One of the factors that turn states and nations against one another is the textbooks taught in schools. History textbooks in schools are filled with teachings and information that portray one’s own nation as the hero and others as the enemy. This is one of the reasons why hatred and hostility between societies and nations persist for generations. When it comes to each country’s unique history, the manipulation of perceptions outweighs the pursuit of truth.

You won’t find any self-criticism in the history textbooks taught in schools in any country, along the lines of, “We made some mistakes too.” Textbooks in many countries, in particular, are built on a mindset that glorifies countries, views others as enemies, and portrays the other side as solely responsible for wars. Young school-age minds, deprived of the ability to question right and wrong, become targets of a process of perception and indoctrination under the influence of these one-sided teachings.

An educational approach based on perception management is a key factor in the formation of prejudices. Books, publications, and mass media, especially cinema, play a significant role in this mental construction process. When factors such as the political ambitions of those governing countries and their exploitation of historical events are added to this, undesirable outcomes often result, often resulting in war.

One striking example of this occurred in the Balkans at the end of the last century. The Battle of Kosovo took place between the Ottoman Empire and the Serbs on June 15, 1389. In 1989, the 600th anniversary of this battle, the coffin of Serbian King Lazar, who had lost his life in that war, was exhumed. The coffin was paraded through all Serbian cities, creating a spirit of vengeance for the event that occurred 600 years earlier.

The Serb-Bosnian War, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, the rape of thousands of women, and the discovery of numerous mass graves, began after this incident in 1992. War crimes amounting to genocide were committed against the Bosnians. The crimes committed during the war were also brought to the attention of the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY), established by the United Nations. This war became a striking example of how a society can be provoked 600 years later by an event that occurred centuries ago.

Look, let me give you an example from my own experience.

In the early 1990s, I was teaching history at one of Turkey’s most successful schools. It was another such November. During a class where I was discussing the services rendered to the country by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, a student raised his hand and asked to speak. He explained that after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk died on November 10, 1938, even the grave where he was buried refused to accept his coffin. He said that Atatürk’s coffin was thrown out of the grave because of his big sins.

I’d heard such a rumor circulating in anti-Atatürk religious circles before. This student’s father also owned books on history. This claim piqued his classmates’ interest, prompting him to listen more attentively to his peers. Those familiar with Turkey will remember that speaking against its founding leader, Atatürk, is a crime. Furthermore, similar prohibitions exist in many countries. If such a topic is even raised in a school, you could even lose your job as a teacher.

All the students’ gazes turned to me, focused on how I would respond. I asked the student, “What happened after the grave threw his body out?” He said, “They buried him again, and then the grave threw him out again.” The class’s curiosity and attention grew even more. I asked again, “What happened after the third burial?” He said, “They placed approximately 40 tons of marble on top of the grave.” He said, “Then his body remained in the grave.”

If the students in the class had left with this much information, the situation would have escalated when they went home and told their families. An investigation would have been launched against me, and the matter would have been reported in the media. This situation would have even put the school in trouble. I needed to clear up this confusion and misinformation immediately, before the end of the class.

I asked the student, “What was it that threw Atatürk’s body out of the grave?” With great confidence and a loud voice, he replied, “GOD did it.” I asked who threw it out when he was buried a second time. Thinking I wasn’t taking his story seriously, he replied again, “GOD THROWED IT OUT,” in a slightly annoyed tone.

I said, “Okay,” and asked again, “Who was it that couldn’t throw him out of his grave because he lacked the strength to do so when 40 tons of marble were placed on him?” He was about to say GOD again, but suddenly stopped, thought for a moment, and replied, “Teacher, the story I heard from my father was truly absurd. If it had been God who threw him out, the 40 tons of marble certainly couldn’t have stopped him.”

Then I returned to the class and explained the following: Whenever you hear something, not just from others, not just from your teacher, but even from your parents, be sure to filter it through a logical lens and do some research.

Atatürk’s burial took place in front of hundreds of high-ranking officials and journalists. In fact, Yekta Güngör Özden, the current Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, the country’s highest judicial body, was one of those present during the burial. If such a claim were true, wouldn’t there be witnesses or journalists’ photographs? Never believe in superstitions and don’t shape your thinking based on superstitions and perceptions.

I had just finished speaking when the bell rang, signaling the end of class. All the students were convinced, so the topic was dropped right there. Many of my students who witnessed this incident in class still laugh about it when we get together in later years. If someone hadn’t mentioned it again last week, I wouldn’t have even considered writing about it today.

This student’s social circle is currently in power in Turkey. None of the Presidents of Religious Affairs appointed by their party pray for Atatürk by name on the anniversary of his death, and they persistently avoid commemorating him. This is because these circles have an unexplained allergy to Atatürk, the country’s founder. Undoubtedly, there are similar examples based on superstition in every country.

I want to make this point: Textbooks in all countries must be revised, and prejudices, hatred, and hostility toward other nations must be eliminated. Teachers have a crucial role to play in this regard. Students must be taught messages of love, peace, and peaceful coexistence, not hatred.

Humanity needs to collectively engage in a historical process of self-criticism.

It is impossible to achieve a sustainable, livable world any other way.

Written by Prof. Dr. Osman OZSOY