11/1: Celebrating the Fall of the Ottoman Empire with Pork Souvlaki
By Bobby Darvish
darvishintelligence.blogspot.com
As an Iranian-American, ex-Muslim, and now a Christian, November 1st has come to represent something profoundly significant: the end of an era of Islamic imperialism and authoritarianism. On November 1, 1922, the Ottoman Empire, which for centuries ruled with an iron grip over much of the Middle East and parts of Europe, was officially dissolved. For me and many others who celebrate this date, it’s a symbolic reminder of the resilience of cultures, the reclaiming of ancient traditions, and the celebration of personal freedoms. In honor of this historic moment, I mark 11/1 with a meal of pork souvlaki — a dish symbolizing the survival of cultural identity despite centuries of Islamic suppression.
The Significance of 11/1
The fall of the Ottoman Empire was a turning point in history. After more than 600 years, an empire rooted in Islamic law and conquest, which controlled lands from North Africa to the Persian Gulf, was finally dismantled. For centuries, non-Muslim populations, especially Christians, suffered under Ottoman rule. They endured discriminatory policies, were forced to pay burdensome taxes (the jizya), and were barred from fully expressing their cultural and religious identities. Christians in particular faced oppressive regulations that forbade them from displaying crosses or celebrating religious events openly. For Iranians like myself, the Ottomans also represented a foreign imperial power that attempted to impose a rigid, Arab-centered Islamic identity over ancient Persian traditions.
The legacy of the Ottoman Empire’s fall is especially relevant today as people in the Middle East continue to seek freedom from the remnants of such religious authoritarianism. The establishment of secular governance and the separation of religion and state are ideas that were revolutionary in the wake of the Ottoman Empire’s collapse. This change marked the beginning of freedom for millions who had been under Islamic rule, allowing them to freely embrace traditions that had been forbidden, and giving them the liberty to enjoy aspects of life that had long been denied to them.
Pork Souvlaki: A Symbol of Cultural Reclamation
For this celebration, I choose to prepare and enjoy pork souvlaki, a dish rooted in the culinary traditions of Greece and a bold statement in the face of former Ottoman oppression. Under Islamic law, pork is forbidden, or haram, as it is deemed “unclean.” This prohibition became a tool for erasing cultural practices. For Greeks, Armenians, and other peoples under Ottoman rule, this meant abandoning a food that was once an integral part of their diet and heritage. By grilling pork souvlaki, we honor the resilience of these cultures and the freedom to return to traditions once forcefully suppressed.
Pork souvlaki isn’t just a meal; it’s a defiant expression of identity. It’s a celebration of cultural freedom and culinary heritage. Eating pork openly underlines the rejection of religious doctrines that have no place in modern, pluralistic societies. As an ex-Muslim, enjoying this dish is a powerful way to reclaim my freedom and honor those who resisted the cultural erasure that Islamic empires enforced.
Why This Celebration Matters
I remember vividly the stories my grandparents shared of life under Islamic law in Iran — tales of cultural restrictions, imposed religious practices, and how even our ancestral Persian customs were erased or rebranded. Similar stories come from families who lived under Ottoman rule, forced to suppress their Christian or secular traditions in favor of the empire’s religious orthodoxy. For those of us from ex-Muslim or secular backgrounds, embracing these historical, cultural, and even culinary traditions is not about revenge or spite. It is about honoring the right to live freely, unburdened by oppressive mandates.
For Iranians, Greeks, Armenians, and others, the end of the Ottoman Empire signaled a chance to rebuild their cultures without external domination. It was a moment to revive languages, traditions, and, yes, even dietary practices that had been curtailed by Islamic law. November 1st, therefore, is not just about historical events; it’s about celebrating the resilience of the human spirit, the diversity of traditions, and the enduring strength of cultural identity.
A Call to Celebrate Freedom
As we celebrate 11/1, let us remember that the battle for freedom continues. Countries still live under authoritarian regimes that impose laws on what one can wear, eat, say, or believe. In honor of those still yearning for liberty, I encourage people from all backgrounds to celebrate 11/1 in ways that reclaim their own traditions, whether by enjoying pork souvlaki or by embracing other aspects of culture that may have been suppressed. This date serves as a reminder that the end of oppression is possible, and that preserving cultural heritage is an act of defiance against the forces that seek to erase it.
In my own life, having left Islam, embracing a Christian identity has been an empowering journey toward freedom. It’s a journey that reminds me of the values that the West, in particular, strives to uphold — values of individual liberty, freedom of religion, and cultural respect. Celebrating the fall of the Ottoman Empire is a tribute to these principles and an affirmation that every individual deserves the right to express their beliefs, heritage, and identity without fear of reprisal.
So, I’ll be firing up the grill this 11/1, marinating the pork, and raising a toast to freedom. Here’s to the resilience of all those who hold fast to their traditions despite centuries of repression. Let us remember that this freedom to choose — to embrace what we eat, believe, and celebrate — is a gift that countless people fought to secure and that we must continue to cherish and protect.
References
- The End of the Ottoman Empire. Encyclopedia Britannica, britannica.com.
- Kitroeff, Alexander. The Greeks under Ottoman Rule. Princeton University Press, princeton.edu.
- "Religious Freedom under the Ottoman Empire." The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, jcpa.org.
- Hajjar, Lisa. Historical Roots of the Ottoman Prohibition on Pork. University of California Press, ucpress.edu.
- Boyar, Ebru, and Fleet, Kate. A Social History of Ottoman Istanbul. Cambridge University Press, cambridge.org.
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