Ottoman Descendants From South Africa Apply For Ancestral Türkish Citizenship After 150 Years
By Halim Gencoglu
@halimgencoglu
By Halim Gencoglu
@halimgencoglu
Families of Ottoman origin in South Africa have decided to apply for Türkish citizenship after The Türkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan showed interest in Africa’s Ottoman legacy .
More than a hundred family members with the surnames Effendi , Pasha , Patel , Amjadi & Remzi Bey have already applied for Türkish citizenship .
In the Ottoman era , their great grandfathers such as Abu Bakr Effendi & some other envoys were sent to South Africa as diplomats or religious guides to educate local Muslims at the tip of Southern Africa .
" Who Is Abu Bakr Effendi ? "
The 1st religious guide sent to South Africa was Professor Abu Bakr Effendi from Erzurum . Abu Bakr Effendi came to South Africa in 1863 & established a religious school at the Cape of Good Hope .
As a multilingual scholar , he easily learned English & Afrikaans to communicate with the local inhabitants .
He was married twice in Cape Town , 1st with Rukiye Maker , then , after his divorce in 1866 , with Tahora Saban (née Cook) , who was from the well-known family of Captain James Cook .
Abu Bakr Effendi had one son from Rukiye Maker , Ahmet Ataullah , who became the 1st Muslim politician in South Africa . Ahmet Ataullah educated his nephew Dr Abdullah Abdurrahman before leaving South Africa for Türkiye .
Ahmet Ataullah was appointed as the 1st Ottoman Consul-General in Singapore & died there . His son Rushdi Ataullah became the 1st colored aviator & his daughter Havva Khayrunnisa became the 1st Muslim medical doctor in the history of South Africa .
Abu Bakr Effendi’s 2nd marriage with Tahora was a fruitful one & they had 5 children : 1 daughter & 4 sons . Tahora became the headmistress the 1st Islamic school for girls opened by Effendi in Cape Town .
She is known to have been one of the 1st female teachers in the history of South Africa . This serves as evidence that Abu Bakr Effendi also educated his wife & appointed her as a teacher at the school .
When Abu Bakr Effendi passed away in 29th of June 1880 , he left considerable estates to his children .
" The Legacy Of Abu Bakr Effendi In South Africa "
Theologian Abu Bakr Effendi played a crucial role in the development of the Muslim identity in the South African Islamic Society . Abu Bakr Effendi introduced the Ottoman Fez for Muslim males & the hijab for Muslim females in South Africa .
Effendi’s religious book entitled “ Beyan Ud Din ” is regarded as one of the 1st Arabic-Afrikaans books in the history of South Africa . His contribution to Cape Afrikaans is well preserved in the Afrikaans Taal Museum in Paarl & in the Huguenot Museum in Franschhoek .
Historian Ahmed Davids stated that , “ No doubt , Abu Bakr Effendi was an exceptional linguist .”
One of his students , Abdulrakip Abdulrauf , became the Imam of the Nurul Islam Masjid in Bo-Kaap . His other student , Muhammed Dollie , established a mosque in London .
According to local newspapers in South Africa , many students of Abu Bakr Effendi became professors of Islamic Studies in Mecca around the 1890's .
" Another Ottoman Scholar : Mahmud Fakih Effendi "
To continue these educational activities in South Africa , The Great Ottoman State subsequently sent other scholars to South Africa to educate people .
One student of Abu Bakr Effendi , Mahmud Fakih Effendi , who became a professor of Islam & taught thousands of students , not only at his school in Castle Street , but also in his residence in 71 Wale Street until his death 1913 . His house is now the Bo-Kaap Museum .
The museum , at 71 Wale Street , is a Cape Town cultural landmark & is housed in the oldest building in the Bo-Kaap .
Dr Halim Gençoĝlu @halimgencoglu (African Studies) spent months in the Türkish & Cape’s archives to set the historical record straight about the rightful owners of 71 Wale Street , now home to the Bo-Kaap Museum .
The legacy of Abu Bakr Effendi also catalyzed solidarity between Türkiye & South Africa . In 1912 , while the Ottoman army was trying to protect Libya against Italy , South African Muslims gathered donations to support The Great Ottoman State .
Furthermore , some South African Muslim leaders offered to join the Ottoman army in Libya .
During the 1st World War , his grandchildren left South Africa for Türkiye & fought against the British Empire in the Ottoman army in Gallipoli , Damascus & Kut Al Amara . After the war they went back to South Africa where they were born & lived as Ottoman descendants .
South African local newspapers from 1913 mention the 1st Colored Pilot , Rushdi Ataullah . They also include news about South African Muslims donating money to the Ottoman army in Libya .
Even long after the decline of The Great Ottoman State , South African Muslims sent donations to the Republic of Türkiye for the victims of an earthquake in the city of Erzincan in 1939 .
The esteem & amicable relations between both territories could in part be attributed to the legacy that Abu Bakr Effendi bequeathed in Southern Africa .
" Ottoman Families In South Africa Trace Back To Their Ancestral Heritage "
There are many academics , writers , judges , medical doctors & politicians among the Ottoman families . They would like to strengthen the relationships between Türkiye & South Africa .
The Minister of Economic Development in South Africa , Ebrahim Patel , is one of the great grandsons of Abu Bakr Effendi . As inhabitants in South Africa & Ottoman descendants , they wish to revive the legacy in both countries .
Hesham Neamatollah Effendi @EffendiHesham says that : “ It is my dream to go to Türkiye with the Türkish passport , the crescent moon & star on .” Another great grandson of Abu Bakr Effendi , Rustu Guven Atala , said : “ I am very excited to take back my Türkish heritage .”
According to some of the family members , their intention is not to migrate to Türkiye 150 years after their forefathers moved to the African continent , but rather to renew & catalyze the good relations between Türkiye & South Africa .
