Here is yet another indication of Turkey’s discarding of secularism and re-adoption of Sharia.
“Turkish cleric’s sermon saying homosexuality ‘brings disease’ sparks legal threats,” GayStarNews, May 1, 2020:
Lawyers who objected to a Muslim cleric who claimed homosexuality brings ‘disease’ are facing a criminal investigation.
Imam Ali Erbas gave the sermon last Friday at the start of the holy month or Ramadan. But its after-effects have rumbled on all week. Even President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become involved, defending Erbas’ hateful comments.
Ankara’s Bar Association accused Erbas of hate speech. Meanwhile the Human Rights Association, also based in the Turkish capital, accused the cleric of sedition.
But the Ankara chief prosecutor’s office responded by launching a criminal investigation into the Ankara lawyers’ group for ‘insulting religious values’.
‘Islam curses homosexuality’Erbas’ sermon was about COVID-19. But he went on to blam homosexuality and premarital sex for the spread of HIV. He said:
‘Islam curses homosexuality. Homosexuality brings with it illness and decay to lineage.’
He also urged Muslims ‘to join the fight to protect people from such evil’.
Opposition and rights groups condemned the comments by Erbas. Moreover, bar associations in Ankara, Izmir, and Diyarbakir criticized the remarks.
One association reportedly said it would not be surprised if the cleric were next to call on people ‘to light torches and burn women as witches’.
However, Erbas is not just a normal cleric. He also heads Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate, which administers mosques and personnel for Turkey’s Sunni Muslim majority….
PRCS says
Surprise!
It’s a Muslim majority nation!
Governed–assertions to the contrary aside–by a theocracy.
Per the ‘revelations’ of whomever wrote Qur’an–1400 years ago.
Zimriel says
The Bar Association disgraced itself here, objecting to an obvious truth. Note they said ‘hate speech’, which the Left and – ironically – Muslims always do here when trying to shut people up.
I don’t know what criminal code applies here, but I like the idea of applying ‘hate speech’ laws, first, against those who claim ‘hate speech’ against others.
jamrs says
Spoken like a truly professional lawyer.
I find myself agreeing with you, and smiling.
Great point.
Rufolino says
Don’t anyone get the idea from this J.W. report that this Moslem cleric’s ideas are in any way rare or unusual !
“Tolerance” is a fundamental “politically correct” quality. So today everyone has to profess (or pose) as “tolerant”.
But the truth, the reality, is somewhat different.
There is widespread hatred and rejection of gay people just beneath the surface, all over the West. Generated by inherited prejudices, and by varied schools of Christianity and other religions, for whom gays are hate-figures.
Some of these people have the courage of their own convictions and speak their minds. But the majority do not, they feel pressured to shut up about it. For the time being.
James Lincoln says
Rufolino says,
“There is widespread hatred and rejection of gay people just beneath the surface, all over the West.”
To the degree that that is true, it is, indeed, unfortunate.
As a Christian, I do not “hate” gays – I pray for them.
Jim says
Homosexual conduct DOES bring disease — AIDS. And once you get AIDS, you are vulnerable to other diseases.
James Lincoln says
Jim,
Homosexual activity is just one way that HIV is transmitted.
There are others…
https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/about-hiv-and-aids/how-is-hiv-transmitted
And yes, if that exposure leads to a case of AIDS, that person is severely immunocompromised.
Luckily, there is now effective treatment in many cases…
Jim says
Yes it is one way, the most common way. This is confirmed by the hyper-politization of AIDS by the gay community.
James Lincoln says
Jim,
You are correct, unprotected anal intercourse in the gay community is incredibly high risk behavior for the transmission of HIV. And, arguably, the most common way that it is transmitted.
I was just pointing out, for completeness, that there are other very important ways to contract HIV.
And once you get it, it doesn’t matter where it came from…
gravenimage says
Good point, James. Moreover, most people with AIDS today did not get it through anal intercourse.
It is most common in Africa and other parts of the Third World–not in the West.
Ramos Washington says
The AIDS epidemic in North America was made possible by radically promiscuous anal intercourse among homosexual men. Heterosexuals did not have anywhere near the number of concurrent sex partners, and vaginal sex is nowhere near as efficient a transmission pathway. There were way too few intravenous drug users sharing needles to have made the disease spread.
Africa does have heterosexual transmission, but sexual activity patterns more closely resemble those of gay men. Anal sex is commonly practiced as a means of contraception, and the prevalence of parasites make the vagina more vulnerable to viral transmission.
Brian Hoff says
The Koran say Allah does not aprove of be homsexual Allah be disapprove of mod justive. Did all the muslim of Turkey raise to murder homsexual.
James Lincoln says
Brian,
Your post is nonsensical gibberish filled with grammatical and spelling errors. At least seven grammatical errors and two spelling errors in two short sentences.
In order to improve your lot in life:
1. Take a course in English spelling and grammar.
2. Use a spellchecker.
3. And ditch islam (not capitalized out of disrespect).
And I’m actually just trying to be helpful…
gravenimage says
Well, this is just hilarious. Muhammed was all about mob justice, and this is rife all over the Muslim world. “Brian Hoff”–really, “DefenderofIslam”–has said that when Muslim reach large enough numbers here that they will destroy the Constitution and impose Shari’ah law on us by violence. Sounds like mob justice to me.
Then, these lawyers are being persecuted *by the state*–is “Brian Hoff” fine with this? Note that he does not say.
gravenimage says
Turkey: Lawyers who objected to Muslim cleric’s saying homosexuality brings ‘disease’ face criminal investigation
………………..
And remember–Turkey is supposed to be “moderate”…
curious says
+1 gravenimage is correct as always, or at least as usual.
Africa has whole countries with higher rates of HIV than the rate among gay men in the USA. HIV spreads primarily via heterosexual activity.
The biggest risk factor is promiscuity. A gay married couple, if they do not start out with HIV, cannot possibly spread HIV so long as they remain faithful to each other. A straight couple with even one spouse who cheats can result in both becoming infected. If the Muslim cleric had said promiscuity brings disease, then he would have been correct about that.
The Koran is hate speech, yet Turkey celebrates the Koran while hypocritically purporting to ban hate speech. Every jurisdiction with a law against hate speech should ban the Koran.
gravenimage says
Agreed, curious, and thank you for your kind words.
Are you new to posting here at Jihad Watch? If so, welcome!
curious says
@gravenimage Yes I am new to posting here, and thanks 🙂
I have been reading the site for a while, and your comments are my favorite feature. I hope you might consider writing articles if you haven’t already.
This thread and some of the comments remind me of a metaphor for how western countries allow Islam to invade: immune dysfunction. Some people seem to have almost no immune system at all, and welcome enemy invaders carrying violent placards and a totalitarian doctrine. Other people are practically paralyzed by auto-immune diseases because their immune systems mistake their own healthy cells for enemy invaders, and attack; “a house divided against itself cannot stand, and a nation so divided cannot long endure.” Surprisingly few people can tell a smile from a veil, and even fewer make the effort to distinguish friend from foe.
gravenimage says
Glad to see you posting, curious. There are lots of wonderful and knowledgeable people who comment here, as well as the fine articles from Robert Spencer and other contributors here.
I consider Jihad Watch to be the very best of the Counter Jihad blogs.