as they confiscated the four-hundred-page Zülfikâr because of two pages, so they stated those who read and write out the Risale-i Nur were guilty of a crime and accused myself of contesting the Government. I call on those close to me and the friends who meet with me to testify that for more than ten years, apart from two leaders, one deputy, and the Governor of Kastamonu, I have have not known who the leaders of the Government were, or who its ministers, commanders, officials, and deputies were, and I have not been curious to find out. However, one or two years ago, one or two persons displayed an interest in me and I learnt of five or six of the leading members of the Government. Is it in any way possible for someone not to know the people he is contesting, and to have no wish to know them, to attach no importance to learning whether they are friend or foe? It is understood from this that they dream up totally baseless pretexts to ruin me whatever happens.
Since that is the case, I say not to the court here but to those unjust people: I don’t give tuppence for your severest penalty; it has no importance whatsoever. For I am seventy-five years old and have one foot in the grave. To exchange one or two years of innocent life of persecution for the rank of martyrdom would be the greatest happiness for me. Thanks to the thousands of proofs of the Risale-i Nur, I believe with the utmost certainty that for us death is our discharge papers. Even if outwardly it is execution, for us one hour’s distress would be the key to eternal happiness and mercy. But as for you, covert, cruel enemies who confuse the judiciary on account of atheism and preoccupy the Government with us for no reason! Be certain of this and tremble! For you are being condemned to eternal annihilation and everlasting solitary confinement. We see that our revenge is being taken on you in compounded fashion. We pity you even. Yes, surely the reality of death, which has emptied this town a hundred times into the graveyard has demands greater than life. To find a way of being delivered from its certain execution is man’s greatest need, more important than anything. Those who on trite pretexts impute guilt to the Risale-i Nur students, who have found this way for themselves, and to the Risale-i Nur, which provides that way with thousands of proofs, —how guilty they are themselves in the eyes of truth and justice even lunatics would understand.
There are three matters which deceive these unjust people and give rise to the delusion of a political society, which is completely irrelevant:
The First: The fact that since early days my students have been fervently attached to me like brothers, has given rise to the erroneous impression of a society.