Majority of Nigerian Muslims were on Monday in shock after reports that popular Televangelist, Adnan Oktar, famously known by his pen name, Harun Yahya has been convicted in Turkey for sex crimes and belonging to a criminal organisation.
Several Turkish and international media reported that a Turkish court sentenced Mr Oktar to over 1,000 years in prison for separate crimes, including attempting political and military espionage, torture, abduction, illegal wiretapping, fraud, among others.
He was described as a cult leader, who surrounded himself with scantily clad women he called “kittens”.
The news took many Nigerian Muslims who have benefited immensely from Mr. Oktar’s several books and series of documentaries on Islam and evolution, by surprise, as they begin to ask:
“Is he Harun Yahya, the popular writer and documentator?” — Sherifat Rauf, asked.
Abuu Yaasir Tawfeeq-Olakunle An-Nigeriyy also asked, “Harun Yahya, a renowned author of hundreds of different books, refuting Charles Darwins on the the theory of evolution? Is he a criminal or a cultist? What exactly is his offence? What led him there?”
Another person, Omasoro Oli Ovie posted on Twitter, “Imam Harun Yahya sent to 1,000 years in prison. He told the judge he’s sleeping with 1,000 girlfriends and they found 69,000 contraceptives in his home😁. This guy books were popular in MSSN those days . He is an infamous science denier too.
Imam Harun Yahya sent to 1,000 years in prison. He told the judge he's sleeping with 1,000 girlfriends and they found 69,000 contraceptives in his home😁. This guy books were popular in MSSN those days . He is a infamous science denier too. pic.twitter.com/a0jGw0IQhN
— ᴏᴍᴀsᴏʀᴏ ᴀʟɪ ᴏᴠɪᴇ™☤🇸🇴 (@OvieSheikh) January 11, 2021
Several others also reacted to the news, as compiled by Muslim News.
“Is this another Harun Yahya or the famous researcher with popular documentary series? Somebody answer me pleeeease🥵 I spent a lot of money, buying VCD & CD of his documentaries in those days,” – Abu Abdul Warith, asked.
In his reaction, Yusuf Taiwo said, “Those days in secondary schools and higher institutions, we bought his books! Expensive stuff! A good chunk of my monthly allowance went to buying those books then. And I always loved to buy the original, imported and expensive versions, not the pirated, Nigerian versions.
“Definitely. We learnt a lot from him. Valuable knowledge too. On our end, we gained, because we were rewarded by our sincere quest for knowledge and spiritual development. As for him, he lost, because all he did was a ruse, a mask, a smokescreen for a far more nefarious reality, which has now been exposed for the world to see,” he added.
His real name is Adnan Oktar. He uses the name Harun Yahya as a pen name. He was never an Imam. He has been refuted by prominent scholars in Islam because some of his claims were against Islam. Islam has no issue with science except the evolution theory.
— LONG LIVE PMB @78 (@BNkenny) January 11, 2021
Some Muslim in Malaysia, Indonesia and the rest of the world were also shocked by the news. Adil Uddin from Oman said, “During my high school days this guy was very popular throughout the Muslim world and Muslim diaspora in Western nations. He was of the opinion that Darwinism leads to Nazism.
“He was highest Freemason Grandmaster in Turkey but disguised himself as a religious preacher under the pen name “Haroon Yahya,” which was also not his real name,” Ali Ahmed Khan from Pakistan joined the discussion on Facebook.
Turkish televangelist & cult leader Harun Yahya jailed 1,000 years for sex crimes https://t.co/Dh7SiqqiiH
Real name Adnan Oktar, he rejects the Darwinian theory of evolution & is a popular writer commonly cited by Muslim creationists across the world, including in Malaysia. pic.twitter.com/UrRaDMItGc
— Zurairi A.R. (@zurairi) January 12, 2021
So just found out the notorious Adnan Oktar (aka Harun Yahya) has been sentenced to 1,075 years and three months in prison for sexual abuse and trafficking.
What a downfall. pic.twitter.com/V8xH2fKVLT
— abutopi (@abutopi) January 12, 2021
You guys may remember Harun Yahya – dude's Miracles of the Quran programs were popular on Pakistani TV in the early 2000s. Well, he has recently been arrested for sex crimes. Also, he began preaching with scantily clad women he called his ''kittens''. pic.twitter.com/rw30kvnBTx
— Ghaura (@ghauraghaura) January 11, 2021
We need to be careful about what is going on in Turkey.
I know a lot of Turkish teachers here in Nigeria who cannot go back to their country during the holidays
According to one lady, who is a very religious told us that if she lands in turkey she might be arrested because her mother has been in prison for over a year mainly because they want to practice the correct Islam
What the Noble prophet Muhammad(s.a..w) said is quite right concerning the categories of pple that Allah(S.W.T)shall deny on the day off judgement,and he falls into one of them,the knowledgeable who is being hypocritical in his actions and utterances.May Allah save us from being”Munafiq”as it’s more deadly than “Kafir”.