Man assaulted for missionary activities

ISTANBUL – AFP
Tuesday, August 4, 2009

A 24-year-old street seller assaulted a man on the grounds that he was proselytizing Christianity, holding a knife to his throat in Istanbul before surrendering to police, newspapers reported Tuesday.

The incident, the latest in a string of religiously-motivated attacks in Turkey in recent years, happened Monday on a busy avenue in Istanbul´s Kadiköy district, before the eyes of dozens of passersby.

The assailant – identified as 24-year-old pirate CD vendor – wrapped a Turkish flag around the head of Ýsmail Aydýn, 35, put a knife to his throat and shouted, "This is Turkey, you cannot distribute Bibles here," Habertürk newspaper said.

The stand-off lasted 20 minutes before the police persuaded the assailant to surrender, according to the daily Sabah.

The street vendor later told police he was angry with Aydýn for converting to Christianity and engaging in missionary activities, Sabah reported, while the daily Vatan suggested the assailant was mentally disturbed.

Proselytizing is generally viewed with suspicion in Turkey, whose population is predominantly Muslim, with small Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Armenian and Jewish communities, concentrated in Istanbul.

An Italian Roman Catholic priest was shot dead in 2006 and three Protestants – a German missionary and two Turkish converts – had their throats cut in 2007.

Two Catholic priests have been stabbed and several churches have reported harassment and threats.

The incidents have fueled fears of rising nationalism and hostility against non-Muslims in Turkey. 

© 2009 Hurriyet Daily News
URL: www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkish-man-assaulted-for-missionary-activities-report-2009-08-04

What I would like to know from you, zbrct, is your opinion. Not just an article. Oh, I expect you to say you despise attacks but do you agree with the assailant that in Turkey one cannot distribute Bibles? And if people still do, how can they protect themselves? Should the state / police be involved with this? Can you answer questions like that, please?

 He (zbrct) is used to trow a ”bomb” and let us fight on oppinions. He stays now waiting..watching.. I refuse to take part at these kind of discutions!

Is zbrct the new Roswitha? 

If you are devoid of reason and common sense, you often stick to a cause to make up for your shortcomings. Generalizing on these matters is equally wrong and just provides for an example to thinking by stimuli. It is impossible to have a sound and profound understanding of the events taking place in society if your equation goes like Turk + knife = freedom lost. True intolerance towards other belief systems has been an age old problem. There are many ways to maim free speech in this matter. The one that was performed by that lunatic in the street is a personal attack caused by the presence of an ignorant group of people within the country and is dwarved in regards of significance by the designs of those waging the war of civilizations.

Freedom of speech is controlled by people who are way wiser than this hippy. When you are able to control the stereotypes in people´s minds, you don´t need to run in the streets with a knife in your hand.

I am a Muslim and I know that there is not a offical ban on missionary activities in Turkey but some Turkish people and Turkish army are suspicious of missionary activities in Turkey. I believe in freedom and I believe in religious freedoom. Muslims are allowed to convert Europeans into Islam in European countries and when a Christian converts in to Islam Turkish people get very very happy. So I believe that if Muslims are allowed to propogate their religion in Europe, Christian missionaries should have the same right in Turkey.

 The first I can only agree with. I´m absolutely not religious but when - on this forum - I told in 2007 I was coming to a certain city in central Anatolia, I immediately got pm´s of a member who said she like to meet me but erm... I wasn´t into missionairy acitivities, was I? I have no idea how that member got the idea that I was ´selling´ any religion, and when asked I got an answer like about this ´all Westerners coming to my city are missionaries.....´. Eh?

The second I agree on to (if I have to right to refuse to anyone trying to convert me into whatever - like Jehova witnesses calling door-to-door), but I´m afraid a lot of Muslims will not agree with you. Maybe I´m wrong - tell me please - but I´ve heard of groups that kill Muslim who convert into Christianity  because it´s forbidden according to the Koran (they say).

I think its not about religion...I think all is hidding some complexes of the agressor....

 How can I agree with a monster? Please look at the picture again...Do you think I am a person like that person?

 Read (and answer) the other questions please, instead of only dropping texts. I already said I assumed you would not agree with this man, but how about his religious thoughts?

