truths of the Qur'an and belief. Issuing from the Qur'an, the Risale-i Nur was "a repairer of the strength of an atom bomb" and "a Qui'anic barrier" before those forces. The law and processes of justice could not arrest them with their "material" penalties. Neither could politics or diplomacy. Thus, in his letters both to his students and departments of govemment, Bediuzzaman stressed the importance of "politicians and patriots embracing the Risale-i Nur." Similarly, he frequently pointed out that it was these forces, who were themselves attempting to destroy order and create anarchy and thus were conspiring against the country, that continuously endeavoured to create incidents and have Bediuzzaman and his students accused of the same thing. Whereas as had been established by courts of law, the Risale-i Nur and its Students protected the bases of public order, preserved security and prevented subversion and sedition.26 And he wrote to the Afyon Police Headquarters: "In the near future, this country and its Government will have intense need of works like the Risale-i Nur."7

• Increased Harossment and Prelude to Afyon
The swift spread of the Risale-i Nur over the three and a half years from 1944 to the beginning of 1948 and Bediuzzaman intensifying his struggle against the forces of unbelief by putting the case of the Risale-i Nur directly to the authorities and urging them to consider the seriousness of the situation

RSI

I alhad this `the ile-i i of that IvoPART TWO - CHAPTER SIX 303

drove the enemies of religion to increase their pressure on him and the other Risale-i Nur Students as pait of a wider plan to halt their activities. This culminated in the third and worst imprisonment on a large scale of Bediuzzaman and his students.
Sometime towards the end of 1947, the President, tsmet Inönü, visited Af yon and gave a speech, following which the pressure and harassment on Bediuzzaman were increased.s During his visit, he was reported to have said that "it is reckoned a disturliance connected with religion will break out in this province." Bediuzzaman wrote in a letter that this pointed to the large scale of