents of apostasy. His other fatwas turned the ruling palace into a river of blood.

Fahrettin Acemi changed loyalties from Murad II to his son Mehmed II soon after the latter rose to fame. He encouraged Mehmed to stage a coup against his father, the thing he did in 1444 to become the sultan of the Ottoman state.

Fahrettin Acemi issued a fatwa that sanctioned killing in the name of Islam. This turned killing into a tradition among Ottoman sultans.