Well said...+10000

 Maybe he was an abused child...He saw a young man like him (a small and helpless island in a muslim sea) And tried to prove to himself his manhood...that he is powerfull. Boy was helpless but he is using a knife...because he is a cowerd. Once again im saying that diference of religion was just a pretext!

 There is no doubt this man is disturbed..Anyone who pulls a knife on someone even if it is for religous causes is a sick minded individual.

So Lis you still want to set up shop in Istanbul?   St. Elisabeths....

It is easy to say that this attack was about religion.  On the surface, you may be correct. However, violent crimes are ultimately about power.  This sick person saw an opportunity to empower himself.  I don´t think that this crime would be supported by Turkish society.  I would bet money that most people would condemn this brutal act. 

 You HAVE been answered....how many times do you require an answer?

Oh...maybe you are ...the Grand Inquisitor?

 Would love to.....how about we open a cafe and sell Tea and T-shirts.  We will call it Teas T´s!

In conclusion !!!!dont distribute Bibles in Kadýköy  !!!

 Actually, I agree with you ReyhanL.  I think the man who did the attack was a frustrated, inarticulate person who lashed out.  No more, mo less.  It happens with attacks against Muslims....and here in reverse.  None of them are very articulate, but are all very frustrated and feeling disempowered.

Tragic...really.  Just feeds more hate....

Let me say it again....this was a violent crime about power.  It had nothing to do with religion.  For whatever reason, this person saw a vulnerable person (a Christian in a Muslim country) and exploited his weakness for his own sick satisfaction.  Stop letting the media turn this horrible crime into a dispute about religion....its about power and the sickness of one person.

 Nope. That title, including The Linking Queen, belongs to you already for some centuries.

 I love the idea..    How well do you think these would sell? 

 These are awesome....lets start by posting our sales pitch on the translation forum!!

 Is this translation of my post ? (i know my english is not so good..) or we think the same ?

I think we are sharing the brain today, Reyhan (meaning we are thinking alike). 

  First time when i post i was affraid the others  will think im  . Im happy that i saw im not...or im not the only one 

 Reyhan, don´t be afraid. There are members here you can´t compete in crazyness....

 You need to stick around a little bit longer to be classified as crazy.........

   Is it contagious ? 

 Extremely......you need to wear one of these....

 Very.   And Elisabeth knows what she´s talking about......

 I believe you are speaking from experience as well!!!!

 Me? Noooo! I´m only sweet and innocent.....

I think that it is understandable why evangelizing is disliked in general, and especially in religious countries. Luckily Turkey is not a fanatical country like some other onse, which is why we hold Turkey to higher standards in general and that´s why we think that incidents like this one should not happen in Turkey. It is well known however, that there are religious turkish groups which make it their mission to convert people to Islam and/or radicalize them. So I think that the general turkish public should view these incidents with full knowledge of Islamic - often manipulative - missionary work.

In any case, no matter what you think of ´missionary work´, any decent human being should always condemn acts of violence, and I am glad that many of our users on this site did.

B"H

You´re spot on; those who don´t condemn acts of violence ultimately seem to b e the ones crying when they´re eventually attacked.  But proselytes should always expect the worst opposition when the established state religion is contrary to that which they advertise.  This is the same anywhere you go, though in America, a particularly strange phenomenon occurred in the last four decades or so:  the established state religion is Protestantism; but you see a dramatic and liberal accost on Christians not unlike the prejudice that swept America against Catholics and Jews.  There´s talk that Mit Romney would never have survived as a realistic Presidential candidate for America simply because our own liberal disdain for any religion other than Pilates  - especially of Mormons - is so thick it can be sliced with a ginsu and toasted with olive oil.  And I´m being facetious; don´t attack me because I called Pilates a religion.

I believe missionary activities are already stupid thing doesnt matter which religion they advocate. It reminds Middle Ages.

I also think religion is an obsolete thing, and missionary activities can be an annoyance, but that doesn´t justify what that man did the least bit at all.

 Would never dream of it.....it is practically a religion for me anyway.  It is much less painful than the alternative "Plasticsurgeryism."