Secular Apartheid at Work
[Originally published in Turkish Daily News]

Mustafa Akyol

"Injustice anywhere," said Martin Luther King, "is a threat to justice everywhere." Therefore the world should learn and care about the story of Tevhide Kütük, the 17-year-old Turkish schoolgirl who just became the latest victim of Turkey's self-styled apartheid.

It all started several months ago in Kozan, a municipality in the southern city of Adana. The young and bright Tevhide, a student of the state-sponsored quasi-religious "Imam-Hatip" schools, heard about the essay contest that the Education Ministry launched to celebrate the annual Teacher's Day. She wrote a fine piece on the virtues of teaching, and submitted it to the organizing committee. Soon the jury decided that she was the best writer among all the other students in her hometown, and thus she deserved to win the award, which was a very modest present by all standards, but a very inspiring reward for a modest teenager.

VIP apparatchiks

On Nov. 28, Teacher's day, Tehvide, along with other winners in poetry and painting, was invited to a ceremony at the town hall. She, of course, accepted the invitation and showed up on that day with all her enthusiasm. After some boring speeches by the usual dignitaries, the winners of the contests were called to the stage. With joyful music playing in the background, Tevhide cheerfully climbed the steps and exuberantly lined up with other kids in order to be congratulated and applauded.

Yet things were not destined to go right. In the VIP seats, there were a bunch of sinister men whose loyalty to tyrannical state principles exceeded their respect and care for human beings. The moment they saw Tevhide, they were shocked and abhorred. Because the little girl was wearing the Islamic headscarf! In official Turkey, that symbol only belongs to the untouchables, those who pollute the sacred soil of the secular republic with their offensive religious presence. Especially army commander, Major Hüseyin Çopur, and local governor, Aydın Tetikoğlu, were deeply affronted by this little girl who dared to break the rules of the caste system. The outlaw had to be punished, and law and order had to be restored.

So, after less than a minute that little Tevhide took stage, these two men – one in uniform, the other in unimind – took a quick measure to save the secular republic from her. "Take her down," they told their aides. And a man in a black suit approached Tevhide to whisper into her ear that she had to leave the stage immediately. She was shocked for a few seconds, and then rapidly moved away while bursting into tears.

Local TV cameras were shooting the whole event. Somewhere at the back, Tevhide cried for minutes and minutes, while her parents and friends tried to calm her down. But she neither calmed down nor decided to give up. She walked again toward the front seats, in order to speak to the VIP men. She stood right in front of the national education director. "Why don't you give me my award, my teacher," she asked. "This is a great injustice."

The "teacher" – a man with a thick mustache and apparently a thin conscience – just looked at her with a humiliating face. “No,” he ordered, “just get back to your seat!” There was nothing he could do, actually. As a loyal apparatchik, he was only following orders.

Tevhide, who was still crying, left the hall along with her family and many other people who reacted against this official injustice. Days have passed since that episode and the family says that the young girl is still very sad and they fear that she might get into depression. Even if she doesn't, she will probably remember this trauma for the rest of her life. And not just her, but millions of others in this country who cover their heads because their beliefs will continue to feel insulted and humiliated.


Shame, not happiness

The weekly humor magazine “Leman” has a great cover this week, with the title “The tears of a young girl” and a cartoon that shows the poor Tevhide being kicked by a huge army boot. (Leman is a secular magazine, by the way. It is just non-fascist. ) I think this caricature is a very accurate depiction of not just Tevhide's drama, but also the whole apartheid regime in this country, which is, despite all our democratic achievements, still intact.

[To see the cartoon: http://www.ilkhavadis.net/haberler/39488 ]

This has to end. Now is the time for freedom for all Turkish citizens, whatever their creed, langue and way of life may be. The unelected and self-appointed VIP's of Turkey have to accept a “freedom chart” similar to the one that their ilk in South Africa had to concede in the ‘90s. Enough is enough.

