A translator who stands up for his people – and for Jesus

TURKEY — The Kurdish man working on the Turkish Bible Society’s Kurdish Bible translation project did not become a Bible-believing Christian until after he had been engaged to do the work. With hindsight, though, he can say that by the time he started the work, his journey was already under way.

A friend who worked for the Bible Society knew of his language abilities and suggested him for the position of translator. He worked as a volunteer for a while before a more formal arrangement was made. That was in 1994.

Born into an educated family, he became politically aware at an early age. “I never believed in the Muslim religion when I was a student in high school,” he recalls. “I actually hated being Muslim.”

After taking a degree in Philosophy, he went on to study for a doctorate in International Relations. At the time of joining the Bible Society, he was working on his thesis, which he completed in 2000.

His career prior to coming to the Turkish Bible Society had been a mixed one.

While studying for his Philosophy degree, he had a job in a hotel. And later, while researching and writing about the Kurdish people, he opened his own restaurant in Istanbul. Somewhat provocatively, however, he gave the restaurant a Kurdish name and the project was a failure. It was not the only time his political outlook has brought him misfortune: later, a newspaper article he wrote in which he referred to the Kurdish minority cost him his job as a university teacher.

Although his intellectual and political development began at an early age, his spiritual shaping took place more recently. Shortly before he was offered the opportunity to work on the Kurdish Bible, an incident occurred which, though it didn’t seem significant at the time, seems now to suggest the presence of God’s hand on his life.

Result of prayer

“I was on holiday in Izmit,” he says. “I went to a district called Selçuk, formerly a Christian area where there is a church called Mother Mary Church.

“I went into this church and for the first time in my life, I can say, I prayed. And then after a few days, my friend – the one who was working in the Bible Society – phoned me and said, ‘There is a translation job. Would you like to help with the work?’ I have asked myself many times if the phone call was the result of the prayer.”

He adds, somewhat mysteriously, that he had already thought of translating part of the Bible into Kurdish when the offer came his way. “I had the idea before I knew about the Bible Society – maybe it was God’s plan,” he laughs.

By the time he was engaged on the project he was of the firm opinion that the Kurds would benefit greatly from having the Bible in their own language.

As he became immersed in reading and translating the New Testament, he found that he was being deeply affected by it.

He discovered that Christianity’s culture was quite different from that of Islam. Certain Bible teachings highlighted the differences strikingly. “It totally changed me to deal with how you are taught to forgive people, to love people and live with them in peace. The Bible says ‘Love your enemies and your neighbours’ and ‘Treat your neighbour as you would like to be treated.’ This affected me.”

From then on, while still a Kurdish intellectual, “In my heart,” he says, “I believed in Jesus.”

“When I recognised the Bible, I learned to be flexible… to listen to people… to forgive them… and to be more patient. For example, if you are among Muslims, you would always fight. I don’t want to fight; I always wanted to convince people, to argue with them. … to understand them.”

The year after he became a translator he undertook a short course in Christian theology. Since giving his life to Jesus Christ, he has been a vocal advocate of the Christian faith.

“I have spoken with hundreds – maybe thousands – of people on the issue of being Christians and Muslims,” he says. “And I am always supporting the totally different Christian culture.

“Maybe I am like a missionary, you could say – like 10 missionaries!” (WR 399/13 - 01/02.06) [3 photos]