If one looks at the "Hacı Halil Efendi" Wikipedia page in the Turkish language, one will find a blank page. Accordingly, if one searches to find official announcements of the Greek Church about the Seykhulislam of Polis, Hatzi Halil, it will again be difficult to locate relevant tributes. Archimandrite Father Philotheos Pharos mentions him in his book "The Church as a Scandal and as Salvation" (Armos-2002), while there are scattered references in texts of Metropolitans.
Dimitrios Kambouroglou or Kambouroglous, had proposed to give his name to a street in Athens, as it should be. Because Hatzi Halil Efentis is rightly considered as one of the first victims of the revolution of 1821, since, as the highest religious leader of the Ottomans, he refused to issue an order (fetfa) by which he would allow massacres against the Orthodox, Greeks and non-Orthodox, throughout the territory.
After all, we are in the era in which Patriarch Gregory V had condemned the explosion of the revolution in Wallachia, after the revelation of the plans of the Philiki Etairia and under the weight of the historical reality of the time.
The kadis, or priest, Hadzi Halil, lived in Plaka, at the intersection of Tripodon - Thespidos - Shelley, and the street that was proposed - in vain - for renaming was Shelley. When the Revolution broke out in Athens, on April 25, 1821, the Turks sent Hadzi Khalil to Constantinople, where he refused the fatfa and was finally killed in the most degrading way.
Specifically, after Gregory's request, the appellant Hadji Halil asked the Sultan to distinguish between the innocent and the guilty, as required by the Koran, and refused to issue the fatfa in white. After all, he himself came from the Alfaranid family, which was distinguished for its faithful observance of the commands of the Koran.
The Sultan finally decided to remove the priest from his position and exile him together with his wife.
According to the Turkish Islamic Encyclopedia (islamansiklopedisi.org.tr), the real reason for his removal is the fact that the hierarch came into open conflict with the diplomat Mehmet Sait Halet Efendi (1761–1822) who directly influenced the Sultan. His wife was accused of being a witch and executed. The appellant breathed his last in Afyon Karahisar, on the way to his exile, being tortured and paralyzed.
The British ambassador Lord Strangford wrote that "Halet the Effendi, the main beneficiary exercised more influence over the Sultan than all his ministers combined". Halil, according to Turkish sources, died of a stroke after the humiliating death of his wife.
Of course, not even the Patriarch was spared from the wrath of Sultan Mahmut II later, who was hanged in Fanari, on Easter day, on April 10, 1821.
It is therefore worth wondering why Seykhulislam Halil, this well-known-unknown personality who was associated with the beginnings of the Hellenic Struggle, is absent from the honors of March 25 and our anniversary texts. It is about a man who sacrificed himself honoring his religion and its Scriptures, and honoring the dignity of Man, giving his life for the respect of the enemy but also for the presumption of innocence. Even now, it would be a historically important opportunity to honor him through the official celebrations for the 200 years of the Greek revolution, giving a "resounding" signal to the opposite side. The very interesting blog, Roidis and Laskaratou Obsessions, has also written about the importance of his commemoration.
For the following events and the historical continuity of Hatzi Halil's denial, we read in more detail in the book "The Greeks of Constantinople 1821-1922" by Vassilis Moutsoglou (Papazisi Publications, 1998):
"The Grand Vizier also ceased, as inactive and unworthy of the circumstances, and was replaced by Ali Bederli Pasha, who, after eight days, lost not only his position but also his head. Salih Pasha was appointed Grand Vizier, who observed harsh politics and let the mob act.
In the end, the general slaughter did not take place, probably not only because of internal reactions but also to avoid Russian intervention. The new Seykhulislami Faiz Imamis was forced to issue a fatfa for a more moderate decision, which allowed the punishment (slaughter) of the guilty, definitely the accomplices and the "absolute suspects". On the basis of this fatfa, a fermani was issued, with which amnesty was granted, on the condition that the rest of the Greeks reject any revolutionary idea and remain in the rajas regime. On March 20, the Gate handed the amnesty decree to the interpreter K. Mourouzis to translate. At the same time, a sultanic decree was issued to the Genos and the Patriarch, full of complaints, demands and threats.
Vizier Salih, delivering the decree to the Patriarch, told him that as a high order, he should definitely issue an excommunication against Ypsilantis, Michael Soutsos and the rebels beyond the Danube. For, added the Vizier, only this excommunication could provide some hope of reprieve "to the Sultan's sword that hung over their heads." Under the state of this blackmail, a new general meeting of the clergy and laity was convened with the participation of the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Jerusalem, 21 high priests and many lay people. Among those who took part, was the former ruler of Wallachia Skarlatos Kallimachis, the Great Interpreter of the Gate of Kon. Mourouzis and the Interpreter of the fleet Nik. Mourouzis".
