Ali Erbaş | |
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| President of the Directorate of Religious Affairs | |
| Assumed office 17 September 2017 | |
| President | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Preceded by | Mehmet Görmez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1961 (age 63–64) Kabadüz,Ordu,Turkey[1] |
| Spouse | Seher Erbaş |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Marmara University |
Ali Erbaş (born in 1961) is aTurkishIslamic scholar and president ofDirectorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) inTurkey.
Erbaş attended elementary school in Yeşilyurt, and graduated from theImam Hatip School in Sakarya in 1984.[1]
Erbaş received a master's degree at theMarmara University in 1987, and achieved aPhD in the Department of History of Religions in 1993 at the same university.[1]
In 1993, he was nominated lecturer at the Theological Faculty of theSakarya University.
Then he carried out studies in his field as a guest member of the teaching staff of the Faculty of Human Sciences at the University of Strasbourg for a full year as of the beginning of the academic year 1996–1997.
He returned to Turkey at the beginning of 1997–1998 academic year and became an associate professor in November 1998 and professor in January 2004.
In 2016 he was nominated as the rector of theYalova University.[2]
Ali Erbaş was appointed President of theDirectorate of Religious Affairs in September 2017.[2]
Ali Erbaş, in his capacity as the head of the directorate of religious affairs, has stated during a sermon in theHagia Sophia on the 24 April 2020 thathomosexuality leads to illnesses, which drew criticism from theBar Associations ofAnkara andDiyarbakır. Both Bar associations resulted being investigated for insulting religious values over their critical remarks on Ali Erbaş.[3] During the dispute, Erbas was supported by theRecep Tayyip Erdogan who mentioned that an assault on the Diyanet's head would not be tolerated.[4] Erbaş also claimed that HIV and all the evil and pandemics in the world are caused by homosexuality.[5] A student in Istanbul Technical University faced disciplinary action after distributing a leaflet that called Erbaş "reactionary".[6]
Erbaş holds the opinion that the islamic prophetIsa passed away.[1] The mainstream islamic view inaqidah (creed) is that he ascended, was saved and will return to earth to fight theanti-christ. According to many scholars rejecting this opinion is equal to deviation or apostasy.
Ali Erbaş is married and has four children.[2]
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