Campaign for Teacher Laid Off for Berkin Elvan Message

Campaign has been launched for teacher Hatice Dağlı discharged from civil service for “committing infamous crime” because of her Berkin Elvan related social media posts “Shame on those who label children murdered terrorist” to be reemployed.

Dağlı briefly said the following in her message she shared with public on December 1:

“I have been declared terrorist and atheist”

“Hello. I have silent screams unheard kept inside me for months. Tomorrow will be the most disgusting day of my life. It is the last day of my dream job, teaching.

“I have been completely discharged from civil service. Let alone teaching, I will never be a civil servant again.

“I have been declared ‘terrorist’ and ‘atheist’ by society and the state. The allegation is a few comments I made on my Facebook account on March 31, 2015”.

“I am a graduate from faculty of theology”

“I graduated from İstanbul University, Faculty of Theology. I studied in Eyüp Anatolian Islamic Divinity Students High School.  I am 24 years old. I am the first child of a family from Black Sea born in İstanbul.

“I never had a peaceful, calm life since my childhood. My whole life has passed with questioning, criticizing, researching, reading, watching things.

“My religious based education was in some way to find an answer to my inner questions. My goal was to investigate a true religion instead of a fabricated one”.

“What happened to my freedom of expression?”

“Yet neither the environment I grew up in, nor my school or friends have understood the process I have made through. All were in a race of labelling. I was aware that a feeling of grunge and hatred growing inside them. But how could I have known that it was so big and could come to an extent that it would end my educational life for which I have worked for for years!

“Was it so simple to toy with one’s life? Quarrel with one’s bread and butter? With one’s dreams? One’s future? Was this the sanction of a Facebook post?

“What happened to my freedom of expression and thought? Why is Ministry of National Education (MEB) not recognizing the decision of acquittal?”

“I don’t know what will happen next”

“Why is all my 16 years of work being destroyed in a trice because of a Facebook post whereas murderers, rapists, thieves, self-seekers and people who are allowed to be teachers again after coming out of jail still are employed?

“My administrative court procedure begins by now. And a hope within. Maybe I will be sent back, maybe not. But don’t be afraid, nobody will punish you for asking me how I am doing.

“Anyway. What will I do in the future? The most bitter question...I don’t know either. I don’t know how I will live either. Out of nowhere they took my bread out of my mouth with force. Do something! Make my voice be heard! This is too much! I am not an evil person! I am not ever a bad teacher to deserve such punishment.” (EKN/DG)

Click here to read the article in Turkish