Missionaries target locals in earthquake-stricken areas

By Sa’ad Abdul Majid, IOL Correspondent

ISTANBUL, November 13 (IslamOnline.net) – The deputy head of Turkish Parliament vowed opposition to U.S. and E.U. requests to reopen an Orthodox religious school, that was closed more than 40 years ago, in the predominantly Muslim country as Christian missionary work is growing in the poorly-inhabited areas in Turkey, with 39 churches built in Istanbul in the last five years.

“Shutting down the school was in accordance with the Lozan Agreement, Ankara had signed with the Allies after World War II, and reopening its doors now requires a similar agreement,” said Sadiq Yaqout in statements carried by Zaman newspaper on Wednesday, November 12.

The Orthodox Patriarch in Istanbul has exerted key efforts for several months to convince the government into reopening the Orthodox Friar School, closed since the 1960 coup d’etat.

“If the issue is with teaching sons of the Catholics here, many other ways can do the job instead, as opening new university departments in which Turks should teach, not others,” said the skeptical Sadiq, a member of the ruling Justice and Development Party.

The school, closed for 43 years now, had taught 1,000 monks over 140 years. There are 20,000 Christians in the country and a similar number of Jews.

‘Christian State’

Sadiq is echoing concerns among Turks over the spread of the Christian missionary influence in the country, with proselytization bids mainly focus on poor areas in central and eastern Turkey.

Altin Tonsh, a key researcher into religious affairs said that proselytizing groups exploit Turkey’s request to be a member of the 15-member European Union.

“As 39 churches have been built in Istanbul alone during the last five years, the missionaries seek to revive the ancient Christian ‘Bontos State’ that had existed along the Black Sea coast in the 11th Century,” said Tonish.

A report presented to the Turkish government, also carried by Zaman, said Christian missionaries were sent to areas hit by the 1999 shuddering earthquake that left hundreds dead and many others displaced.

“These groups target Alawiya Muslim followers, benefiting from their claims of persecution at the hands of the Sunni majority,” read the report.

Alawiya Muslims’ number vary from 5 to 25 million, mostly inhabited in impoverished central areas of the country.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had earlier said that Alawiya is not a religion, but a “culture” and their prayer houses are not mosques.

Alawiya is an underground movement that appeared in the third century on the Hijri calendar. The group followers do prayers different from that of Muslims and allow many practices prohibited under Islam.

Many world Muslim leaders always warn that Non-Muslim organizations are normally exploiting crises, wars and tragedies for the proselytization process.

Muslims across the world have been outraged when Franklin Graham, son of the world-famous evangelist Billy Graham and one of the most outspoken U.S. critics of Islam, said in a recent interview that he has relief workers "poised and ready" to go into Iraq, whose Turkey borders in the north, to provide for the populations post-war physical and spiritual needs.

Graham, who has publicly called Islam a "wicked" religion, said his Samaritans Purse relief agency is in daily contact with U.S. government agencies in Amman, Jordan, about its plans.

The Southern Baptist Convention, the U.S. largest Protestant denomination, also reported that workers were on the Iraqi-Jordanian borders ready to go in as soon as it is safe.