Bearing False Witness - at the Mosque, No Less!

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 27 July 2018)


                  Wanted the rugs inside...

In Kangal district of Sivas province, the battle between mosque imam
Hulus Kılıçer and 'muezzin' (prayer-caller) İsmail Kılıç has turned into
a never-ending saga.  In 2013, Imam Kılıçer, who had been at the
mosque for 30 years, argued with Muezzin Kılıç about rugs laid out
in the mosque's courtyard.


                  Wanted the rugs outside...

Imam Kılıçer told Muezzin Kılıç to bring the rugs into the mosque so
that the congregation could pray on them.  Kılıç refused and the
argument got more heated, with the Imam's son Akif joining in.
The Muezzin filed a suit against the İmam and his son, having 
Koran course student Y.O. serve as a witness to say that the Iman
had supposedly squeezed Kılıç's neck and Akif had threatened him.


Wanted to rock & roll, as he bore false witness.

Imam Kılıçer was acquitted but Akif got a 6-month jail sentence.
A year later, though, Y.O. confessed to being a false witness,
prompting the Imam to file a suit against Kılıç for supplying a
false witness in the case.  As a result, Muezzin Kılıç was sentenced
to 13 months in jail and Y.O. got 2 months, 6 days.