President Erdoğan: The rising Islamophobia in the West has turned into an all-out attack on our Book, our Prophet and all our sacred values
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the opening event of Mawlid al-Nabi Week at Beştepe People’s Convention and Culture Center in Ankara.
Pointing out that the Islamic world was going through a painful period full of challenges and difficulties, President Erdoğan said: “We live in a period when atrocities, terror, torture and many more acts prohibited by our religion and our Prophet are committed every passing day and moment. A million brothers and sisters of ours have been killed and 12 million people have had to leave their homes because of the attacks by the regime and terrorists. Hundreds of thousands of innocent children, who starved to death, paid the whole price for the dirty war that has been going on for 6 years in Yemen. The rich underground resources of Libya have been looted by putschists and western imperialist powers.”
“THERE ARE MILLIONS OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF OURS WHO SUFFER FROM DISCRIMINATION DUE TO THEIR ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS IDENTITY”
“Not echoes of adhan, but cries of mothers, screams of children, and smokes from mosques razed to the ground by bombs rise today to the skies in Islamic lands, which had been known for centuries for peace, science and wisdom. Atrocities in Palestine, violence in Rakhine, oppression in Turkistan, terror in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to claim lives in front of the eyes of the entire world,” President Erdoğan said.
“There are hundreds of thousands of Muslim brothers and sisters of ours who killed, forced out of their homes and lands just because they are Muslims. There are millions of Muslims who have been forced to convert by missioners, whose children have been forcibly taken away. There are millions of brothers and sisters of ours who suffer from violence, oppression and discrimination due to their ethnic and religious identity,” President Erdoğan underscored.
“ENMITY TOWARDS ISLAM AND MUSLIMS IS SPREADING LIKE A PLAGUE”
Pointing out that acts of violence against Muslims living in France and Germany were taking place in front of the eyes of the entire world, President Erdoğan said: “I especially call on the Christian world and the Jewish people. First of all, we are all humans. In our religion, being a Christian is not a crime. We protect them just like we protect the Jewish people. I call on all the world leaders; if there is a persecution against Muslims in France, let us all protect and support them.”
“We see that enmity towards Islam and Muslims is spreading like a plague across societies, particularly in European countries. Businesses, residences, houses of prayer and schools, which belong to Muslims, suffer every day from attacks by racist and fascist groups,” President Erdoğan underlined. “I hereby call on my nation; just like France says ‘do not buy products with Turkish brands,’ I call on my people to not buy French products. Muslim women suffer from insults or physical harassments due to their dresses in the streets, market places, on buses or ferries. The right to education is taken away from Muslim children due to made-up excuses. Not a day goes by that we do not hear news of an attack on a house of prayer or a foundation which belongs to Muslims. Most recently in Germany and Australia. We witnessed a grave catastrophe in Australia before. I call on Chancellor Merkel; what happened to the freedom of faith in your country? Your state was supposed to secure those who practiced their religion. Then how come over a hundred policemen raided a mosque during the Morning Prayer? Have you ever heard of such a thing from Turkey? No, because we truly have freedom of faith. Not a day goes by that we do not witness a practice that limits Muslims’ freedom of faith and worship. Not a day goes by that we do not see a vulgar and despicable act targeting our Prophet and our holy book, the Quran. Such attacks have begun to take place on the walls upon the encouragement of the leader of France who needs mental check,” President Erdoğan said.
“THESE INCIDENTS SIGNAL OF A PERILOUS PERIOD WHICH MAY BRING ABOUT VERY GRAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE EUROPEAN MUSLIMS”
Stating that in many Western countries, which claimed to uphold democracy above all else, unlawful practices against Muslims had now become common,” President Erdoğan said: “In certain European countries, enmity towards Islam and Muslims has become a policy, encouraged and supported at the level of head of state.”
