From Mr. Adnan Oktar’s interview on A9TV on 17 June 2015

ADNAN OKTAR: “No one had iman in Musa except for a few of his people out of fear that Pharaoh, and the elders, would persecute them…” it says in verse 83 of Surah Yunus. Due to respect for the power of the state, due to the fear of the state, the tendency to deify and admire the state, God says; ‘No one had iman in Musa except for a few of his people out of fear that Pharaoh, and the elders, would persecute them…’ In other words, nobody believed in the religion brought by the Prophet Moses (pbuh). Young people have more courage. The Qur’an is referring to that. For example, it is very difficult to change people when they are older. But when they are younger, the conscience is still fresh. It is clean and has not yet been trampled on. But then the conscience becomes fixed and atrophied. And then you can do longer put it right. Almighty God compares such people to rotten wood, or hollow wood. He says they look attractive on the outside. They wear fine clothes and look very splendid. The state may also look very magnificent on the outside, but still be rotten on the inside. I am referring to some cases here. They are rotten inside, like hollow wood. So such states always end up collapsing, just like rotten timber. They are hollow inside, in other words they have no soul. But God compares Muslims to green shoots, still developing. But He compares the system of denial to rotten logs.

I seek refuge in God from the accursed satan. What does Pharaoh say? He threatens the believers and says will cut the legs off on one side and arms off on the other side. So why do people believe in him? Out of that fear, out of respect for the state. That is symbolized by a calf. When people see a calf, it puts in their mind the power of the state. Since the calf’s horns and its lowing symbolize the state, he is terrified and he bows down before it. In other words, he says that he recognized that system. ’I am one of you,’ he says. A small symbol representing the system, symbolized the state.

BÜLENT SEZGİN: You have said before that people admire strength.

ADNAN OKTAR: Yes, they admire strength, majesty, wealth, property and the power to chastise. For example, he can kill people or allow them to live. That is why he has pretentions to divinity. He says he can take someone’s life at any moment, or cut off an arm and a leg, on different sides. He then says ‘Let your God come and save you’. In other words, he claims to be divine, may God forbid. And then weak people go along with that.