As the author mentions, the delegates were faced with an extortionate dilemma.
"After an extensive discussion, it was decided that the laity should submit a report renouncing the Revolution and declaring the submission of all the provinces, while the clergy should compose the act of excommunication. On Wednesday, March 23, a text of excommunication was signed by the two Patriarchs and 21 High Priests, the which, as it was ubiquitous, was addressed to all the High Priests and clergy. In this text, an effort was made to include as few as possible of the typically usual aphoristic expressions. A little later, probably at the request of the Gate, a new aphoristic document was signed with much heavier expressions, but which was addressed only to the Metropolitan of Wallachia.
The excommunications and the manifestation of complete submission of the Romans of the City temporarily saved them from the danger of general massacre, but when the news of the uprising also reached the Morea, the sultan proceeded to new measures. Ecumenical Patriarch Gregory V was the first to be led to the gallows, on April 10, 1821, in front of the main gate of the Patriarchate.
The execution was carried out by disorderly janissaries, but the posted text proves that it was carried out by order of the Sultan. On May 6, Nikolaos Mourouzis, dragoon of the fleet, is killed. Subsequently, the high priests who had been taken as hostages were hanged, Dionysios of Ephesus in the central market of Pera, Balukpazar, Eugenios of Aghialos in Galata, while Athanasios of Nicomedia died from the hardships of his imprisonment and torture. On April 19, mass hangings of lay people take place. On the 3rd of June, Ioannikios of Tyrnovou, Dorotheos of Hadrianoupolis in Mega Revma, Joseph of Thessaloniki in Nichori, Grigorios of Derkon in Therapia were hanged on the west coast of the Bosphorus. On the same day, Alexander and Skarlatos Callimachis, who had been appointed ruler of Wallachia after the outbreak of the Revolution there, are exiled to Anatolia. According to the news, real or fabricated, that arrives from the Morea, a state of terror against the Romans is being created in Constantinople. The victims of that time in the City are estimated at ten thousand.
Meanwhile Tsar Alexander was returning from Laibach to Petropolis. The tragic events in Constantinople had caused indignation in Orthodox Russia. As can be seen, the Ottoman government was not satisfied with the suppression of the revolutionary movements, but sought to destroy the Orthodox Church whose patron is considered the Tsar. After the intervention of Kapodistrias, who highlighted the approach reached with France regarding the region, Ambassador Stroganov is instructed to deliver an ultimatum to the Sublime Gate with the requirement that a satisfactory answer be given within eight days. With this document, Russia recalled the inhuman behavior of the Sultan against his Christian subjects, who gave a revolution the character of legitimate defense and declared that the coexistence of the Ottoman Empire with the civilized states of Europe would be impossible if the Sultan did not decide to respect the Christian religion, he did not cancel the plan to exterminate the Romans and did not cease to be a source of concern for the rest of Europe with the rebellious movements caused by his policy.
The Tsar invoked the right to be interested in the fate of the Sultan's Roman subjects based on the treaty of Kiucuk Kaynardza of 1774 and the treaties of Iasi of 1792 and of Bucharest of 1812 and demanded the fulfillment of four conditions:
A. The Ottoman Empire would undertake to rebuild or repair the churches destroyed by the mob.
B. The Sultan had to ensure the serious protection of the Orthodox Christian Church.
C. The Ottoman government should distinguish between "guilty" and "innocent" Christians, and not bother those who would declare submission within a certain period.
D. The Paristrian hegemonies would return to the previous regime. The Ottoman army that had invaded, would have to retreat, according to the privileges established in favor of Russia, by earlier treaties.
In the opposite case, the Sublime Gate would justify with its behavior, the exercise of the protection that Russia would provide to the Greeks. At the same time, the Tsar brought the content of the ultimatum to the attention of the other European powers, pointing out that his attitude towards the revolutionary movements had not changed, and that it was natural for Russia, as a neighboring country, to consider itself responsible for the restoration of order in the Balkans. Stroganov did not receive an answer from the Gate by the deadline he had set, and he left the Ottoman Capital at the beginning of August 1821. On their side, Austria, which did not want the expansion of Russian influence in the Balkans and, moreover, feared the outbreak of similar movements in her territory, and England, who believed that the Sultan afforded the best guarantee for the safety of the road to India, asked their ambassadors at Constantinople to try to extract some concessions, even if apparent, by which to give satisfaction to the Tsar, so that he would not proceed with his war plans.
Shortly before the Revolution broke out, Kapodistrias had systematically discouraged the Greeks from resorting to this solution, because he considered it untimely and dangerous in view of the prevailing situation. But after the manifestation of the revolutionary movement, he used all his persuasion towards the Tsar to provide armed help to the Greeks. In this case, however, the concerted action of Austria and England finally prevented the Tsar from declaring war at this time".
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