Inquisition prosecutor criticism! Celal Şengör's 'Kızıl Goncalar' letter to Ebubekir Şahin

RTÜK Chairman Ebubekir Şahin had said regarding Prof. Dr. Celal Şengör's criticisms of Kızıl Goncalar, "That friend with 'prof' in front of his name should mind his own business." 

Journalist Fatih Altaylı, meanwhile, shared Celal Şengör's response to RTÜK Chairman Şahin in his column. 

"HIS EXCELLENCY EBUBEKİR ŞAHİN"

The following is a prominent excerpt from Şengör's open letter to Şahin:

"If he could specify, based on historical documents, what exactly is 'false and wrong' in the phrase 'the program that attacked our sublime religion and our sacred values,' we might also be enlightened. He mentions that the judicial process is ongoing. It is clearly seen from his words regarding the appellate court and the Council of State, where he lost the first court case; what 'lie' is he attributing to me here? While His Excellency Ebubekir Şahin attempts to take a scientific statement to court, does he perhaps think he is an Inquisition prosecutor? I am embarrassed to inform him of this, as every civilized person knows that the last of the Inquisition courts was convened in the 17th century. As is known, the Italian Inquisition attempted such a trial against Galileo and sentenced him to house arrest. Well, what happened later? On October 31, 1992, Pope John Paul II had to apologize to Galileo on behalf of the church. A short time later, on September 19, 2008, the Anglican Church also apologized to Darwin. 

His Excellency Ebubekir Şahin and the RTÜK members, with the ban they have imposed, are not protecting Islam, but rather the sects that are frequently seen in our newspaper headlines committing ugly crimes and which are inherently banned by our constitution. What they are doing is akin to banning a production that brings to the silver screen an illegal organization and the misdeeds shown in the film The Godfather. The duty of His Excellency Ebubekir Şahin there is not to defend his own definition of a 'sublime religion,' but to defend the truth. Anything to the contrary is contrary to both secularism and human reason. Moreover, what they are doing contradicts in every respect the goal he himself declared of 'showing the truth to the public.' Or is he against the following words of Atatürk?

"PROTECTING BIGOTS IS NOT AMONG RTÜK'S DUTIES"

“What could be the purpose of existing sects other than to make those who are attached to them happy in this world and in the spiritual life? Today, in the face of the light of science, knowledge, and civilization in all its scope, I absolutely do not accept the existence of primitive people in Turkish civilized society who would seek material and spiritual happiness through the guidance of this or that sheikh (loud applause).

Gentlemen and oh nation, know well that the Republic of Turkey cannot be a land of sheikhs, dervishes, disciples, and madmen. The truest, most real path is the path of civilization (sustained applause). Doing what civilization requires is enough to be human. The leaders of the sects will understand this truth I speak of with all clarity and will immediately close their lodges of their own accord, and they will certainly accept that their disciples have now reached maturity.”

Kastamonu, 1925

If he would say it clearly, we might also learn.

Note: It is not just 'prof.' written in front of my name. If His Excellency Ebubekir Şahin were to take a look at everything written in front of and behind my name, he would see how much I mind my own business. I am neither a theologian nor a security expert; I am just a geologist—but of the cultured variety. He, however, is not doing his job. Let me repeat: Protecting bigots is not among RTÜK's duties."