He called them 'thieves in ties': Access blocked to sermon of imam who criticized fund scams

İmam Mustafa İslam, serving in the Yüreğir district of Adana, reacted in his sermon to frauds carried out through the stock market and investment funds. An access block has been imposed on the footage of İslam's speech, which drew attention to multi-billion lira scams, as it circulated on social media. It was also learned that the imam was not assigned to lead Friday prayers.

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He called them 'thieves in ties': Access blocked to sermon of imam who criticized fund scams

İmam Mustafa İslam, who serves at the Central Mosque in the Yüreğir district of Adana, brought up the frauds carried out through the stock market and investment funds in his sermon on October 10.

Stating that individuals who gain unfair profits can build trust in society through their religious identities and outward appearances, İslam reacted to the fact that multi-billion lira scams are being carried out while citizens struggle with economic hardships.

İslam used the following expressions in his sermon:

"They are such bandits; they are no longer in the mountains; they are on the streets, on the avenues, in the markets. By God, they are in Mecca, by God, they are in Medina, by God, they are in the mosques, by God, they are in the prayer rows. Thieves in ties are standing shoulder to shoulder with you in prostration. These are modern-day thefts. A retiree is making do with 20 thousand liras. We see people waiting for hours for a box or 2 liters of oil. How will you bear the burden of their sins? Thieves have emerged with stock markets, funds, and this and that, my dear brothers. They are taking away billions in money. If they were to make wraps out of that money and eat only money for a lifetime, by God, they could not finish it. They are that greedy. We look and see; these are bearded people, well-dressed, wearing headscarves... My heart burns! When faith does not reach the heart, faith does not appear in form, my dear brothers. It does not happen with the headscarves they wear or the beards they grow."

ACCESS BLOCKED TO SERMON FOOTAGE

While Mustafa İslam's speech reached large audiences on social media in a short time, the footage was also shared by some members of the ruling party.

However, an access block was imposed on the sermon video by the Cybersecurity Presidency. Users who wanted to access the footage were met with the warning, "The video is not available in Turkey."

No explanation was provided regarding the justification for the ex officio access block. It was also alleged that Mustafa İslam was not assigned to lead Friday prayers and that a temporary imam was appointed in his place.