Reading Text: The Book that Amazed the Representative of UNESCO
The late Hajji Cemal Öğüt was a sophisticated and enlightened man of religion.
He was interested in especially the issues related to health and tried to enlighten people about health not only in his preaches but also in his books. In a meeting organized by Verem Savaş Derneği (Fight Against Tuberculosis) with the contribution of UNESCO, he distributed his book called ’nun “İçtimai ve Ahlaki Temizlik: Yerlere ve Yollara Tükürenlerin Suçları” (Social and Ethical Cleanliness: the Crimes of People Who Spit on the Ground and Roads). In the meeting the next day, a doctor who was the representative of UNESCO showed the book and asked the people around him, “Who gave me this book?” Cemal Öğüt said,“I did”. When the French doctor said he wanted to know the writer of the book, Cemal Öğüt introduced himself saying, “I am a bigot”. General Tevfik Sağlam, who was present at the meeting, said,
– “If you were a bigot, would we invite you to the meeting?” Thereupon, Cemal Öğüt hit the right note:
– “O General! Unfortunately for many years, people like you have called people like me “bigots” and people like me called you “unbelievers” as a reaction. Now, we are trying to approach and know each other. Our national unity can only be realized if we come together and work together. Only then can serious steps be taken for the development of our country. I think the most vital activity of today and tomorrow is to close the artificial precipices between us by cooperating.”
Congratulating Cemal Öğüt sincerely on his words, Doctor Etienne Berthet, the representative of Unesco made the following remarkable statement:
– “Mr Öğüt! I wanted to make some studies about health and cleanliness in Unesco. I applied to the most authoritative cardinals and the chief rabbi and asked them the view of our religion about the issue. However, I could not get any proper information about health and cleanliness from them. Then, I found out that Christianity did not have any remarkable views about the issue. However, I have learnt from your book that Islam is like a treasure worthy of being studied in terms of cleanliness and health. I would like to thank you since you have caused me to understand it.” (Cumhuriyetten Günümüze İslâm Âlimleri, Vehbi Vakkasoğlu)
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