Vatican cites Atatürk in ISIL message
The Vatican has called on Muslim religious leaders to condemn âunspeakable criminal actsâ by militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), citing the abolishment of the caliphate by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founding father of the Turkish Republic.
âThe whole world has witnessed with incredulity what is now called the âRestoration of the Caliphate,â which had been abolished on Oct. 29, 1923 by Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkey,â the Vaticanâs Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, an office set up to promote contact with other faiths, said in a statement. âOpposition to this ârestorationâ by the majority of religious institutions and Muslim politicians has not prevented âIslamic Stateâ jihadists from committing and continuing to commit unspeakable criminal acts,â it said.
âNo cause, and certainly no religion, can justify such barbarity,â the council said, adding that the plight of Christians, members of the ancient Yazidi sect and other religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq required âa clear and courageous stance on the part of religious leaders, especially Muslims.â
âAll must be unanimous in unequivocally condemning these crimes and in denouncing the use of religion to justify them,â it said. âIf not, what credibility will religions, their followers and their leaders have?â
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