Turkey: Greek Archbishop’s insulting remarks on Islam slammed
The head of Diyanet, Turkey’s directorate of religious affairs, on Sunday slammed the Greek archbishop’s insulting remarks against Islam and Muslims, calling on Christians to oppose this “sick mentality.”

Ali Erbas strongly condemned Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and Greece, who, in a televised speech on Saturday, said Islam is not a religion but a political party and pursuit, and its followers are people of war.

The Greek Orthodox Archbishop stated his views on Islam while speaking on the role of the Orthodox church during the 1821 revolution which saw Greece gain independence from the Islamic empire of the Ottoman Turks

“Islam, its citizens, is not a religion, it is a political party, it is a political pursuit and it is the people of war, the people of the spread, this is characteristic of Islam, it is also said by the teaching of Mohammad,” the Archbishop said.

“The most important duty of the clergy, who should strive for peace and tranquility, should be to contribute to the culture of coexistence,” Erbas said in a statement.

“The Christian world must oppose this sick mentality. This kind of discourse aiming to marginalize Muslims feeds the racist perspective against them, and leads to attacks on their lives and places of worship,” he added.

He said that the archbishop’s statements provoked the society, and could lead to rise in hatred, hostility and violence against Islam.

Erbas said Islam is a religion of peace, and the Islamic civilization has always enabled people to live together for centuries, irrespective of their beliefs, religion and culture.


source of information: muslimnews.co.uk