Turkish theologian attacked in front of his house

Duvar English

Islamic theologian Cemil Kılıç on March 25 was attacked by unknown assailants in front of his house.

Kılıç announced the attack on his social media account and said “I was just attacked in front of my house. I hardly got home. They attacked by saying Allahu Akbar (“God is the greatest” in Arabic) with sticks. They are waiting in front of my house. Almost like Madımak,” referring to the Sivas Massacre, which took place when a large group of radical Islamists set the Madımak Hotel in the Central Anatolian province of Sivas on fire on July 2, 1993, killing 33 intellectuals and two hotel personnel.

After the attack, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu paid a visit to Kılıç and checked his condition.

Kılıç was then taken to the hospital by ambulance. He told Demirören News Agency that "one assailant began to attack me and shout slogans. When he shouted slogans, other people came. The others had sticks. They were shouting 'Allah-u Akbar'."

Kılıç said he has been threatened by "terrorist organizations" for months. "They want to intimidate not only me but the whole society. We will continue our struggle without hesitation," he added.

Kılıç is known for his harsh criticisms against Islamic cults and their leaders in Turkey.

In December, the Education Ministry dismissed Kılıç who was a religious education teacher in a high school in Kocaeli's Gebze district. Kılıç said he was dismissed because of the smear campaigns against him by the religious cults.

He said the officials from the ministry cited following three reasons for his dismissal: For criticizing the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), for criticizing the Turkish government’s refugee policy, and for meeting with opposition politicians like Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Meral Akşener, Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mansur Yavaş.

However, Kılıç said on March 20 that a Turkish court canceled the Ministry’s dismissal and added “I don't give up! Long live the Atatürk revolution!”

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