Turkish translation of Koran banned upon state authority's complaint

Turkish translation of Koran banned upon state authority's complaint
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"This court decision is an indication that the one man rule is gradually turning into a religious dictatorship," translator Eliacik has said.

A Turkish court issued a ban on a Turkish translation of the Koran on allegations that it contains "undesirable elements contrary to the basic characteristics of Islam," the translator Ihsan Eliacik said.

The lawsuit was launched upon criminal charges filed by the state's religious authority, the Presidency of Religious Affairs.

Eliacik, a Turkish Islamic theologian and writer and the founder of the Islamic-socialist "Anti-Capitalist Muslims," said on Twitter:

"Istanbul's 1st Court of Peace issued a ban on the publication-interpretation and distribution of my work titled 'The Living Koran: A Turkish Translation,' and ordered the copies of the book to be recalled. I wonder in which provision of any law one can find a sentence that reads, 'Books with content contrary to the basic characteristics of Islam shall be recalled.' If you ask me, the interpretations by the Presidency of Religious Affairs and even the presidency itself is contrary to the basic characteristics of Islam. This court decision is an indication that the one man rule is gradually turning into a religious dictatorship."

He added:

"The order to recall the book's copies is an arbitrary one. There are thousands of books currently on sale which have contents contrary to the basic characteristics of Islam. It is not possible to comprehend the frame of mind in which the court's decision was taken. While nothing remains of a state of law anymore, we will still go ahead and appeal the court's decision."