Audiences in Pakistan have become enraptured by Turkish drama series Dirili?: Ertu?rul (Resurrection), which had premiered on Turkish Television Channel TRT-1 on December 10, 2014. The show is based on the history of the Muslim Oghuz Turks and takes place in the 13th century. It centers around the life of Ertu?rul, the father of Osman 1, who was the founder of the Ottoman Empire.
Turkish dramas dubbed in Urdu have been aired on different Pakistani TV channels for the last decade or so and have been popular but Dirili?: Ertu?rul has taken the whole of Pakistan by a storm. While there have been an outpouring of emotional praise for the mammoth epic series, numerous instances of criticism and moral policing about the Turkish series from pseudo intellectuals has also erupted. The critics question whether Pakistan is trying to revive the glory of Islamic heroes in the world with help of its Turkish brothers?
The conscientious objectors have come forward with baseless accusations regarding Turkistan of Pakistan. They speak of an identity crisis in Pakistan. Indian media has picked up the strain and says that the ancestors of most Muslims in Pakistan were converts from Hinduism but they try to identify their lineage with Arabs when the glory of Arab Muslims is at its zenith; now with the popularity of Turkish dramas like Dirili?: Ertu?rul, they are keen to relate their heritage with the Turks. The critics tend to propagate themes that our youth in major metropolis might be soon riding horseback to the theme music of Dirili?: Ertu?rul.
Before we pass a judgment on the detractors, let us briefly examine what the hullabaloo is about?
Ertu?rul Ghazi’s father Suleyman Shah, the leader of the nomadic tribe the Kayi, was constantly on the move after Changez Khan’s army plundered and looted the Islamic empire. Suleyman Shah abandoned the land of Berbers to move towards the lands of the Seljuks, passing Amu Deryâ and coming to the Ard basin where the Oghuz Turks were concentrated. Following the capture of Jerusalem by Salahuddin Ayyubi, the Crusaders and the Byzantine were plotting to dislocate the Muslims and recapture the territory.
After the death of his father, Ertu?rul Ghazi took a band of the Kayi kabîleye (tribe) and moved westwards, constantly battling the Mongols, the Byzantine, the Crusaders as well as traitors in his tribe and the Seljuq Palace.
His life was a constant struggle but through his faith in Allah, bravery, perseverance, determination, while striving for justice and maintaining the traditions of Islam, he laid the foundation for one of the greatest empires, the Ottomans, who ruled for six centuries across three continents.
The TV serial spread over five seasons comprising more than 500 episodes is gripping and intense. Ertu?rul’s powerful character epitomizes valour and principled stand for protecting the oppressed, and willingness to sacrifice his life for the cause of justice. His inspiring message throughout the serial is “To those who say our power is not enough, we will say our faith is enough. To those who say our lifespan is not enough, we will say our history is enough. To those who say that the universe is not enough, we say God is enough for us.” Lessons from the Quran and Sunnah are convincingly depicted through the real-life character of Ibn Arabi, the renowned chronologist, mystic, philosopher, poet, sage and one of the world’s great spiritual teachers.
The pseudo-intellectuals criticizing Pakistani viewer’s craze for Dirili?: Ertu?rul, it smacks of double standards because the same critics have never spoken against the influence of alien and Indian culture on Pakistani society but finds faults with a mesmerizing effort to enable Muslims to emerge from the pervasion of inferiority complex and Islamophobia by the Occident
Dirili?: Ertu?rul has been aired very extensively in the west too, where its had been watched with interest generating debate and criticism. New York Times calls it Turkey’s “soft power A-bomb” and considers it an attempt by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an to revive the glory of the Ottomans. Erdo?an’s response to the propaganda targeting Dirili?: Ertu?rul is just one sentence: “Until lions start writing their own history, their hunters will always be the heroes”.
It goes to the credit of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, who after his visit to Turkey last year, tasked PTV to dub Dirili?: Ertu?rul in Urdu and air it throughout Pakistan. The serial has become a massive hit because of its glorious depiction of Muslim history and inspiring messages.
Turkish actress Esra Bilgiç, who has won the hearts of millions of fans across the globe with her stellar performance as Halime Sultan, the wife of Ertu?rul in the epic drama series Dirili?: Ertu?rul, received accolades from her Pakistani followers when she condemned an Indian actress’s vitriolic call for war against Pakistan.
Coming back to the pseudo-intellectuals criticizing Pakistani viewer’s craze for Dirili?: Ertu?rul, it smacks of double standards because the same critics have never spoken against the influence of alien and Indian culture on Pakistani society but finds faults with a mesmerizing effort to enable Muslims to emerge from the pervasion of inferiority complex and Islamophobia by the Occident. The secret of the Dirili?: Ertu?rul, is the fact that the mighty Turk leader followed the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) his strategy in wars, his concept of social justice and despite heavy odds, establishing Riyasat-e-Madinah with only a handful of faithful followers. Our hearts reach out to Ertu?rul, because he followed the Quran and sunnah in letter and spirit against great adversity struggling with only a few patriotic members of his tribe to have his son establish the Ottoman empire.
Meanwhile, after garnering praise worldwide, the team of Dirili?: Ertu?rul, overwhelmed by the response, has thanked the millions of Pakistan fans for their enthusiasm and zeal. The world record for most subscribers in a month on YouTube stands at 6.6 million while the number of hits so far has just touched 6 million and there are fourteen days to go to create history. #Ertugrul became a top trend after Prime Minister Imran Khan declared on media that if one wants to learn about ethics and Islam’s glory, one should watch Dirili?: Ertu?rul.
The writer is a retired Group Captain of PAF. He is a columnist, analyst and TV talk show host, who has authored six books on current affairs, including three on China