Yaşar Nuri Öztürk

Yaşar Nuri Öztürk ( born June 22, 1945 in Sürmene, Trabzon Province) is a Turkish lawyer, politician, religious philosopher and author. He is a well known Islamic theologian in Turkey and represents within Islam liberal positions.

Scientific career and interpretation of the Koran

Öztürk studied law and Islamic theology at the University of Ankara. He then worked 12 years as imam and preacher. He then returned to the University and his doctorate in 1980 in Islamic philosophy. In 1986 he became docent and taught 1986-87 "Islamic intellectual history " at the Unification Theological Seminary in Barrytown, 130 km north of New York City. From 1993 to 2002 he was Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Istanbul. Besides his work as an author he had a column in the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet. He lectured in the United States, Switzerland, Germany and in countries of the Middle East.

Öztürk Books Islam in the Qur'an and the distorted Islam found on a contemporary interpretation of the Koran to the Turkish audience very well received, so that they " back to the Quran movement " are seen as a key works. Öztürk was subsequently called an "Islamic reformer ", although he himself stated that the Koran and Islam did not need reform, and he sees himself as a successor of Jamal al -Din al - Afghani and Muhammad Abduh. Öztürk keeps the mind after the Koran, for the " greatest prophet ." in the Koran dogmas are kept to a minimum. the Qur'an urge to on to use the mind and make interpretations of religious sources. religious beliefs are critically examined and with the requirements of the modern present in accordance to bring.

In the list of " most important people of the 20th Century" Time Magazine Öztürk was elected in 2000 in the category " most important scientists and thinkers " in 7th place among the top ten personalities. Some of his books have been translated into German and English.

Political activity

In 2002, Öztürk was elected as MP for the constituency of Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi Istanbul Province ( Republican People's Party ) in the Turkish parliament. In 2005 he left the CHP and founded on 16 February 2005 in Ankara, the Halkin Yükselişi Partisi (Party for the rise of the people) which he chaired for some time.

Works

• Yaşar Nuri Öztürk: Kur'an'daki Islam ( Islam in the Quran ), 1992.
• Yaşar Nuri Öztürk: 400 Questions about Islam - 400 answers. Dusseldorf 2000, ISBN 3-933749-17-4.
• Yaşar Nuri Öztürk: Rumi and Islamic mysticism. Dusseldorf 2002, ISBN 3-933749-81-6.
• Yaşar Nuri Öztürk: The distorted Islam. A critique of the history of Islamic thought Dusseldorf 2007, ISBN 3-89978-062-0. ( German summary of the Turkish original. )