Parliament Refuses To Discuss Status of The Alevi Place Of Worship

Kamer Genç, a deputy for the province of Tunceli, proposed a motion to legalize the Alevi place of worship, Cem Houses, but it was not even discussed in the Parliament.

Genç wanted his proposal regarding adding the expression “Cem House” next to the expression “mosque” in the law designed for the villages and replacing the expression “place of worship” with the expression “mosque, cem house, small mosque, church, synagogue” in the zoning law be brought to the agenda directly.

Although Malik Ecder Özdemir, Sivas deputy for the Republican People’s Party (CHP), said they had supported the motion, the Parliament had still refused the discuss the motion in the vote held yesterday (November 11).

The expression “mosque” in the zoning law was changed to the “place of worship” in 2003.

The law about the revenues of the municipalities keeps the places of worship immune from the payments for electricity, gas, environmental tax and similar expenses. However, the article about the expenses does not use the expression “places of worship”, but the expression “places of worship such as mosque, small mosque, church and synagogue.”

If the secular state will provide this kind of service, then it should do it for all the beliefs

Assoc. Prof. Elçin Macar, with whom bianet met about the subject previously, had said that it was wrong for the state to decide which sites could be defined as places of worship.

“This is a matter that concerns Islam. The state does not see the Alevite Cem Houses equal to the mosques. The problem is this: Why does the state decide what place can become a place of worship? If those people want to worship there, it is their decision.”

“If the state is providing mosques with free electricity and water, then the same should be done for all the beliefs.” (TK/TB)