Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Knowledge Dissemination Foundation: 'The issue is not just about how strong we are'

Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Knowledge Dissemination Foundation, said, "We can reach from one end of the world to the other in just seconds. But unfortunately, all opportunities have not increased justice, peace and meaning to the same extent. So, the issue is not just about how powerful we are, how developed we are. It is also important for what and how we use that power and development." he said.

Erdoğan attended the opening ceremony of the 13th International Bediüzzaman Symposium, organized by the Istanbul Science and Culture Foundation, of which Anadolu Agency (AA) is the "Global Communication Partner", at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM).

Speaking here, Erdoğan wished that the symposium would be beneficial and said that they were together to talk about the important issues facing humanity with the opportunities of academy, science and thought.

Pointing out that humanity is experiencing a period of multi-layered crises, Erdoğan said:

"Wars, millions of people displaced, genocide, economic inequality, environmental problems, erosion in the family structure, loneliness of young people, information pollution and new moral issues raised by technology stand side by side in the same age. At first glance, each of these seems to be a problem of a separate field. But when we dig a little deeper, we encounter a common problem. To what extent will man use the power he has? To what extent will he earn and share wealth? To what extent will he produce and disseminate information? To what extent will he develop technology? In short, by what standard will a person live his life?

Stating that the problem of balance and measurement is at the root of many crises experienced today, Erdoğan stated that the Quran shows the way here and that the balance it offers to people encompasses all areas of life.

Stating that humanity's knowledge accumulation is huge and technological capacity has reached unprecedented levels in history, Erdoğan said, "A tremendous wealth has been produced, we can reach from one end of the world to the other in just seconds. But unfortunately, all opportunities have not increased justice, peace and meaning to the same extent. So, the issue is not just about how powerful we are, how advanced we are. It is also important for what and how we use that power and development." he said.

Stating that they saw the worst example of this in wars, Erdoğan continued as follows:

"Today, there are 15 countries in the United Nations Security Council, and the veto power of 5 permanent members can override the will of other countries and all countries of the world. The response of a political decision taken in a hall or a decision not taken can be a Gazan child who is under bombardment thousands of kilometers away. What is worse is that different reactions can be given to similar sufferings depending on the identity of the victim. While civilians who lost their lives in one place remain on the world agenda for days, a great human tragedy in another geography is news for a few seconds." "While we were experiencing the Ukraine-Russia war and the Gaza genocide at the same time, we all clearly observed how unbalanced the approach to these two conflicts, oppression, war and, of course, the genocide in Gaza was in the European media, especially in the first years."

Erdoğan noted that justice will not change depending on the identity of the other person, and that the name of the oppression will not change when the perpetrator of the oppression changes, and emphasized that the religion, race, nationality, color or passport of the victim will not change the meaning and value of human life.

Stating that this is one of the measures the world needs today, Erdoğan continued his words as follows:

"The second biggest area where the balance is distorted is the relationship we establish with wealth and consumption. While a person in the same city is thinking about which luxury car to buy, another person a few streets away may be calculating which basic need he will give up. The Quran does not reject wealth, it accepts legitimate earnings, ownership, and trade, but it reveals a strong morality against wealth taking people captive and breaking away from social responsibility. This is why zakat exists, this is why charity exists. And Allah Almighty presents us with a balance that is aimed at not accumulating wealth and capital. It puts the sensitivity of people's rights before us as a criterion of our lives."

Pointing out that there is a need for a similar measure in consumption, Erdoğan said, "We see our working phone as old because a new model has been released. We buy new ones while there are clothes that we do not wear in our closet. On one side, tons of food goes to waste, on the other hand, people have difficulty in accessing basic food. Algorithms in which the focus of our lives is shaped towards individuals' consumption and constantly buying new ones, give order to our lives. While the measure of the Quran is very simple, 'Eat, drink, but do not waste.' "We will benefit from the blessing, we will produce, we will earn, but we will do all this without losing moderation." made his assessment.

Noting that one of the areas where measurement is most needed is information and technology, Erdoğan stated that with artificial intelligence, it is possible to make a word that has never been said seem like it has been said and an event that has never happened seem like it has happened.

Erdoğan stated that as technology develops, the need for morality increases and said:

"Technology tells us what we can do, but technology does not answer the question of whether we should do everything we can do. Today, in the development of artificial intelligence, 'What should the rules be?' The world is not unanimous on this issue. We are faced with the situation of developing artificial intelligence just for the sake of technology. How will societies be affected, how will social relations be affected, how will the human race be affected as a result of this development? We don't even have the opportunity to study or think about it. Therefore, we need morality, wisdom and temperament here." he said.

Erdoğan also pointed out the importance of family and youth and said:

"In an age where technology connects the world, we see that people in the same house can become distant from each other. While four people are sitting at the same table, each of them may be looking at a different screen at the same time. Our young people are in contact with thousands of people, yet they are experiencing the most turbulent periods of their lives in a search for loneliness and meaning. Because being connected is not the same as establishing a bond. Moreover, young people are constantly looking at the best moments of others' lives. One's success, another's travel, someone else's house, car, appearance. Then he compares his entire life with a few selected frames of someone else.”

"Underneath all of this, there is a very basic question, 'Why am I living?'" said Erdoğan, adding, "The Quran confronts people with exactly this question. It gives a direction to people's lives. It gives meaning and responsibility to God for their education, profession, family, earnings, success and anxiety. Of course, it is very important that we provide our young people with a good education, a good profession and good opportunities, but along with all this, a person who knows why he lives and sees his life as a part of a meaningful whole." We have to raise it." he said.

Erdoğan emphasized that the criterion that Bediuzzaman put forward when describing the civilization of the Quran gained importance here, and explained that the Quran does not diminish the possibilities of man, but gives him direction.

President of Religious Affairs Safi Arpaguş said that they are together to produce solutions for the common pains of humanity from the ocean of mercy of the Quran.

Stating that humanity is experiencing the most advanced period in history in terms of material possibilities, it is under the siege of huge spiritual crises, Arpaguş said:

"Despite the dizzying developments in science and technology and the increases in the level of production and consumption, the overwhelming majority of humanity is doomed to problems such as wars, occupations, massacres, hunger and poverty. In fact, many innovations that are considered as material development today have unfortunately become harmful to nature and nature. Approaches that disregard law, morality and human dignity make life unlivable on earth. Undoubtedly, the basis of all these problems is an egocentric vision of life and man's endless pursuit of life." "There is a desire for power and domination."

Arpaguş stated that material progress alone is not enough to ensure the peace and happiness of humanity, and that Islam bears important responsibilities in the face of the problems of the age.

Chairman of the Symposium Scientific Committee Prof. Dr. Bayram Özer noted that 668 abstract applications were made to the symposium from 448 independent institutions from 60 countries.

Stating that as a result of the evaluations of the scientific committee, 262 papers were accepted to be presented at the symposium, Özer stated that the papers will be discussed in 67 separate sessions in 11 halls in 4 different languages, Turkish, Arabic, English and Russian, for 3 days.

Said Yüce, President of the Istanbul Science and Culture Foundation, stated that the symposium organized with the theme of "Qur'anic Solutions to Global Crises" gave them two great responsibilities: "to correctly diagnose the current crises" and "to think of the message of the Quran not only as answers to the issues of the past, but as a living guide guiding the society of the age."

The symposium, opened by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, will continue with different sessions in Istanbul until October 6.