Mosque imam gives sharp response to criticisms directed at İmamoğlu

The imam addressed those who labeled the mosque an election office, stating, "Are there no other officials who go to other mosques for Friday prayers? Those who use this term are oblivious, unconscious, and shortsighted."

Addressing the citizens gathered in the mosque, Kayışdağı Imam Hüseyin Mosque imam Mehdi Aksu said the following:

"There is nothing more natural than officials attending Friday prayers. Before our Mayor even arrived here, some people circulated claims, saying, 'They have turned the mosque into an election office.' Are there no other officials who go to other mosques for Friday prayers?

Why are those places not called election offices, but this place, adorned with the name of Imam Hüseyin, is called an election office? Those who use this term here are either oblivious, or they are unconscious and shortsighted. Our Mayor is currently the mayor of 16 million people.

"LET THEM KNOW THEY WILL NOT SUCCEED"

He hadn't come to visit us for five years. They came to visit us to bring us joy. And while they were here, they deemed it appropriate to perform Friday prayers here as well. For God's sake, what could be more natural than this? Let those who interpret this differently, sending messages left and right on social media at 12 o'clock at night to stir up trouble and try to divide society, know that they will not succeed.

This society is a single-hearted community, with its Sunnis, Alevis, Kurds, Turks, Laz, Circassians, and Shias. Whoever uses divisive rhetoric against you based on these identities, know that their goal is to exploit you. We love him.

And we love him because he does not use divisive language. I am not speaking for his political identity. I am not speaking because he is a politician. We love him because he does not engage in sectarianism. We love him because he does not discriminate between Alevi, Sunni, or Shia in the Istanbul he governs. Today, our Mayor's presence here is proof of what I have said. If he were discriminatory, he would not have come here."

News Source : 12punto