Turkey: Concept of “Moderate” Islam Originates in West: says Turkey’s Erdogan

MECCA - Moderate Islam?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has lashed out at Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for pledging to make Saudi Arabia a bastion of “moderate Islam”, saying the concept is a false one originated from the West.

“Islam cannot be either ‘moderate’ or ‘not moderate.’ Islam can only be one thing,” Erdoğan said in a speech at a program hosted in Ankara by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on women’s entrepreneurship on November 9.

“Recently the concept of ‘moderate Islam’ has received attention. But the patent of this concept originated in the West,” Erdoğan said, according to Hurriyet Daily.

Note EU- Digest:  On this one President Erdogan is right. Moderate Islam is a US creation, after they embraced present day "Turkish outcast Gulen",,who now has asylum status in the US .

It was Fethullah Gulen who preached to the Americans that there was something in his doctrine which he coined for the Americans as "moderate" Islam. 

Moderate Islam in fact does not exist The Koran was never put up for revision, scrutiny, or "modernized", like the Bible was with the new Testament - when Christ did not come to judge people but to redeem them by dying for them on the Cross. The Reformation was another indication that Christianity become a truly moderate religion. Unfortunately, either in the past or today, there never has been a strong movement against some of the antiquated Islamic laws, similar to when Martin Luther led the Reformation Movement and actually.got.rid of the autocratic rules of the Catholic Christian Theological Doctrine.

You can't call a religion moderate, if it has radical rules. So let's be honest, and call a "spade a spade".

Moderate.Islam is a fallacy. Regardless, if some Muslims consider themselves moderate Islamists, mainly because they don't take some of the Koran rules too seriously.

Whatever they say, unless they disavow Islam as their religion, they will continue to be part of a religion which is not moderate.

Read more Concept of “Moderate” Islam Originates in West: says Turkey’s Erdogan

Turkey: Netherlands gives asylum to first Turks after attempted coup against Erdogan Government-byJanene Pieters

The Netherlands granted asylum to the first Turks who applied for protection after an attempted coup in Turkey last year. At least eight alleged Gulen-supporters who face persecution in Turkey now have asylum in the Netherlands, Wil Eikelboom of the association of asylum lawyers VAjN said to the ANP press agency.

The number of Turkish asylum applications in the Netherlands increased sharply following the attempted coup.

In 2016 a total of 235 applications were received, and 309 so far this year. In 2015 there were only 56. The Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hold Fethullah Gulen and his followers responsible for the attempted coup. In the months that followed, numerous alleged Gulen supporters were arrested and face prosecution.

The Ministry of Security and Justice confirmed to ANP that asylum was granted to Turks, but refused to comment on the nature of the applications. A spokesperson also said that a number of applications
were rejected. "There is no separate policy for asylum applications from nTurkey. All requests are carefully reviewed and evaluated individually."

Read more: Netherlands gives asylum to first Turks after attempted coup | NL Times

Turkey fires thousands more civil servants, shuts media outlets

Crackdown or Erdogan dictatorship?

Turkey said it had dismissed a further 10,000 civil servants and closed 15 more media outlets over suspected links with terrorist organisations and U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for orchestrating a failed coup in July.

More than 100,000 people had already been sacked or suspended and 37,000 arrested since the failed coup, in an unprecedented crackdown the government says is necessary to root out all supporters of Gulen from the state apparatus.

Thousands more academics, teachers, health workers, prison guards and forensics experts were among the latest to be removed from their posts through two new executive decrees published on the Official Gazette late on Saturday.

Opposition parties described the move as a coup in itself. The continued crackdown has also raised concerns over the functioning of state.

Read more: Turkey fires thousands more civil servants, shuts media outlets - France 24

Turkey hints at US ties review over Gulen

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Monday that Pennsylvania-based Fethullah Gulen must be extradited without preconditions, implying that Ankara’s ties with Washington are at stake.

The US has said it would extradite Gulen only if Turkey provides evidence, not allegations, that he was behind the recent coup bid.

“We would be disappointed if our (American) friends told us to present proof even though members of the assassin organization are trying to destroy an elected government under the directions of that person,” Yildirim said, referring to a perceived “deep state” that Ankara believes is working under Gulen’s instructions.

At this stage, there could even be a questioning of our friendship,” he said.

Officials in Turkey — a NATO member — have previously said they would reconsider ties with the US if Gulen is not handed over to them.

Read more: PressTV-Turkey hints at US ties review over Gulen

USA - Muhammad Ali Funeral:Erdogan and his nemesis Gulen reportedly both invited to Muhammad Ali funeral | Middle East Eye

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may be attending the funeral of Muhammad Ali alongside his arch-nemesis, cleric Fethullah Gulen, according to Turkish media

Left-leaning newspaper SoL and nationalist daily Cumhuriyet said that the two are both expected to attend the funeral on 10 June, provoking concern about the possibility of a public spat between the allies-turned-enemies. However, Gulen has yet to officially confirm his attendance.

Beside #Erdogan, Turkish cleric Gulen also to attend #Ali funeral, likely nerve test for Louisville law enforcement.

Both Erdogan and Gulen offered condolences to the family of the former heavyweight boxer and activist, following his death at the age of 74, last Friday.

“I learned with grief the passing of Mr Muhammad Ali, an individual who was dear to hundreds of millions of people around the world for his achievements in sports, strength of conviction, amicable personality and philanthropy,” said Gulen in a statement on Wednesday.

“Through his professional accomplishments as well as his standing up for his beliefs, Muhammad Ali served as a role model and a source of hope for youth living in difficult conditions around the world.”

Erdogan, for his part, tweeted that Ali’s “courage, conviction and determination inspired all of humanity."

Gulen had previously been an ally of Erdogan and had aided his Justice and Development Party in its rise to power in 2002.

However, the two split over a 2013 corruption scandal - in which Erdogan claimed that Gulenists elements inside state institutions had pushed for the arrest of Erdogan’s allies - leading to an arrest warrant being issued for the cleric in December 2014.

Since then, hundreds have been arrested in Turkey over alleged Gulenist links. The Zaman newspaper, previously the country’s best-selling daily, was seized by the government and staff fired en masse after it was accused of involvement in the “Fethullahist terror organisation”.

Last week, the Turkish government officially designated the Gulen movement - also known as the Hizmet movement - a “terrorist” organisation, grouping it in the same category as the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Islamic State group.

"We will not let those who divide the nation off the hook in this country," Erdogan told supporters in the city of Izmir last Monday.

"They will be brought to account. Some fled and some are in prison and are currently being tried. This process will continue."

Originally, Erdogan had expected to speak at Ali’s funeral, but the organisers later announced that no foreign leader would be speaking to avoid politicising the event.

Read more: Erdogan and his nemesis Gulen reportedly both invited to Muhammad Ali funeral | Middle East Eye