Islamist journo says money and power relations under AKP rule corrupted the congregation

Conservative columnist Abdurrahman Dilipak says that our mind and faith need saving, according to his piece in the daily Akit. "Not everything is about money, property and status. Our mind and our faith are our values that need saving first," Dilipak said in his column "The spiritual reconstruction of the mosque." Dilipak spoke for the conservative political fraction in Turkey, including the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), and added that "money and power relations have changed us as individuals and as a congregation."

Duvar English

Our mind and our faith needs saving, said pro-Islamist Akit daily's Abdurrahman Dilipak.

"Not everything is about money, property and status. Our mind and our faith are our values that need saving first," Dilipak said in his column titled "The spiritual reconstruction of the mosque."

Dilipak suggested that the Gülen organization and its likes have "emptied out our hearts" and that politics have caused material ambitions to surface.

"We thought that all our issues would be resolved when we obtained power. We were wrong. We return changed from the path we set out on to change others," Dilipak noted.

Dilipak spoke for the conservative political fraction in Turkey, including the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), and added that "money and power relations have changed us as individuals and as a congregation."

Dilipak noted the large number of personnel staffed at the Presidency of Religious Affairs and questioned how efficient their work was.

"We will be judged not only for what we do, but also for what we don't do," Dilipak said "Mosque directors, imams and congregation... We can't say we do our job to the fullest."