The sheikhs of Kurtuluş and the religion written by human hands

“Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or similar to it. Do you not know that Allah is over all things competent?” (Al-Baqarah, 106)

As the verse clearly points out, God occasionally changes rulings during the process of constructing a religion; thus, the direction of the religion can take a new turn.

But can humans do this? Can religion be reconstructed by what life brings?

The questions may seem controversial at first glance. However, history shows us that this has happened many times. Power relations, power struggles, and economic and political actors have reinterpreted religion for centuries; sometimes shaping it according to their own needs. Sects, dervish orders, and various religious structures have been the carriers of this process.

Even today, we see that interpretations of religion represented by different groups clash with one another. The interpretation adopted by one side can be considered a deviation by the other. Sometimes, the parties even declare their own interpretations as absolute truth while accusing the other side of “falling into disbelief.”

The frequently voiced statement, “What we are living today is the Umayyad religion,” stands before us as one of the most striking examples of this debate.

This is precisely where the sheikhs in the film Kurtuluş, written and directed by Emin Alper, strikingly reveal this process of religious reconstruction.

In the film, Ferit Sheikh, one of the sheikhs portrayed by Feyyaz Duman, adopts a more cautious and peaceful stance in the face of the problems encountered. However, he also thinks about the future and power of the dervish lodge. He speaks to his brother, Mesut Sheikh, about the growth of the lodge and the expansion of its sphere of influence, arguing that they should not be directly involved in social conflict. In his view, what is at the center is power, might, and the continuity of religious authority.

In contrast, Mesut Sheikh, played by Caner Cindoruk, follows a completely different path under the guidance of the Bezari tribe. In a short time, he employs violence to seize power and turns religion into the legitimizing language of this violence. Thus, the route followed by the religion changes sharply; the process opens the door to mass killings and massacres.

Religious authority changes hands. As the new authority, Mesut Sheikh becomes the representative of both the tribe and the religion. Although the reasons may be open to debate, it is clearly seen that the dynamics of life are decisive in the way religion is interpreted and practiced. Political, social, and regional problems transform religious discourse. Now, rulings speak like weapons; absolute evil is considered legitimate, and the language of brutality is reproduced in the name of religion.

The sheikhs of Kurtuluş offer a powerful narrative showing how religion is reproduced under the influence of many psychological, cultural, and social dynamics, and the paths it can take and the points it can drift toward. In this respect, the film reminds us not only of a chilling event that took place in a specific period but also of a reality that human history has encountered time and again.

That reality is this: Throughout history, religion has been kneaded by the hands of man and life; sometimes it hardened in the shadow of power, and sometimes it softened with more humane interpretations. But one thing remained unchanged: Man does not only live what he believes; he also reconstructs it.