Islamophobia has turned into an industry, says Turkey's top cleric

Turkey?s top cleric has said Islamophobia has been ?turned into an industry? across the world to ?spread fear.?

?Islamophobia, which has been turned into an industry, is trying to spread fear to hearts by using clashes and incidents in the Islamic world for cruel propaganda against Muslims,? said Mehmet Görmez, the head of the Directorate General for Religious Affairs (Diyanet), adding that a ?letter of goodwill? prepared by Islamic scholars would soon be shared with heads of states and religious heads.

Speaking to the press after a ?Peace and Moderation Permanent Contact Group? meeting in Ankara on Jan. 27, Görmez said the contact group was working on a roadmap and had decided to present a letter of goodwill.

?One of the topics that we discussed was about presenting a peace and goodwill letter everywhere we go. We have decided to present a goodwill letter from Islamic scholars to [other] Islamic scholars, the heads of religious institutions, wise men, and if necessary to heads of state,? he said.

Reading a section from the letter of goodwill, he said Islamophobia would ?destroy the future and harm the conscience of the silent majority.?

Görmez said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu were the first people to whom they presented the letter.

The letter also stated that the contact group would work ?to prevent clashes in the Islamic world from turning into permanent ethnic and racist structures.?

Görmez said ongoing conflicts in the Islamic world - including murders, suicide bombings, kidnappings, attacks on mosques, the destruction of holy shrines, and the displacement of millions of people - not only affected those living in the region, but also harmed general...