If they insist on preserving this system of organized injustice, then they will be undermining the very foundation of this country: The consent of the citizens. I have to admit that I am already shaky in that regard. I love Turkey with all its history, people, and culture, but I can't find a way to sympathize with its authoritarian state. It really doesn't help much to reiterate Atatürk's motto, “How happy is the one who says I am a Turk.” I do say that I am a Turk, but that hardly gives me happiness. In fact, when I see all the cruelties done in this country to its people by its sovereigns, it even gives me shame.

I remember reading the story from the online papers.
It is very sad and tragic.
I think all those state-sponsored quasi-religious "Imam-Hatip" schools should be closed immediately.
They do not suit this century.
They dont suit the modern life.
And then the army commander, major and whoever responsible should be banned from public offices.

How does the Turkish educational system differ from the European and the American one? Wish to know.

For example even in France, which is the most secular country in Europe, religious schools are allowed. The students are taught Catholic religion along with other subjects in those schools.

You do not have to like them but you can not just ban them if Turkey is a democratic country. You should respect differences.

By the way, it seems you do not like the Turkish army but you have a mentality as authoritarian as them.

Personally, I respect Turkish army because they are defending Turkey againts Kurdish seperatist terrorists despite their actions as ecplained in the article by Mr. Akyol.

Gateway - looks like you are a product of those religious schools. For the sake of turkish people, I'm glad that YOU are not making decisions.

These schools are a danger for a country that has so much potential.. as I said before, handsome, its a loss for them that you have left!

what an interesting insight, thanks thehandsom. without an e.

Finding the inner Muslim prince
In the third of his Ramadan articles, Eric Walberg looks at the increasing attraction to Islam on the part of Westerners
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/864/cu6.htm

Well, if everybody agrees then you can close those schoolsand let state to decide what is good for the citizens of Turkey.

P.S. Catwoman, you are not funny at all.

I heard that Erdoğan called the girl afterwards. All nice and well but did he call the girls who were forced into religious education and took it to court??!!

Handsom lets meet!!! Look we are adviced to

This is a PM I just got:

I read your and thehandom's forum messages. you are very biased in same things I mean both of you are pro-Kurdish and pro-secularism and anti-religious freedom. you should get together and meet I think

Missionaries. traitors, deserters, PKK supporters are all having a ball !

There is something wrong here....

Compare our respective contributions to this site. The question is why you are here?

Catwoman,
I dont have time to waste with you.
I suggest you keep away from my posts, if you learn nothing from them...

I am not interested....

really not easy to understand that how come a healthy mind can be barrier front of innocent freedoms??And how come a someone's heart eyes can be blind for this tragic event.Friends world or life never our private ownerships and freedoms only not what we understood,pls a bit more tolerance....

Are this quasi-religious schools run by the government? I think I missed something.

We have a lot of religious based schools here in the US but they are private schools. Public schools here are not allowed to promote religion in anyway. Just curious.

Curious...has anyone here ever attended an imam hatip school? They are just as good as any other turkish school where students don't learn english either. I know several people who graduated from imam hatip schools and they have not been brainwashed in any way, in fact they are very grateful that they were given an education they otherwise may not have been able to receive.

Its not only about evil. Its about the fact that government shouldnt support religiously based schools.

To be honest I agree that pupils may be trained religious matters by the consent of their parents, but I believe it must not be during the standard curriculum.
It can be at weekends or summer time but standard curriculum must not be mixed too much with religious matters

Evil was written sarcastically, that's the only practical use I know of that word

When you graduate from an imam hatip school you get a regular diploma and you're most likely not any more religious than the next person. The good thing about the imam hatip system is that they grant opportunities to young people who otherwise may not have been able to get an education. The students are not exceptionally religious in any sense, they still go out to look at girls or smoke on the school's attic. They may learn how to read arabic and so what?

Dont even think that is my general opinion Lisa...
My compliment was related to this question only...

SO TRUE, ELIZABETH

I was right too....

Btw it is so strange to see the word Apartheid in other languages!It is originally Dutch and sounds so weird in English

time to hit the sack....keep well, friend !

They have another name for ladies with extras..They dont call them women.