Clerics Called for Duty Against Atheism and Deism

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Attending a workshop on the "mental health" of the youth organized by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), Chair of Smuggling, Intelligence, Operation and Data Collection (KİHBİ) Department Ömer Ulu has delivered a speech on behalf of the Ministry of Interior.

Referring to atheism, deism and tengrism as "bad habits", Ulu has recommended that clerics act as "doctors of the soul", or psychiatrists.

As reported by Ozan Çepni from daily Cumhuriyet, the workshop has also been attended by representatives from universities such as Boğaziçi University, Middle East Technical University (METU), Gazi University and Ankara University as well as the Ministries of Family, Labor and Social Services, Youth and Sports, Interior, National Education and Health.

The presentations and evaluations shared in the workshop have been collected into a book by the YÖK.

Making a religion-oriented speech about the mental health of young people at the workshop, KİHBİ Department Chair Ömer Ulu has listed a series of evaluations and recommendations for executives, families, teachers, municipalities, media, security forces, army and religious officials.

Ulu has stated that young people "are living in a sociological atmosphere which is tense, does not have respect for anything, does not trust each other, is skeptical of everyone and prioritizes materiality".

Emphasizing the importance of the role of clerics in building a healthy life free of bad habits, Ulu has referred to "bad habits such as atheism, deism, paganism, tengrism, drugs etc." as the gravest dangers awaiting young people who have "leapt into a spiritual void".

Indicating that "clerics have to question themselves and learn Allah in such way to feel it in their souls again", Ulu has recommended, "Religious officials essentially have to be the doctors of human soul." (RT/SD)