Kurdish TRT (Ses) Airs Mawlid Program in Kurdish

Journal of Turkish Weekly - 9.3.2009TRT SeS (6), Turkey's 24-hour Kurdish-language television station, aired a religious program in connection with the Mawlid al-Nabi (Mevlid Kandili in Turkish) in the once-banned Kurdish language last night.Many in the Muslim world observed Mawlid al-Nabi yesterday, a celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. The date for the holiday is fixed at the 12th day of the Muslim calendar month of Rabi al-Awwal. The TRT Ses Mawlid program was shot at Ulucami -- Anatolia's first mosque -- in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır. The program included prayers, Quran recitation and sermons by muftis.Alettin Bozkurt, a mufti who addressed Turkey's Kurdish population with a sermon in a Kurdish dialect, dwelled on the importance of unity and brotherhood. Bozkurt said Islam made no place for racism and conflict. The program was met with enthusiasm by many in Turkey's Kurdish-dominated eastern and southeastern regions.People expressed satisfaction at the opportunity to watch a religious program in Kurdish, the public use of which was prohibited following a 1980 military coup. The ban remained in place until 1991.In the meantime, mosques across Turkey were filled with Muslims last night who wished to mark the occasion with prayers.Men, women and children flocked to mosques across the country to offer prayers in congregation, and listened attentively to sermons delivered by imams. All of the sermons emphasized the importance of strengthening the bonds of brotherhood between people.

The Prophet Muhammad was born around A.D. 570 and died in 632. Mawlid al-Nabi is not a traditional Islamic observance, first observed around the 13th century and preceded by a month of celebration. It is nevertheless celebrated by many throughout the Muslim world, and ubiquitously so in Turkey.The celebration is motivated by a sense of love and respect for the Prophet. The day is usually marked with a sermon, a reminder of the Prophet's life and mission, gift-giving and a feast. The festival spread throughout the Muslim world and is celebrated in many countries today, though orthodox groups regard the celebration of the Prophet's birthday as a religiously innovative practice and therefore forbidden.Directorate of Religious Affairs head Ali Bardakoglu issued a message in connection with the observance yesterday, in which he emphasized that the Prophet Muhammad helped the needy and the poor throughout his life."Our beloved prophet always lent a helping hand to orphans and the needy. He never hurt anyone, and did not return evil with evil, though he was faced with very difficult situations. He not only advised us to love people and show affection toward them, but practiced his advice during his lifetime. ... Loving the prophet and taking him as an example for our lives means to shape our lives in accordance with his advice and recommendations," Bardakoglu said.