Turkey’s Gen-Z Stuns Muslim World With Viral Videos – What They’re Doing During Namaz Will SHOCK You | DNA | World News
An unexpected event is taking place in Türkiye, where 99 percent are Muslim. The country’s youth have started a social media trend that raises serious questions about religious identity, tradition and generational divides.
The Viral Trend That Started the Conversation
A trend that surprised everyone, it started on TikTok in December 2025. Turkish Gen-Z began posting videos that allegedly mocked Prayer, one of the five pillars of Islam.
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In these viral clips, young Turks pretend to pray, smile during prostration, and then suddenly collapse to the ground. Some videos show everyday behavior during prayer rituals. One video received more than 1 million views in a week.
The reaction was swift. Muslim communities around the world have voiced their concerns. Comments questioned what was happening to Turkey’s youth: “Their parents should address this issue,” “May God guide them,” “What would our ancestors think?”
Understanding the Origins of the Trend
99 percent of Türkiye is Muslim. President Erdoğan emphasized Islamic values in his administration. However, the country’s youth are distancing themselves from traditional religious practices. What’s behind this?
Analysts point out two factors:
First, this trend may refer to a scene in the Turkish TV series “Valley of the Wolves” in which an imam dies while praying. Some believe that young people recreated this dramatic moment.
Second, experts see this as a reaction against compulsory religious education. The government has increased Islamic education in schools, and some Young Turks express discomfort with forced religiosity.
Many observers attribute this to Kemalism, the secular ideology of Türkiye’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who advocated the separation of religion and state after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
#DNAमित्रों | #DNA #DNAwithRahulSinha #Turkey #Prayer @RahulSinhaTV pic.twitter.com/GZ990e0mFo — Zee News (@ZeeNews) December 25, 2025
What Does the Data Show?
Surveys reveal significant shifts in religious identity among Turkish youth:
- 2025 KONDA research: The rate of those who define themselves as “religious” decreased from 55 percent to 46 percent
- The proportion of non-religious citizens increased from 2% to 8%
- 11 percent of young people aged 18-24 are not religious
- Only 18.4% of Young Turks define themselves as “devout Muslims”.
These figures show that the young generation in Türkiye has chosen different ways of religious worship.
What Does This Reveal?
Türkiye’s social media trend reflects broader questions about how younger generations engage with inherited traditions. It highlights the tensions between state-supported religious values and individual preferences.
This trend is not necessarily anti-religious; There may be young people who question not whether religion should be practiced, but how it should be practiced.
