OKTAR BABUNA: Good evening dear viewers. Tonight we have a very distinguished guest from the U.S: Christian, researcher and author Mr. Joel Richardson is our guest. Welcome.
JOEL RICHARDSON: Thank you very much.
OKTAR BABUNA: Please, you continue teacher.
ADNAN OKTAR: Joel Richardson is a sincere Christian. He is a sincere, devout person. He loves God very much and he is a well-intentioned person. Insha'Allah [God willing], he is an important personality that I think would be very useful for Christians and Muslims to forge an alliance and struggle against the system of the antichrist. Welcome.
JOEL RICHARDSON: Thank you very much. As always, it is wonderful to be here in the beautiful city of Istanbul.
ADNAN OKTAR: Masha'Allah. Please, you go on. I am listening to you. I am waiting for your beautiful questions.
JOEL RICHARDSON: Sure. Well, I wanted to just discuss with you some of the things we did discuss when I was with you last time. You are a very rare Muslim leader who has openly been calling for the right of the Jews to rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem. I just want you to share what led you to come to this particular position?
ADNAN OKTAR: The beauties of that time, the tranquility of that time, the joy of that time, the glory of the time of the Prophet Solomon (pbuh) is a yearning in every Muslim's heart. We want to go back to those times. We look to those ages because of the understanding of brotherhood, the understanding of love, the understanding of aesthetics of that age and because of our yearning for peace that would enfold the whole world. We want to build that House of Worship as a beautiful symbol of that time. Nothing is more natural than wanting to rebuild a place of worship if it is demolished. A Muslim is obliged to want this.
At this moment, the surroundings of that Place of Worship are very poorly kept. Some parts of it are filled with people inflicting pain on others, some parts of that region are like a dump, some parts of it are filled with cruel people advocating a communist way of thinking. A spirit that does not befit that House of Worship has surrounded it and that has been the case for a very long time. There is a reference to that in the Gospel as well. It has been said that people will pollute the surroundings of the House of Worship and that evil people will cluster around it. And surely enough, many people who do not appreciate the value of that Place of Worship have polluted the surroundings of it and they are in such a situation that they cannot give the beauty that the Place of Worship surely deserves. We think that at the time of the Mahdi the vicinity of the Place of Worship will be improved and those places will become immaculately clean. And we believe that the House of Worship will be rebuilt with all its beauty and with all its glory in that historical atmosphere and serve both Christians and Jews and Muslims. And in these days, we will be making an intensive effort to this end, insha'Allah.
JOEL RICHARDSON: Wonderful. Thank you very much. You have warm relationships with various other Muslim leaders throughout the nation. Nakshibendi Muslim sheikhs and so forth. Have you ever discussed this particular issue with any other Muslim leaders? Have you received positive response? You seem to be the only Muslim leader that I am aware of that has been calling for this specific issue.
ADNAN OKTAR: I am the only one [Muslim leader] in the world who wants to have the Prophet Solomon's House of Worship rebuilt, that is true. I am the only one who says that as a Muslim.
For instance in Gospel, in the Book of Daniel 9:27 "And he [the leader that will be coming- the antichrist-dajjal] shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering." At this moment neither Christians, nor Jews or Muslims are able to worship in that Place of Worship. Neither Jews, nor Muslims can slaughter their sacrifices there. That shows the initiation of this scourge. At the time of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)—and we believe that we are at the time of Hazrat Mahdi—both sacrifices and offerings will be set free. Those will be among of the first acts of Hazrat Mahdi; the rebuilding of the Prophet Solomon's House of Worship, freeing of sacrifices and offerings, and opening it for believers to perform their prayers.
"Destructive people will cause desolation on the pinnacle until it is complete and what has been decreed is poured out on the desolator." (Book of Daniel 9:27) There are destructive people around the House of Worship in the upper sections at this moment, for instance there are people who keep iron sticks and stones. There are people who keep filthy, dirty, disgusting things. It is like a dump around there. Many places around it are in a very bad situation. Hazrat Mahdi will get rid of all those; and make those places all clean, like a flower garden, all