‘Aren’t Remarks of Religious Affairs President Against the Constitution and Laws?'

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Garo Paylan has addressed a Parliamentary question to Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül and raised concerns over President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş's targeting remarks and hate speech towards the LGBTI+ people.

CLICK - Reactions Against President of Religious Affairs' Hate Speech

'You said the ones condemning hate crime are "fascistic"'

Paylan has indicated the following in his Parliamentary question:

"The President of Religious Affairs uttered remarks targeting the LGBTI+ citizens and containing hate speech contrary to our Constitution, laws and the international conventions that we have signed.

"For this reason, Human Rights Association, Ankara and Diyarbakır Bars filed a criminal complaint. In response to this, the President attempted to 'put human rights organizations and Ankara Bar in their place' by saying, 'Presidency of Religious Affairs is an institution of the state.'

"You, as Justice Minister, made a statement where you accused the ones defending human rights and condemning the hate crime of being "fascistic." You had an investigation launched against Diyarbakır and Ankara Bars."

What happened?

In his Friday sermon (khutbah) on April 24, President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş targeted LGBTI+s and the ones living with HIV.

Erbaş briefly stated the following:

"People! Islam accepts adultery as one of the greatest harams. It curses the people of Lot, the homosexuality. What is the wisdom of this? The wisdom here is that it brings diseases and degenerates the generation. Hundreds of thousands of people a year are exposed to the HIV virus caused by this great haram, which passes as adultery in the Islamic Literature. Let's come and fight together to protect people from this kind of evil."

Several rights organizations, politicians and bar associations condemned these remarks. Both Ankara Bar Association and Human Rights Association (İHD) filed a criminal complaint against Erbaş.

Noting that Erbaş spread hate with his statements, Ankara Bar warned that "if Erbaş remained in office despite his remarks about LGBTI+s, women and children, no one should be surprised if, in his next speech, he called on people to light torches and burn women as witches at the squares."

The Bar also argued that with his statements, Ali Erbaş, "whose voice was coming from ages ago, incited the public to enmity and hatred by presiding over a state institution and building his discourse on values held sacred."

In response to this statement, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation against Ankara Bar Association yesterday (April 27). The Presidency of Religious Affairs also filed a criminal complaint against its executives on the same day.

The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office also launched an investigation against the executives of the Diyarbakır Bar due to their statement condemning the remarks of Ali Erbaş. The executives face the possible charge of "degrading religious values." (EMK/SD)