Islamic cult chief Adnan Oktar of Turkey sentenced to eight,658 years in jail: Surrounded by scantily clad girls he referred to as ‘kittens’, youngster abuse and hate

On November 16 (native time), a Turkish court docket sentenced 66-year-old Islamic intercourse cult chief Adnan Oktar to eight,658 years in jail. Oktar, a televangelist, used to guide tv programmes with girls wearing scanty garments and a whole lot of make-up. He can be accused of abuse of minors. He promoted conservative guidelines and creationism in his programmes. Reports counsel he addressed the ladies round him as “kittens”.

The Istanbul court docket sentenced Oktar to 891 years in jail for operating a felony organisation, denial of training rights, sexual abuse and unlawful storage of non-public information. In complete, he has been sentenced to eight,658 years. Other ten suspects in instances associated to him have been additionally awarded related sentences. The unique sentence was of 1,075 years. Reportedly, the instances contain round 215 defendants. Many defendants have been awarded shorter jail phrases.

Reports counsel that the primary verdict towards the Islamic chief Oktar and his associates got here in January 2021. However, an higher court docket overruled the decision citing authorized proof. The court docket ordered a retrial. In September, he was introduced in court docket over allegations of operating an armed organisation and exploiting the non secular sentiments of the individuals.

In 2018, Oktar and a whole lot of his followers have been arrested by the Turkish police from his home. During his arrest, he referred to as the allegations towards him ‘lies’ and stated the motion towards him was taken on the behest of the ‘British deep state’.

He was accused of accumulating personal details about high-profile people, together with actors, politicians and journalists. Oktar faces criticism from non secular leaders in Turkey over his on-line packages that gained recognition on on-line A9 tv channels.

As per BBC, he was additionally charged for alleged hyperlinks with exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen. He was the mastermind behind a failed army coup that befell in 2016, ensuing within the demise of 251 individuals. The incident left over 2,000 individuals injured.

Before 2018, Oktar was arrested a number of instances over completely different fees. He frolicked each in jail and within the psychiatric unit through the years.

The lifetime of Adnan Oktar

Oktar started his profession within the 80s as an orator. He spoke extensively towards Jews, Freemasons and Charles Darwin. Later, he began discussing Islamic rules whereas his “kittens” wearing provocative clothes danced round him. His recognition was at its peak after he started denouncing evolution. He turned the primary Islamic thinker to carry Christian evangelical Creationism into the Islamic world.

Oktar, underneath the pen identify Harun Yahya, “debunked” evolution in his controversial 800-page guide named Atlas of Creation. The copies of the guide have been despatched internationally to universities and libraries allegedly with out consent.

Oktar grew up in a comparatively prosperous secular household within the 70s. He received concerned in non secular activism within the late 70s. During the 80s, be constructed Adnancilar, a circle of devotees or followers of Muslim scholar Said Nursi. Reportedly, Nursi talked about combining conventional Islamic beliefs with scientific concepts. Later, Nursi turned one of the crucial influential individuals within the Islamic revival motion in Turkey. Fethullah Gulen, the accused of the 2016 coup, was additionally a follower of Nursi.

1,000 girlfriends and 69,000 contraceptive tablets

As per experiences, Oktar claimed in court docket that he has over “1,000 girlfriends”. He additional claimed in his defence that he by no means abused them. During the search, the investigating businesses recovered over 69,000 contraceptive tablets. One of his alleged girlfriends had stated he sexually assaulted her and different girls and compelled them to take the tablets. On the opposite, Oktar claimed these tablets have been used to “treat skin disorders and menstrual problems”.

300 defamation fits towards a former member of the cult

A former member of Oktar’s cult, recognized as Ebru Simsek, advised Turkish media in 2021 that she was subjected to abuse. Oktar got here throughout her in 1994 after seeing her in a magnificence contest. He invited her to his “wonderful mansion” and requested her to “take off her pyjamas” and stay with him. He advised her, “Come here, I will offer you the best conditions, you will wear the best brands, and your life will be luxurious”.

Later, she left the cult. However, she was allegedly subjected to over 300 defamation lawsuits following her escape. Simsek has to shift to the United States to finish the harassment.

Oktar was identified with paranoid schizophrenia

In 1986, he was arrested for “making propaganda to weaken or destroy national sentiments”. Following his arrest, he was subjected to psychiatric analysis at Bakirkoy Hospital, the place he was identified with paranoid schizophrenia.

Atlas of Creation

Started within the 90s with the formation of the Science Research Foundation (BAV), his group extensively traded in designer Islamic clothes. They referred to as themselves followers of the secularist founder of contemporary Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Simultaneously, Oktar’s focus shifted in the direction of Charles Darwin.

In 2007, Oktar revealed Atlas of Creation and tried to “debunk” the speculation of evolution. Tens of hundreds of copies of his books reached faculties, schools, universities and researchers throughout the US and Europe. No consent was taken earlier than sending the books.

Oktar’s ‘Kittens’

Oktar based A9 TV station in 2011. It was broadcasted over the web and on Turkish cable networks. He used the platform to host documentaries primarily based on his works and televangelism. Young girls on his exhibits would talk about present affairs and non secular points and likewise dance to pop music in between the exhibits.

Oktar was towards the hijab and stated there was no point out of hijab in holy texts. At one level, he stated, “At that time, I said that the headscarf doesn’t exist in the Quran. I made a compelling argument based on the verses of the Quran… for Islamists in Turkey, half of their religion is about the hair of women.” The girls on her present have been labelled as Kittens.

Oktar was a Holocaust denier however had a shift in ideas

In the 90s, he formulated hyperlinks with Christian Creationists. It was an try to offer energy to his anti-Darwin propaganda. In 1996, he launched ‘The holocaust Deception’ underneath BAV and denied Holocaust. He claimed the Nazis didn’t have any plan to mass homicide the Jews.

Ten years down the road, he modified his tone and launched a guide in 2006 titled ‘The Holocaust Violence’ which acknowledged the Holocaust. In 2007, he claimed he by no means denied Holocaust. Notably, whereas his first idea denying Holocaust was in circulation, he had reportedly fashioned a bond with right-wing Jews in Israel.

Furthermore, over time he made a number of appearances and wrote columns in Israeli media calling for Jew-Muslim unity. His vocal help to permit Jews to wish in Al-Aqsa Mosque made it simpler for him to kind good relationships with well-known Jew personalities. Oktar had stated, “the protests by some Muslims against Jews worshipping there are in no way compatible with the spirit of peace in the Quran and Islam.” He had advised the answer to the wrestle over the holy web site is with “love and reconciliation and the construction of the Third Temple on some empty land on the Temple Mount without damaging the existing Islamic sites there”.