After Sultan Mehmed II conquered the territory in 1463, he issued the following firman:
“I, the Sultan Khan the Conqueror,
hereby declare the whole world that,
The Bosnian Franciscans granted with this sultanate firman are under my protection. And I command that:
No one shall disturb or give harm to these people and their churches! They shall live in peace in my state. These people who have become emigrants, shall have security and liberty. They may return to their monasteries which are located in the borders of my state.
No one from my empire notable, viziers, clerks or my maids will break their honour or give any harm to them!
No one shall insult, put in danger or attack these lives, properties, and churches of these people!
Also, what and those these people have brought from their own countries have the same rights…
By declaring this firman, I swear on my sword by the holy name of Allah who has created the ground and sky, Allah’s prophet Mohammed, and 124.000 former prophets that; no one from my citizens will react or behave the opposite of this firman!”
The original edict is still kept in the Franciscan Catholic Monastery in Fojnica. It is one of the oldest documents on religious freedoms. Mehmed II’s oath was entered into force in the Ottoman Empire on May 28, 1463. In 1971, the United Nations published a translation of the document in all the official U.N. languages. -wikipedia
December 12th, 2007 - 3:59 am
BismillahirRahmanirRahim.
selam aleykum Yursil bhai, mashaAllah to you for this.
It lifts my heart to read about the just and strong Sultans that we have.
Indeed they are very big saints all of them and only now are their pure actions revealed to the world - which says alot of their humble character.
May we be worthy of them.
December 12th, 2007 - 7:16 pm
What a lovely reply was made above to a fascinating display of Ottoman tolerance for other religions extending even to these unambiguously missionary monks. Let us recall that St Francis and St Anthony of Padua, the two most famous Franciscans ever, had both been consumed by a great fervor to convert the Muslims but were met by devotion which was just as strong as their own, hence had no effect. whatsoever for all their efforts.
So, this makes triply magnanimous the Firman of Fatih Sultan Mehmet, testifying to his wise judgment and kindness in clearly setting out that the Catholic monks must be protected by all means. So where in the West today is there recognition of this enlightened mentality of most Ottoman rulers, and gratitude for this, 6 centuries ago at that ???