Civil Friday Prayer prohibited in Istanbul
Civil Friday Prayer prohibited in Istanbul
In a violent and deeply antidemocratic turn police yesterday have prohibited Civil Friday Prayers near Yenimahalle Mevlana Park in the Baðcýlar district of Istanbul.
As a justification for their prohibition the police simply said that "All things having to do with civil disobedience are prohibited," and added that they would do all in their power to prevent the prayer to take place.
Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Baðcýlar District Chair, Eþref Yaþar reacted strongly against the prohibition saying that it was something to "condemn. We do not accept - he added - this violation of our most basic right to carry out acts of civil disobedience through Civil Friday Prayers. We have done nothing to disobey the law. They can prevent us from praying today, but they cannot prevent us from praying every Friday. Even if they use tear gas or throw bombs, we will do our prayers anywhere we can."
Istanbul Religious Scholars Assistance Association (ÝDAY-DER) Chair, Celalettin Yöyler said, "The state does not own religion. For this reason, we must be free to pray our Civil Friday Prayers anywhere."
After the police announcement the crowd was dispersed by the organizers.
Prohibited in Istanbul, the Civil Friday prayers took place in parks and squares in cities and towns across Turkey and were attended by thousands.
The main theme of the sermons was that there is no room for oppression and tyranny in religion, but many sermons included calls for an end to military operations and an end to the isolation of imprisoned Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan.
It was reported that in Adana, the imams who perform the Civil Friday Prayers every week were taken into custody.
Civil Friday Prayers were organized in the cities of Diyarbakýr, Hakkari, Siirt, Adana, Manisa, Van, Þýrnak, and Batman; as well as in Muþ's Malazgirt and Bulanýk districts; Aðrý's Doðubayazýt district; Manisa's Turgutlu district; Þýrnak's Cizre and Silopi districts; Mardin's Nusaybin and Derik districts; Urfa's Ceylanpýnar district; and Diyarbakýr's Silvan and Lice districts.
As a justification for their prohibition the police simply said that "All things having to do with civil disobedience are prohibited," and added that they would do all in their power to prevent the prayer to take place.
Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Baðcýlar District Chair, Eþref Yaþar reacted strongly against the prohibition saying that it was something to "condemn. We do not accept - he added - this violation of our most basic right to carry out acts of civil disobedience through Civil Friday Prayers. We have done nothing to disobey the law. They can prevent us from praying today, but they cannot prevent us from praying every Friday. Even if they use tear gas or throw bombs, we will do our prayers anywhere we can."
Istanbul Religious Scholars Assistance Association (ÝDAY-DER) Chair, Celalettin Yöyler said, "The state does not own religion. For this reason, we must be free to pray our Civil Friday Prayers anywhere."
After the police announcement the crowd was dispersed by the organizers.
Prohibited in Istanbul, the Civil Friday prayers took place in parks and squares in cities and towns across Turkey and were attended by thousands.
The main theme of the sermons was that there is no room for oppression and tyranny in religion, but many sermons included calls for an end to military operations and an end to the isolation of imprisoned Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan.
It was reported that in Adana, the imams who perform the Civil Friday Prayers every week were taken into custody.
Civil Friday Prayers were organized in the cities of Diyarbakýr, Hakkari, Siirt, Adana, Manisa, Van, Þýrnak, and Batman; as well as in Muþ's Malazgirt and Bulanýk districts; Aðrý's Doðubayazýt district; Manisa's Turgutlu district; Þýrnak's Cizre and Silopi districts; Mardin's Nusaybin and Derik districts; Urfa's Ceylanpýnar district; and Diyarbakýr's Silvan and Lice districts.
