KUWAIT CITY - Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rebuked coining the term "Islamic terrorist organization" for Muslim groups that commit acts of terrorism.
"On every international occasion we have expressed our rejection of the term ’Islamic terror organization.’ Bringing together the words of ’Islam’ and of ’terrorism’ is the biggest injustice that can be made to Islam. We are aware that a global campaign is underway against Muslims and we know who is behind that campaign," Erdogan on Monday told a ceremony in the Kuwaiti capital where he was presented with the Outstanding Personality in the Islamic World Award of the Sheikh Fahad al-Ahmad International Award for Charity.
Erdogan said the anti-Muslim campaign in the West gained momentum particularly through the news media, saying "an insidious enmity" had been promoted.
"Is it possible to associate a religion with an inherent peaceful cause to terrorism? Those who kill in the name of Islam is gravely misguided and they stray from the religion itself," Erdogan said.
Erdogan said Turkey exerted sincere efforts to eliminate prejudices against Islam, however adding that Muslims should also do self-criticism.