“Racist terrorism is spreading across societies at the hand of media and politicians, and most of the time with the security forces’ looking the other way. Today, Muslims are suffering from a lynch campaign similar to the one carried out against the Jewish people in Europe prior to the Second World War. The European Muslims are being pushed towards structures which feed off of violence and blood in a deliberate, planned and intentional way,” President Erdoğan said.
“Today, being a Muslim in the West, living in a way that befits a Muslim, and leading a life in line with Islam is getting more and more impossible. Sincere Muslims, who only aim to abide by their religion are being excluded and otherized while organizations like the FETO are protected at the highest level. NGOs, which conduct their affairs on a legitimate basis are being oppressed while the path is smoothed for groups, which target Muslims’ lives. Our religion and Muslims are being held accountable for the murders committed by such terrorists as DAESH and the climate of grudge and hatred against Muslims is being fueled. Piety without Islam and a profane understanding of religion is being imposed on Muslims under different names or guises. The rising Islamophobia in the West has turned into an all-out attack on our Book, our Prophet and all our sacred values. Such practices as relocation, inquisition and genocide against members of different faiths are not actually unfamiliar practices to Europe. The crimes against humanity, committed against the Jewish people 80 years ago, and the acts, committed against our Bosnian brothers and sisters in Srebrenica 25 years ago are still fresh in our memories,” President Erdoğan noted.
“We do not see as ordinary occurrences the recent incidents, the out-of-line acts at the level of head of state, and the police raids on our mosques during the Morning Prayer,” President Erdoğan underscored. “These incidents signal of a perilous period which may bring about very grave consequences for the European Muslims.”
“THERE IS NO GAIN FOR YOU IN ANTAGONIZING MUSLIMS”
“The Western societies, which are in a significant crisis of faith, have made the mistake of looking for a way out by targeting Islam and the Muslims. Western politicians are trying to cover up their failure in domestic and foreign politics by making Muslims a target. Muslims and immigrants are tried to be held accountable even for the economic problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is obvious that this climate of hatred has nothing to do with the usual tensions of daily politics. I am afraid wheels of a much darker and much more insidious plan are turning,” President Erdoğan said.
“As the President of a country, whose six million people live in Europe, I find it useful to warn our counterparts. There is no gain for you in antagonizing Muslims. The end of this road which you have taken to conceal your incompetence is disaster. Everyone should take a lesson from the massacres that took place in the Second World War. Racist terrorism has brought and will bring nothing but blood, tears and internal conflicts to Europe. The 77 innocent people massacred by a murderer called Breivik in Norway in 2011 showed what kind of painful outcomes the policies followed by you would produce,” President Erdoğan added.
“THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL CAN NO LONGER IGNORE ISLAMOPHOBIA”
“Turkey is determined to protect the rights and security of its citizens. We consider Islamophobia and racist terrorism to be a matter of national security and make our plans accordingly,” President Erdoğan said.
“We see neo-Nazi terrorist organizations in the same way we see other terrorist organizations from DAESH to PKK. Europe, too, should now take up a more coherent, more determined and more civilized stance against these organizations which spread like a cancer cell,” President Erdoğan underlined.
“I believe that great responsibilities fall especially to European Union institutions in the fight against the threat of racist terrorism. The European Council can no longer ignore Islamophobia. The European Parliament, which make remarks about our country on every issue, cannot put this matter off by playing ostrich. The prudent, moral and conscientious leaders of Europe should tear down the walls of fear and start to speak about enmity towards Islam and Muslims. Far-right ideas should not be allowed to take captive the mainstream politics of Europe. European politicians should at once say “No” to the campaign of hatred led by French President Macron. Although Macron does not like it, I would like to reiterate from here the call I made the other day. Racism and Islamophobia are psychoses that destroy one’s mental and conscientious faculties regardless of her/his job, position or post. This issue cannot be overcome by denying it or acting as if it did not exist. Every politician who thinks about the future of his/her country and citizens should accept and face it and seek ways to resolve the problem,” President Erdoğan said.
