that only Christian children could attend state schools. The Armenians and Greeks also massacred thousands of Muslims, while the occupying forces turned a blind eye. [^292]

[^292]:Shaw and Shaw, History, ii, 329-330.

The problems associated with the occupation of foreign armies are many. But in this case the situation was thus exacerbated by these deep-seated attitudes of the victors. Here it was not only the gall of defeat and excesses of occupying troops relaxing in "the flesh-pots of Constantinople" that had to be borne, an insidious policy of Christianization through attempts to discredit Islam on the one hand, and on the other, of attempts to sap the moral fibre of the Turks through the deliberate encouragement of immorality, the drinking of alcohol, and other "evils of civilization" had to be combated. As Bediuzzaman later told the deputies in the Ankara National Assembly: "Although for a long time the Western world has been attacking the Islamic world with its civilization, philosophy, sciences, missionaries, and all the means at its disposal and has conquered it materially, it has not been able to conquer it in religion." [^293] Now, it seemed, the stage was set for it to pursue this inauspicious and unachievable aim.

[^293]:Tarihçe, 126.

#### Bediuzzaman and the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-İslamiye

Bediuzzaman and the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-İslamiye

It may be seen from the above description how great the need was for a learned body with the authority of the Darü'l-Hikmet. The bill proposing its establishment had been introduced in Parliament at the beginning of the year, and it was envisaged that it would perform various functions. Just as it was to find solutions for problems confronting the Islamic world, so was it to answer in a scholarly manner the attacks made on it, combating attempts to discredit the religion of Islam. It was to have the power to refer the open flouting of Islamic morality to the relevant authorities. Furthermore, it was to serve the Muslim people of Turkey, answering questions, supplying information about internal and external dangers, and generally meeting religious needs with various publications. To this end, branches were opened in all provinces and major towns. At any one time, it was composed of nine members, a principal, and various officers. Mehmed Akif was appointed as its first secretary (Başkâtip). The members, all of whom were prominent 'ulema, were divided into three committees: jurisprudence (fiqh), ethics (akhlaq), and theology (kalâm). [^294] Bediuzzaman

[^294]:Sadık Albayrak, Son Devrin İslam Akademisi, Dar-ül Hikmet-il İslamiye, İstanbul 1973, 7-9.