Alewi Discrimination Prominent in US Report

In Turkey section of International Religious Freedom report by the U.S., discrimination against Alewis and hate speech against Jews emphasized.

In Turkey section of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's report of 2015 declared by U.S. Department of State, djemevis not being recognized as sanctuary, discriminations against Alewis, mandatory religious course and inimical speeches against Jews.

"Discrimination against Alewis continued"

* Following detections were included in the report as to the discrimination against Alewis.

* While many public buildings including universities have prayer rooms, government continued to reject Alewis' right to build similar praying rooms in public buildings, besides public buildings didn't involve praying areas for non-Muslims.

* The government continued to see Alawism as a sect against Islam.

* Alewis were able to build new djemevis, however the government has turned down their request for the djemevis to be considered sanctuary.

Discrimination in education

* Alewis stated that the government hasn't included Alewi doctrine and beliefs in mandatory religious courses curriculum, and despite European Court of Human Rights judgement in 2007, the government insistently refuses the right of Alewis to be exempt from these courses.

* Alewi leaders informed that teachers sometimes physically maltreat students who try to be exempt from the courses or cause the students to be maltreated by other students.

* The government persisted to discriminate against Alewi Muslims by refusing to dispense their children from the Sunni Islam curriculum or by refusing to recognize their praying halls as sanctuary.

Hate speech against Jews

In the reports increase in anti-semite speeches was emphasized and attention was drawn to hate speech against Jews.

* Elected authorities have made anti-semite statements. For instance, on July 19, then Prime Minister Erdoğan said 'Those who damn Hitler day and night have exceeded his doings'."

* In the same period, the increase in protests on social media, violence against Israeli diplomatic entities and violence threats against Jews in the country were mentioned as well in the report.

Halki Seminary couldn't be opened

Outline of other issues voiced in the report is as follows:

* There hasn't been any progress in openin Halki Seminary.

 * Even though lands of Assyrian Orthodoxes were returned, land use of other religious groups was inhibited and providing fund to Sunni mosques has continued.

* The government went on with prosecuting individuals who don't explicitly show respct to Islam despite the legal penalties have been delayed.

* A Catholic congregation in İstanbul was threatened and its churc was attacked by Sunni radicals.

* A Ja'fari imam was threatened in İstanbul and the mosque where he prayed was attacked and burned.

In the report, the pressure imposed by Al Qaeda affiliated groups, such as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Al Nusra Front on people's religious freedoms at the global level was mentioned. (YY/TK)

Click here to read the article in Turkish