► (076) ◄ My Words to the Afyon Police Chief

My Words to the Afyon Police Chief

Director of the Police! Why do you disregard the illegal, meaningless, and futile aggression against me, which has not been seen in this world since early times even? An example: I have been prohibited officially from attending the mosque and so from receiving the merit of the congregation, even when it's empty, and except for one or two people have no one with me. According to which law do they cause such affront to someone elderly, ill, and living in exile and deprivation? What are the advantages of this? Without my knowledge, in an unfrequented corner of the mosque someone made me a small screened-off cubicle for two out of two or three planks and a rug so that I should not catch cold. According to which law have they shown this to be a serious incident and caused alarm to myself and all the people? What benefit is there in this? I ask you.

Those who humiliate me in this way can find no excuses, so making a pretext of public regard for me, they confront the people saying: "Why do you show such respect to this exile?" So I say:

All my friends know that I don't want the people's respect and attention, and I reject them. So although I do not accept their esteem, under which law am I liable to be charged with a crime so that I am treated contemptuously because of their good opinions, which are anyway contrary to my will and wish? Even to suppose the impossible this public regard was justifiable, it would be beneficial for the country and nation and in no way harmful. And even I were accept a tiny part of it, what wrong would there be in my accepting the friendship of one or two people so that they might assist me with my needs in my poverty, illness and old age, in a freezing room and pitiful isolation? Which law could prevent this? According to which law is everyone apart from one or two workers' children banned from having contact with me? The children are not always around and I can't see to my own needs. Members of the police and government are surely obliged to take notice of this grievous situation. I am explaining this to you since you are closely concerned with the case.

S a i d   N u r s i,

who is in solitary confinement in Emirdağ ∗∗∗