The portrait of an election
As the opposition mentions “minimum wage,” the president mentions “Quran.” The minute the opposition says “retiree salaries,” the president says the “Directorate of Religious Affairs [Diyanet].” The opposition says, “There will be no subcontracted worker left,” he says “Kaaba.” The opposition promises, “Price of diesel fuel will fall,” the president says “mosque.”
While the opposition says, “We will give money to the poor,” the president says “religion.”
In short, those votes that may be snatched from the ruling [Justice and Development] party (AK Party) by promising minimum wages, two bonuses for retirees, eliminating subcontractor workers, financial aid to the poor and lower diesel prices are trying to be regained by the president with the Quran, Diyanet, Kaaba, religion and mosques.
At the same time, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu tries to launch a campaign by saying, “I will not call Selahattin, Selahattin anymore.”
Now, I’m ask you: in a case like this, what else can our president do but go to town squares and launch a huge campaign on the themes of religion, religious affairs, the Quran and the Kaaba?
Should he leave the ground to Ahmet Davutoğlu and then wait for a coalition to come?
Knock, knock, Diyanet
The other day, the head of the Diyanet made a statement: “Today, people holding high positions are having discussions about religion and our directorate. If they had correct religious knowledge at a primary school level, I would be okay with it. But these people, who do not know the difference between a prayer and a lecture, the reading of the entire Quran and a lecture; those who cannot distinguish between several forms of basic prayers, actually the children of this civilization, dare to conduct all their debates about religion and Diyanet. How sad.”
I agree with what has been said in every aspect. Truly, there are those in the country who do not know and who do not want to know Islam as a subject of knowledge. And this is a very sad situation…
However, there is another thing that is even sadder, being staged in front of our eyes. Our mighty book, the Quran, is being waved at town squares in election campaigns as if it were a means of excluding other parties.
Our religion and our Diyanet, which should be the glue uniting us, have been made a tool of separation in election campaigns.
Heads of political parties are referred to with their “connections to the Quran,” implying sectarian discrimination.
There are efforts to score politically through the Quran, Kaaba, Diyanet and religion.
I ask the Head of our Diyanet who has remorse about “the very limited knowledge of Islam:”
Do you remorse on these topics also? Do you consider issuing a statement of remorse about this discriminatory stance, which is more dangerous than ignorance?
Would you say, “This should not be like this?” Can you say this?
Oh, sorry, I have another question: The referring to Islamic prayers as “bakara/makara,” did that not cause a tiny sorrow in you, dear director of religious affairs? If it did, why did we not hear a statement of remorse from you?
Who am I supporting in this election?
The National Alliance called me and I rushed there. I knocked on the door of Patriotic (Vatan) Party without waiting for them to invite me. If the AK Party sends me an invitation, I will be there at that very moment; I am observing the Republican People’s Party (CHP). I am attending the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) activities. I would go to the Haydar Baş campaigns without hesitation. If Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli takes one step, I will take 10 steps.
In short, I am a journalist, dude. I am not the voice of one side only. I observe, research, try to understand, comment, criticize, praise and convey.
Who wins and who loses does not interest me a bit. I am a journalist dude. Not a trumpet like you.
