President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday urged Muslim youth to empower themselves, undertake responsibility and stay united in the face of ongoing crises and rising Islamophobia in the West.
Addressing a youth forum in Istanbul on Wednesday, Turkey’s president also called on Muslims to raise their voice against injustices they witness.
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“Muslims should take responsibility for their own peace and well-being, as well as for the security and future of all humanity, and raise their voices against the injustices they witness,” Erdoğan said in his video message to the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF)’s 4th General Assembly in Istanbul.
He noted that global developments, including terrorism, unprecedented security issues and the COVID-19 pandemic that have been posing a serious threat to humanity, have especially affected Muslim countries.
“While on the one hand, Muslims across a wide region are struggling with conflict, migration, poverty and sickness, they are also fighting rising Islamophobia in the West on the other hand,” Erdoğan said.
Citing one of his long-held maxims that “the world is bigger than five,” in reference to the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council in a call to reform the body, Erdoğan said Turkey draws attention to global injustice at every opportunity.
He told Muslim youth that they should not fall into the traps set by “imperialists” to break them apart and be united.
“We want to see you take a more active role in politics, academia, sports, trade and social spheres. Do not let anyone break you apart based on ethnicity or cultural differences,” the president said. (Daily Sabah)