In saying these words, Bediuzzaman had, in his own words, "smashed an appalling idol". Those present feared for him, certain that he would be made to suffer for his words. But Mustafa Kemal suppressed his anger and in effect apologized, for two days later he had a two hour meeting with Bediuzzaman in his office.

Just as with the pashas in the court martial and Grand Duke Nicholas in Kosturma, Bediuzzaman did not bow before Mustafa Kemal. He took the opportunity to admonish him on the great harm to the nation, country, and Islamic world in attacking Islam and trying to eradicate its practices in the hope of gaining a reputation among their enemies. If a revolution had to be brought about, it had to be achieved through making the Qur'an the basis of it. He dwelt particularly on the great error of trying to find favour with the enemies of Islam and the Turks by attacking Islam in order to satisfy ambition and the desire for fame and position. Mustafa Kemal apparently took no offence at these words which "wounded all his sensibilities and principles", [^377] on the contrary, he tried to placate him and win him over so as to take advantage of his influence. He offered Bediuzzaman Shaykh Sanusi's post of General Preacher in the Eastern Provinces with a salary of 300 liras, a deputyship in the Assembly, and a post equivalent to that he had held in the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-İslamiye, together with such perks as a residence. [^378] Bediuzzaman did not accept, and before examining the reasons, it may also be mentioned that Mustafa Kemal was also one of the 163 deputies who endorsed the allotting of 150,000 liras for Bediuzzaman's Medresetü'z-Zehra. [^379]

[^377]:Nursi, Emirdağ Lahikası, i, 242.

[^378]:Tarihçe, 131; Nursi, Şualar, 301 (Eng. tr.: Rays, 381-2).

[^379]:Nursi, Emirdağ Lahikası, ii, 196.

Throughout the time Bediuzzaman was in Ankara, he pursued the matter of founding this university in the East. There were three points in particular that he impressed on the deputies in regard to it, many of whom were of the belief that the religious sciences should be dispensed with and that general education should be in the Western style and concentrate on the modern sciences. Firstly was the geographical location of the Eastern Provinces; since they were like a centre of the Islamic world, it was essential to teach the religious sciences together with modern science. Secondly, the fact that most of the prophets had appeared in the East and most of the great philosophers in the West showed that the East would only be aroused by religion; progress was dependent on religion. And thirdly was the most important point that religion and the teaching of it was the only way to