Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai Secretary General
World Kashmir Awareness forum, Washington
October 7, 2024
On October 7, 2024, the Ummah lost an iconic personality, an intellectual and a great thinker in the person of Ustaaz Recai Kutan. He was not keeping good health for a while and passed away today at the age of 94 at the hospital in Ankara. Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilayhi
Ustaaz Kutan was born in 1930. He was first elected to parliament in 1977 as a member of the National Salvation Party (MSP), serving as the minister in the coalition government. He was later elected as the deputy leader of the Welfare Party (RP) which was founded in 1983. He was elected to Turkish Grand National Assembly from Malatya and later served as Minister of Energy and Natural Resources in 1996 and 1997.
After the Welfare Party RP was dissolved, he led the Virtue Party (FP). And when it was also shut down, he became one of the founding members of the Felicity Party (SP) in 2001.
Ustaaz Kutan, as an educationist, established a think-tank in Ankara by the name of the Economic and Social Research Center (ESAM). He was the Chairman of ESAM until his death.
Ustaaz Kutan was a trusted friend of the people of Kashmir. He was a fascinating personality, a person with wisdom, farsightedness, and judiciousness. He rendered his services for upholding the human rights all around the world, including Palestine, Myanmar and Kashmir.
It was on July 12, 1991, when I had the honor to receiving Ustaaz Recai Kutan at Washington Dulles airport along with my colleague and friend, Dr. Ayub Thakur. We had invited him to be the key-note speaker at the First International Kashmir conference which was held at Crystal City, Virginia (Suburban of Washington DC) on July13-14, 1991. The organizing committee included Dr. Ghulam N. Mir, Dr. Akraam Dhar, Dr. Roufe Meer and others. According to the Indian Express, the conference was attended by more than 700 delegates, including Lord Eric Avebury, Chairman British Parliamentary Human Rights Group, Congressman Dan Burton and others. Dr. Ayub and I spent couple of hours together with him at Marriot Hotel, Crystal City, Virginia. We were impressed to see a self-less, highly educated politician from Turkey who was statesmanlike, poised, and fully informed about the situation in Kashmir.
It was my honor to meet Ustaaz Kutan on more than dozen occasions. He always received me with warmth and extended all possible help in organizing seminar and conference from the platform of ESAM.
I had a detailed meeting with Ustaaz Kutan on December 21, 2017, wherein he proposed that the next Kashmir conference should take place in second week of February 2018, either at the Parliament in Ankara or at a University between February 10 to 18, 2018 on “India-Pakistan Relations: Breaking the Deadlock over Kashmir.” Those who were present in the discussion included, Abdul Rashid Turabi, former, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Azad Kashmir, Ustaaz Atik Agdag, the Vice President, ESAM, Brother Yilmaz Balcin, and Brother Abdullah Usame Budak.
At another occasion, in August 2018, when I was meeting Ustaaz Kutan, he suggested that I must meet with Professor (Dr.) Oya Akgonenc, member of Turkish Parliament and her husband, Professor (Dr.) Mohammed Mughisuddin, who were deeply involved in organizing seminars, meetings and conferences on the Kashmir dispute. Ustaaz Kutan immediately asked his office to make an appointment so that I can meet them before my departure from Ankara. They were so kind to invite me to their home right away. Professor Akgonenc agreed that she will organize one day conference in February 2019. But alas, Professor Akgonenc passed away on October 18, 2018, and the conference could not take place.
Ustaaz Kutan was the chief organizer of Kashmir conference on February 2, 2021, which was organized at the headquarters of ESAM in Ankara. In his opening remarks he said as reported by Daily Milli Gazette, “A free, fair and impartial plebiscite decided by the UNSC, where the people of Kashmir can demonstrate their will, should be implemented without wasting any more time. The right of self-determination of Kashmiris, which is recognized by the United Nations Charter and guaranteed by the UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir, is denied. The policies implemented by the occupying administration have brought the greatest human tragedies for decades. Despite all calls for negotiation, India continues to impose its illegal, unilateral and provocative practices aimed at changing the status of the region. India wants to change the demographic structure of the region and deprive the people of Kashmir of their land and their most basic human rights.”
Ustaaz Kutan added that “The persecution inflicted by India in the regions it occupies in defiance of international law must be stopped immediately. The fundamental human rights of the people of Kashmir must be respected; arbitrary arrests must end. The excessive and disproportionate use of force against journalists, non-governmental organizations and innocent civilians should be stopped. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation should be more involved in the Kashmir Issue. It must show that Islamic countries are not indifferent to the persecution of the people of Kashmir and must be the voice of the oppressed Muslims. As ESAM, we will stand by the oppressed people of Kashmir in their just cause and continue to work for a world where all humanity can live in peace and harmony.”
Ustaaz Kutan also underscored the importance of United Nations’ Charter for the settlement of Kashmir, Palestine and other international problems. The sanctity of international agreements must remain one of the bases of a sane and stable international order.
The people of Kashmir will never forget the selfless contribution and the tireless efforts of Ustaaz Kutan. His efforts will remain forever a milestone in the history of the freedom struggle of Kashmir. We will miss him a lot.
May Allah (s.w.t.) elevate the status of Ustaaz Recai Kutan as the guided person, comfort him in his grave, make his grave part of Jannatul Firdous and give Sabr to the family and all brothers and sisters at ESAM & Felicity party! Ameen.
Dr. Fai is also the Chairman, World Forum for Peace & Justice
He can be reached at: WhatsApp: 1-202-607-6435. Or. gnfai2003@yahoo.com
www.kashmirawareness.org
