Rachel Dink's Eulogy for Hrant Dink

Hrant Dink's wife Rakel Dink delivered the most beautiful eulogy at yesterday's funeral. I have translated it, very clumsily, into English. The translation does not really do any justice to the original, which you can access here. There is another [abridged] English translation here.

Letter to the Lover

Rakel Dink, January 24, 2007

It was given to me to partner my chutak*. I am here today, much pained and honored. We are in a lot of pain today, me, my children, my family and you. Today this silent love gives us a little strength. Helps us rejoice a little despite our mourning.

In the bible, in Johannes 15/13, it says “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Dear friends, today we say farewell to my body’s other half, my lover, my children’s father, your brother. Without disturbing or disrespecting those on the left, on the right, in the front, in the back…without chants, without banners, we walk in silent respect. Today, with this silence we will make a great noise. Today is the first day the deep pits start seeing the light.

Whatever his age, 17 or 27, whoever was the murderer, I know that once upon a time they were a baby. Nothing can be accomplished without questioning the darkness that turns a baby into a murderer...

He was made greater by his love…

My siblings! He was brought here because of his love for truth, for transparency, for friendship. The love that made him stand up to fear also made him greater.

They say he was a great man. I ask you “Was he born great?” No. He was born just like us. He was not made from the heavens. He was of the soil. A decaying body just like us. But, his living spirit, his work, his tone, the love in his eyes, the love in his heart made him great. A man cannot be inherently great. He becomes great through his actions. He was a great man. Because he thought grand. He spoke grand. By coming here today, you all thought grand. You spoke volumes with silence. You are great too.

He has made this day a milestone for Turkey. You are his seal. With him headlines, with him conversations, with him bans have changed. Nothing was taboo or untouchable for him. What he said flew out of his heart. He paid a great price. Worthwhile futures come with loving "Hrant"s, believing in "Hrant"s. They are not attained by hate, by insults, by privileging blood over blood. One rises by seeing the other as himself, respecting other as herself, by treating other as he would want to be treated.

My siblings! They have separated him from the earthly home paradise he created with the help of Jesus. They made him spread his wings toward the heavenly and everlasting paradise. They made him open his wings towards heaven before his eyes were tired, his body was aged, before he was sick, before he had his fill of loved ones.

Only love is allowed in there. We will come there too my love. We will also come to that unmatched paradise. Only and only love is allowed in there. Love that is superior to the languages of men and angels, love that is superior to prophets, love that is superior to knowing all the secrets, love that is superior to the kind of faith that will shake mountains, love that is superior to giving everything one has to charity, to giving up one’s body to the fires--only and only love will enter that paradise. There, that love will live together forever with real love. A love that is jealous of no one, a love that covets no man’s property, a love which kills nobody, a love which looks down upon no one, a love that privileges one’s brother over oneself, a love that fights for one’s brother’s rights, a love that the messiah had and that was spilled unto us.

My love, who could forget what you have written, what you have done, what you have spoken? Which darkness can shroud that, my love? Who could make us forget what has happened and is happening? Can fear make us forget, my love? Can life, can oppression? Can the pleasures of the world, my love? Or is it death that will make me forget, my love? No, no darkness will ever make me forget, my love. I too have written you a love letter, my love. The price I pay is too heavy, my love. I can only write because of Jesus, my love. Let us give him his due, my love. Let us give everybody their due, their right, my love.

You were separated from your loved ones. Separated from your children, from your grandchildren. He was separated from all of you. You were separated from my bosom.
But you were not separated from your country, my love.

*[violin in Armenian]