Zaman, Turkey
May 29 2005
‘Identifying Learning Qur’an with Terror Impossible’
Published: Sunday 29, 2005
zaman.com
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan harshly reacted against
interpretations ofa decrease in punishment envisioned against
individuals opening educational institutions without official
permission in an alteration of the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK) as a
“concession for illegal Qur’an courses and terrorist organizations”.
Erdogan said that it is a very natural right of Turkish people to
learn the holy book, which is the source of their religion. “No one
has the right to play with our people’s sensitivities.” he warned.
The Prime Minister criticized Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader
Deniz Baykal without mentioning his name. Erdogan said: ” It is a
disrespect against Muslims to misinterpret studying the Qur’an as an
instrument of any terrorist organization. You cannot exploit this. It
would be wrong. If you do this, this nation would not forgive you.”
Erdogan noted that citizens are free to practice their religious
obligations. He said: “People will certainly learn about their
religions and their book. It is contradictory that you both cry out
that religion is being lost, missionaries are invading the country
and yet you object to people learning our own holy book. What kind of
a thing is this? On the one side you pray in Masjid Al-Aqsa and on
the other side you object to studying the Qur’an. This does not make
any sense.”
Prime Minister Erdogan replied to the CHP’s criticisms against the
new TCK that passed in Parliament at a meeting titled “Civil society
and Democratization” at the Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall on the 20th
anniversary of the foundation of the Birlik Foundation. Erdogan
disclosed that the essence of the issue is neglected and called
everyone to be more sincere. Erdogan emphasized that an individual
naturally has right to be against the teaching of the Qur’an in a
country; however, he expressed: “If your are against this, then you
should express this clearly. You should say that you are against
learning it. Believe it, this is more respectful. ”
Erdogan also touched on a conference about the Ottoman Armenians that
was planned at the Bogazici (Bosphorous) University; however, was
postponed under pressure. Emphasizing that there might sometimes
occur faulty accusations in Turkey and these should be taken
maturely, Erdogan signified that a group of academics wanted to
organize a conference about the so-called Armenian genocide
allegations and there were some statements directed at this. Prime
Minister Erdogan expressed the following opinion: “There are both
wrong and right ones among these. This is a separate issue; however,
I specifically want to stress that we should never reject them all.
Let’s wait first for everyone to express whatever he or she thinks
and then we would say whatever we would. Yet, we should not forget
that one who trusts his thought should not avoid freedom of thought.
Unfortunately such avoidances might cause another group to become
anxious. We should not be in a country of anxious people. We should
be free, think free and speak free. Otherwise, we would construct a
world of conflicting taboos, which we are already fed up with. ”
Erdogan found linking the postponement of the conference with
Turkey’s membership process to the European Union (EU) right.
Indicating that some groups have jumped into this debate from a
certain front, Erdogan noted that these in fact try to “create other
burdens on Turkey”.