Religious Affairs Head Bardakoglu Delivers Speech At Dinner Hosted By Atib In His Honor

VIENNA - Turkish Religious Affairs Head Prof. Dr. Ali Bardakoglu has said that terrorism was the most serious crime against humanity.
Bardakoglu delivered a speech at a dinner hosted by the Austria-Turkey Islamic Union (ATIB) in his honor on Saturday, and said that all countries should be in cooperation against acts of violence and terrorism.
Bardakoglu said that Islam was never in favor of quarrel and chaos, and stated that Turkish citizens living in Europe were examples of values in Turkey and Islamic world.
Stating that Christians carried out some missionary activities in Islamic world, Bardakoglu said that, however, religion officials who were sent from Turkey to Europe did not have any mission such as making Christians Muslims.
Bardakoglu said that his meetings in the United States were mentioned in the press wrongly, and recalled that some American officials used expression of ''moderate Islam'' and those officials presented expression of ''moderate Islam'' as if it was the alternative of secular and democratic system.
Stating that he thought that ''moderate Islam'' expression was wrong, as the religion did not allow it, Bardakoglu said that there was no clergy in Islam.
(EÖ-UK) 25.04.2004