Mufti of Komotini İbrahim Şerif called once again to bear testimony!

Halit Habip Oğlu: “Greek authorities’ intention of intimidation and suppression against muftis who are religious leaders of the Western Thrace Turks should immediately come to an end.”

İbrahim Şerif, Mufti of Komotini, elected by the Western Thrace Turks living in Greece, bore once again testimony at the police department upon the order by the prosecution office on 31 May 2017. According to the daily Gündem, Mufti Şerif, who went to the Police Department of Komotini with his advocate within the scope of investigation regarding the circumcision ceremony held in 2016 in Alankuyu neighborhood in the Province of Komotini for the boys belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace, presented his defense statement against the accusation of “usurpation of mufti authorities and office”. Mufti Şerif in his explanation he provided to the newspaper informed the circumcision of boys is a significant issue in Islam religion, adding with this circumcision ceremony they had tried to a certain extent to help poor residents of Alankuyu neighborhood living through tough times with the economic crisis experienced in Greece-wide, and the incident is consisted of these.

İbrahim Şerif, Mufti of Komotini, bore testimony at Komotini Police Department upon the order by prosecution office six times including the last one since the beginning of 2017.

“In our country Greece, the legal proceedings in recent months targeting primarily at our muftis and executives of institutions and organizations belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace have turned out to be a political tool for intimidation and suppression. İbrahim Şerif, Mufti of Komotini, who has been elected by the Western Thrace Turks, is accused for usurpation of the office of mufti by the Greek prosecutor office and bore testimony at the police department once again. As ABTTF representing the Western Thrace Turks in Europe, we condemn the attitude of the Greek authorities towards our mufti İbrahim Şerif and present him our support. We call on the Greek authorities to end immediately their intention of intimidation and suppression against our muftis and executives of our institutions who haven’t involved in any illegal act”, stated Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).

*Image: www.gundemgazetesi.com