Turkey’s top religious body releases report on ISIL, names it ‘terrorist organization’

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

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Turkey’s top religious affairs body has released a report on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), where it defined the group as a terror organization for the first time.

The report, which was prepared by Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), was highly critical of ISIL, denouncing its actions. 

“All the deeds of this anomalous armed group which is targeting non-Muslims and the rules of Islam is terrorism,” a part of the report said, adding people who conducted the acts of threating, killing, injuring and abducting were terrorists. 

Diyanet also described ISIL’s “twisted” portrayal of Islam and the Quran to further its violent agenda in the Middle East.

Diyanet head Mehmet Görmez said Aug. 8 the new research was aimed at informing the public about ISIL’s tactics, slogans, operations and interpretation of Islam.

Calling all Islamic scholars and institutions to stand against ISIL, Görmez said, “The Islamic world should focus on nothing but this group who uses Islam as a tool [but] ignores Islamic methodology and principles.”

Stating Diyanet was the first religious institution to draw attention to the ISIL threat, Görmez said it was ISIL which has done the most damage to Islam.

“All the Islamic institutions agree that Daesh [ISIL] is a non-Muslim group. They have done so much damage that a Muslim living in Australia is denounced as a terrorist by his own neighbor,” Görmez said.

“When did jihad - meaning an end to oppression and corruption - turn into a term for a vulgar culture? Islam never orders a jihad which approves of bloodshed,” he added.

It was decided the report would be used in fatwas and sermons, while also at Quran courses, organizations held by the Diyanet and events organized by the Women, Family and Youth Centers (KAGEM) with the aim of reaching all levels of society. 

The report said in detail how ISIL recruits new followers, adding they use means of mobile communications effectively.

“We will [be] reborn in heaven” and “You will only die once, why don’t you choose martyrdom?” are some of the slogans the organization has used, affecting young people in particular.