A friend of mine, while conversing with a theology professor in recent years, criticized the government for some of its actions. In response, the professor said, “What are you talking about? We are currently experiencing the second Golden Age.”
Some saw Erdogan as a caliph, others as a messiah. There were those who declared him the leader of the ummah, and for them, obedience was a religious duty. They went door to door, claiming that not voting for the AKP was a sin. They believed he would bring Sharia, serve Islam, and support Muslims. Those who opposed the government were labeled as traitors, and some argued that it was an obligation to kill them. They engaged in ruthless struggles against the groups declared as enemies by the AKP. Some even saw this as jihad. Corruption was referred to as “humus,” and living in luxury and extravagance was considered “dignity.”
In short, they fought fiercely to keep the AKP in power. They legitimized its policies with religious decrees. Using religious arguments, they discredited regime opponents. Defending and supporting Erdogan was seen as one of the greatest religious duties. They praised and even deified him. Some presented him as a specially chosen leader for Muslims by Allah. I’m talking about certain theology professors, members of the Diyanet (religious authority in Turkey), and members of various religious groups.
So, why did they do all of this? Because, according to them, Erdogan was the supreme leader who would restore the dignity of Islam and Muslims. During the AKP government, they themselves reached important positions and began to see themselves as the owners of the state. Thanks to the AKP and Erdogan, Muslims had been saved from the oppression and persecution of secularists. For the first time, Turkey had a chance to return to its Ottoman roots and lead the Muslim world.
They were not entirely unjustified in their eyes. There had been developments and services that corresponded to their expectations. For example, Erdogan filled the country with imam-hatip religious vocational schools and theology faculties. He frequently mentioned Allah and beautifully recited the Quran in his speeches. He reopened Hagia Sophia for worship. The government had the Risale-i Nur books printed. The dignity of imams and religious officials increased, and unexpected opportunities were given to them. They supported eastern religious schools and built beautiful buildings for them. Religious graduates were employed in the Diyanet. They provided substantial financial assistance to religious orders and communities and placed their followers in important positions within state institutions. They addressed the grievances of veiled women. AKP officials not only considered themselves pious but also supported religion and religious people. They made many promises about the future and gave their word.
However, some of AKP’s mistakes did not go unnoticed. Some found ways to rationalize them, to make them consistent with their religious beliefs. Some believed that it wasn’t right to talk about these issues and damage the government’s image, as it would ultimately serve the interests of the enemy. As some theology professors said, there were no rules on the battlefield. So, at that moment, the government was engaged in a war for the glory and future of Islam. And during a war, there was no punishment for the crimes committed.
Without further ado, let me ask this question: The AKP has been in power for more than twenty years now. It has been running the country for two decades. Did it really do work that deserved the support it received from theologians, scholars, and religious groups? Did it fulfill the expectations? Has piety and morality increased in the country? Are religious orders and communities better able to serve their faith with the opportunities provided by the government? What is the status of religious schools? What about the hundreds of thousands of Diyanet staff, muftis, preachers, and imams? Do they support the youth? Have graduates of religious vocational schools and theology faculties improved the country’s religious and moral values? What is the current situation? Is it progressing positively?
There is no need to beat around the bush. The situation is clear for all to see. Deluding oneself by burying one’s head in the sand would only serve self-deception. Anyone who uses a bit of common sense and remains objective can easily see that religious and moral values have not advanced, but rather regressed. Unfortunately, politicians who deceived pious people in the name of religion caused the most damage to religion. How?
First and foremost, they exploited religion for politics. They placed all religious sanctities in the political marketplace and consumed them recklessly. They turned the religious authority into a party organization and used it for their propaganda. They introduced politics into mosques and had their ads in sermons. They used all religious sanctities, including verses and hadiths, as supports for their legitimacy. Since they portrayed themselves as representatives of religion, all their virtues and vices were associated with religion. Their failures, falsehoods, and fiascos were perceived as failures of religion. They destroyed the trust in Muslims. Could there be a greater betrayal to religion, a more harmful action?
The essence of Islamic law (fiqh) is the concept of rights. The term “law” is the plural form of “right.” Therefore, both modern and Islamic law aim to protect and establish rights. Justice arises through the establishment of rights. The purpose of the sacred texts and prophets is to establish justice. The state’s primary duty is to protect rights and ensure justice. Oppression is the opposite of justice.
If we examine the twenty-year record of the AKP in terms of justice and oppression, what will we see? Is there a single rational person who can say that there is justice in the country right now? Does anyone not know that the courts responsible for delivering justice make decisions based on orders from the government? Who hasn’t heard about the hundreds of thousands of innocent people being dismissed from their jobs based on groundless allegations and unsupported accusations, about their properties being seized, and about them being thrown into prisons and subjected to torture?
All of these are aside; what about the babies growing up in prison, the tiny children separated from their mothers suffering from fatal diseases, and the octogenarian elders who insist on being kept in prison? Don’t they disturb the consciences? What, have consciences rusted, hearts hardened? Or are they finding a religious justification for all this suffering and cruelty?
Let’s say they wrote the book on corruption. In Turkey’s history, there has always been bribery and corruption. But it has never been so overt, widespread, and systematic. They’ve practically extorted businessmen, companies, and holding companies. No one can do business without paying a commission under current conditions. Even they have started to be uncomfortable with this. Some of their supporters have exposed the corruption to the public. How big can they make corruption sound while providing the most significant support to their government? Is it a violation of religion’s trade practices?
Despite supporting religious orders and communities on the surface, the AKP has, in fact, annihilated them. They turned their members into government officials and politicized them. They led them away from their core objectives and purposes. They made them so biased that they defended the government’s wrongdoings without uttering a word. Many complain that there are no students left in religious schools, and they cannot reach young people. Furthermore, they poisoned them with ill-gotten gains. They made them complicit in their oppressions. However, isn’t it the Quran that prohibits showing the slightest sympathy for the oppressor?
The AKP sowed seeds of discord and division among individuals. They pitted people against each other. They shattered families. They turned parents into enemies of their children. Despite claiming to raise a religious generation, they have nurtured a vengeful generation. They polarized society as much as possible, almost dividing it in two. They kept attacking their opponents to consolidate their own base. But wasn’t promoting unity and solidarity among Muslims one of the foremost goals of Islam?
No matter where you hold the current regime, it falls apart. Everyone knows about the quagmire the media is stuck in. In the world rankings, Turkey is at the bottom in terms of democracy, freedoms, and human rights. The rule of law has been replaced by the rule of the powerful. The most basic principles of criminal law have been violated. The state’s factory settings have been tampered with. Suppression and tyranny have been fostered. Fear has silenced everyone. As a result, Turkey’s reputation and image have been ruined, especially in the eyes of Western states. We have almost no friends left among our neighboring countries. No need to mention the economy. Brilliant minds are leaving the country one by one.
How can all of this go unnoticed? Without a doubt, anyone who can still maintain their hope and belief in the government must be in a state of profound neglect, deep sleep, power intoxication, worldly pleasures, or under the influence of government indoctrination. I can’t find any other explanation. But know this: you are in a huge delusion. In the future, there is no possibility or chance for morality, religion, values, economy, politics, law, or ethics to improve. What they’ve done will be their greatest reference for what they will do. You will see the size of the wreckage once they leave. It will take many years to repair the destruction they leave behind. May God have mercy!
