President of Religious Affairs Erbaş: “The Western-centered understanding that confines the universal norms of morality to their selfish worlds has condemned the earth to war.”

Speaking at the event organized for the 100th anniversary of the establishment of theology faculties, the President of Religious Affairs, Prof. Dr. Ali Erbaş, said, “A Western-centric understanding that confines the universal norms of morality and law to its own selfish world has condemned the entire earth to chaos, war, poverty, and hopelessness.”

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of theology faculties, an international academic event titled “Theology Faculties in Turkey at 100 Years” was organized in collaboration with the Turkish Diyanet Foundation Islamic Research Center (İSAM), Istanbul University Faculty of Theology, Ankara University Faculty of Theology, Marmara University Faculty of Theology, and Istanbul 29 Mayıs University Faculty of Theology. The symposium featured the sharing of information and ideas about the past, present, and future of theology faculties, discussing their historical roots, their current place within universities, and their visions for the future. The program began with a recitation of the Quran and continued with speeches from the speakers.

“We know that a better life and a more beautiful future are only possible with better education.”

During the program, the President of Religious Affairs, Prof. Dr. Ali Erbaş, stated, “We are gathered here for an academic meeting with the participation of many distinguished scholars to discuss the history, mission, and vision of theology faculties in Turkey on their 100th anniversary. I pray to the Almighty that this meaningful gathering leads to important results in finding common ground, horizons, and solutions for the issues in the field of theology. As we all know, we are the followers of a book that begins with the command ‘Read’, speaks of knowledge and the pen, and encourages reading and learning. We are the community of a prophet who stated, ‘Indeed, I have been sent as a teacher.’ We belong to a civilization that always elevates knowledge and has pioneered in every field of science. We know that a better life and a more beautiful future are only possible with better education.”

“A Western-centric understanding that confines the universal norms of morality and law to its own selfish world has condemned the earth to chaos and war.”

In the continuation of his speech, Erbaş stated, “Believers have always accepted the construction of life on the basis of unity and law, considering the approach to knowledge through wisdom and morality as the purpose of existence. For the last three centuries, the most fundamental problem and the most severe crisis in the world is essentially an epistemological and ontological crisis. The distortions in the concept of knowledge and existence form the basis of social, political, ecological, economic, global crises, and individual depressions and hopelessness. A Western-centric understanding that rejects the transcendent dimension of existence, disregards the connection of the world with God, and confines the universal norms of morality and law to its selfish world has condemned the entire earth to chaos, war, poverty, and hopelessness.”