Harun Yayah, the pen name of Adnan Oktar a Turkish Creationist strongly promoted by the Global Muslim Brotherhood and known for antisemitism, has called for interfaith dialog while blaming Israeli “atheist Zionists” representing “Masonic forces” for problems in the MIddle East. According to a report in a Saudi English newspaper:
The Turkish scholar applauded Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for his efforts to promote inter-faith dialogue at the international level. “I have been observing King Abdullah’s activities very closely. He’s a very sincere person and a true believer. I respect his decisions and ideas because I know that he is working to promote world peace.” During his detailed interview with Arab News, Yahya also spoke about his ideas to end the protracted Arab-Israeli conflict. “The solution to this conflict needs to be as simple as possible in order to enable people in the region to live in unity and friendship,” he said. He praised the Arab peace initiative, originally proposed by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, saying it should not be ignored. “The real problem in Israel lies in the fact that it is governed by atheist Zionists from behind the scenes. We have to get rid of these Masonic forces so that Muslims and Jews can govern it. Judaism is an old version of Islam. With the passage of time, it underwent a lot of distortions and changes. The true believers of Judaism are not the ones governing Israel now,” he pointed out.
In the interview, Mr. Oktar also:
… urged Muslims not to believe in the false accusations made against him by those who oppose his views and ideas. “Atheist Zionists, Masons and Darwinists spread these allegations because they want to silence me. If you have any doubts or questions, feel free to ask me directly or email to my website. We will be glad to answer them. God has urged believers to investigate accusations before believing them,” he said.
Arab and Islamic antisemitism frequently contain themes revolving around Jews and Freemasonry. In 2003, global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi charged that the child’s game Pokemon contained symbols that were connected with “Zionists and Masons” that had “become an emblem for the cancerous and usurping state known as Israel.”
Oktar defended the works of Muslim Brotherhood ideologues Maulana Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi and Sayyid Qutb as well as claiming that his own works have been favorable reviewed by French President Nicholas Sarkozy, former French President Jacques Chirac and former British Premier Tony Blair.The interview provides a laudatory account of Oktar’s works, repeating the themes of “Darwinism, atheist Zionism, Marxism and Freemasonry”:
Harun Yahya is the pen name of Adnan Oktar, a prominent Turkish intellectual and writer based in Istanbul. His research findings, proving the fallacy of Darwinism, have won him international acclaim. A strong advocate of Turkish Islamic Union, Yahya believes that the formation of such a union would solve many problems facing the Muslim world today. Speaking to Arab News in Istanbul, he said he was seeking a world of peace and love. “I am dreaming of a world where all people live together in peace and harmony. I also want to see terrorism and violence eliminated, sectarian differences and conflicts among Muslims eradicated and the Islamic faith and ethics promoted across the world.” Yahya has so far published over 300 books of which 60 have been translated into different languages including Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish. “I have written and published over 45,000 pages. About 80 million copies of my books have been downloaded from our websites in 2008. These are astonishing numbers which show that people are interested in my work and this makes me extremely happy,” he said. Yahya’s books and documentaries, based on the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, have been instrumental in deepening the faith of Muslims in God and making young Muslim men and women proud of their religion. Many television stations around the world telecast his documentaries that reaffirm the existence and power of God. His analytical writings on Darwinism, atheist Zionism, Marxism and Freemasonry have helped in exposing the hollowness of these ideologies.
Mr. Oktar’s works are often promoted on websites belonging to global Muslim Brotherhood organizations and Muzammil Siddiqi, an important U.S. Muslim Brotherhood leader, has written a letter of recommendation praising a book by Mr. Oktar. Reuters recently posted and extensive profile on him calling him “one of the most widely distributed authors in the Muslim world.” Other Brotherhood organizations are promoting “Islamic creationism” such as the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) which recently featured an exhibit from Turkey’s Creation Museum and whose website promotes the works of Mr. Oktar.
In May, Reuters reported that Oktar was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday for creating an illegal organization for personal gain based on evidence he says was obtained under coercion. The court decision is apparently under appeal.
U.K. media also recently reported that noted scientist Richard Dawkins’s website has been banned in Turkey after a Oktar claimed the contents were insulting to him.