Main opposition leader quotes Karl Marx during symposium on Islam

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Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu quoted Karl Marx during the Issues and Solutions in Today's Islamic World Symposium on June 27 organized by the nationalist Turkish Hearths group (Türk Ocakları).

At the symposium, Kılıçdaroğlu pointed out that the source of the main problems of the Islamic world is injustice.

“Therefore, the only solution to the fundamental problems of today's Islamic world is justice,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

“Islam asks us to establish and maintain justice in all areas of life and for everyone. According to Islam, justice that has not been established for everyone and in every field cannot be called justice,” Kılıçdaroğlu added.

Quoting Karl Marx, Kılıçdaroğlu said, “‘The philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways. The point, however, is to change it.’ Referring to the broad interpretation of this sentence, the primary duty of us politicians is to change our country for the better.”

Kılıçdaroğlu later quoted the verse, “How can you tell people to do what is right and forget to do it yourselves, even though you recite the Scripture? Have you no sense?” from the Quran.

“This was addressed to Jewish clergymen. However, it is a message for all clergy, all governors, and all of humanity,” Kılıçdaroğlu added.

Far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli on June 28 criticized Kılıçdaroğlu’s invitation to the symposium.

"I was very upset. I wonder if the Turkish Hearths administration was not disturbed at all [by the invitation of Kılıçdaroğlu]?” Bahçeli said.

The Turkish Hearths later announced that they dismissed the Istanbul management that invited Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, from the CHP, to the symposium.