Children must be protected from ideologies other than Islam: Turkey's top religious body

Diyanet head Ali Erbaş has said that children must be protected from ideologies other than Islam, as he warned against "organizations that promote deism and atheism."

Monday March 29 2021 12:27 pm

Duvar English

The head of Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) has said that children must be protected from ideologies other than Islam, as he warned against "organizations that promote deism and atheism."

"Let's not make our children fall to superstitious understandings," Ali Erbaş told representatives of non-governmental organizations and opinion leaders in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır on March 28.

"Let's protect our children from ideologies other than Islam and various organizations and structures that promote disbelieving, atheism, deism and Zoroastrianism. We would be committing a sin if we don't protect them," he said.

Erbaş, who is known for making Islamic fundamentalist statements, often targets atheists and deists. In October last year, Erbaş said that all evil can be expected from an individual who doesn't believe in the afterlife."

He was sued by the Atheism Association for putting the lives of disbelievers in danger and "inciting hatred and enmity in the public."