A university rector in the southeastern province of Adıyaman has claimed that shaking hands with an unrelated woman was “more horrific than holding fire.”
In a post shared on social media, Professor Mustafa Talha Gönüllü, the rector of Adıyaman University, asked whether it was religiously permissible to hold a woman’s hand without having been engaged.
“The hand of a woman touching an unrelated man when there is no need is forbidden by the religion. In this respect, an unrelated man cannot shake hands with an unrelated woman. Our Prophet had declared that holding the hand of an unrelated woman to shake hands was more horrific than holding fire and it was said that those who hold the hand of someone unrelated would grasp the fire of hell,” Gönüllü wrote.
He also claimed that “walking with one’s fiancée out and staying alone together” was strictly forbidden by the religion and was a great sin.
But Gönüllü stated that it was permissible for elder men and women to shake hands as their “emotive sides were vanished.”
Gönüllü’s remarks drew immediate ire from social media users – via hurriyetdailynews.
I am sure the Prophet is turning in his grave wondering whether he did indeed left all this human interpretation into his legacy.
PS Turkey definitely belongs to European Union with which it shares the same values – Enlightenment calling Turkey’s Universities 😛
What’s with the “PS” ???
It doesn’t and NEVER will belong to the EU. It will NOT become a EU member, with crazies like Erdofan in power. Ever…
Talk about “opinion journalism” (which isn’t journalism…)
PS was being ironic, didn’t you understand? This professor would probably prefer shaking hands with the devil.
Turkey has been an Associate Member of the EU since 1963 (before Greece) and remained so when Greece was expelled for non-democratic governance in 1967. Logically, the long-term place of Turkey seems to be within the European Union — but there are obstacles. In my opinion, the EU [and Greece] needs Turkey to be part of the European political framework.