Another scandal occurred during the Cow Feast ceremonies, which is a tradition of the property administration of Ankara University. A student's disrespect by wearing imam clothes caused reactions. While the students of the Cebeci Campus of the University gathered in front of the campus and criticizing what was done, the Anatolian Youth Foundation (AGD) University Commission and Religious Officials Union (Diyanet-Sen) also made a reaction statement on the subject. Sensitive students led by AGD youth gathered in front of the campus yesterday and invited the authorities to duty.
THEY MOCKED OUR RELIGION BY WEARING THE IMAM CLOTHING
In the scandalous event called Cow Feast, where our religious values were publicly humiliated under the name of so-called entertainment, a student came to the podium wearing a turban and a robe and made fun of verses and prayers. When hundreds of people in the hall, accompanied by laughter and applause, and watched the arrogance exhibited by the impertinent student on the podium received a great reaction.
THE RECTORATE DID NOT MAKE STATEMENT DURING THE DAY
While the disgusting activity of the impertinent students was reacted by the public, a call was made to the Ankara University Rectorate regarding the issue. With the images of the incident spreading on social media, thousands of people called the Ankara University administration and demanded the punishment of impertinent students. At the time we wrote the news, Ankara University Rectorate still did not make a statement. Although we reached the relevant units of the university, there was no response as to whether a statement would be made regarding what happened.
PENALTIES OF PEOPLE WHO DID IT BEFORE, HAVE BEEN CANCELED
A criminal complaint was filed on similar images in 2016, and the court canceled the condemnation sentence given to the student in 2019 on the grounds that two years had passed since the incident in which the act was committed. This decision was upheld by the top court last January. The re-emergence of similar images after the court's decision increased the reactions. Attacks on Islamic values are increasing day by day in Turkey. While the discussions of the scandal, in which a group of minorities made fun of the laylat al-qadr at the drinking table during Ramadan, are still ongoing, Islamic values are openly insulted under the name of ‘Cow Feast’ at Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences.
WHERE ARE WE GOING?
While witnessing the increase in anti-Islamic attacks in Turkey in the last period, the disgrace experienced at Ankara University the other day, it caused the reaction of "Where is the society going?" The scandalous demonstration held at the Faculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University, one of the distinguished institutions of our country, caused alarm bells to ring for Turkey's future as well as today. In this context, the possibility of people who caused scandal, having a say in the future of our country made people say, 'Alas! The scandal in Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences, which is known as one of the schools where future district governors and governors are trained, created concern for the future of our country. On the other hand, the increase in the attacks against the Islamic values in society in recent years, showed how the moral damage spread throughout the country is on the increase.
YILDIZ: “LEAVE OUR TURBANS AND ROBE FREE”
Diyanet-Sen Chairman Ali Yıldız, harshly criticizing the insulting of Islam and our values by wearing a turban under the so-called festivity at Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences, said, “Leave our turbans alone, what you are doing is not freedom of expression, it is sheer Islamophobia. Don't use it.” Stating that they would never allow such insults to Islamic values by using the figure of an imam under the name of the festival, Yıldız added, "We certainly do not allow such a mockery of an office as imam, which requires a special prestige in the society, and humiliation of Islamic values. The chosen figure of the imam is certainly not accidental. Let our universities, which should be centers of science and wisdom, should not be turned into showrooms for a few buffoons. I invite our public prosecutors to duty regarding this so-called festival that humiliates both our imams and our Islamic values.”
“ACTION MUST BE STARTED ABOUT PERMISSIONERS”
Stating that being an imam is not just a profession, Yıldız said, “Being an imam is also being able to look at all humanity with affection. To be a human first, then a Muslim, and then an imam. Being an imam is the profession of a prophet. Those who replace him are aware of what kind of duty they are performing, and they take that office. When this is the case, it is no one's place to make our imams their lowly buffoons, using freedom of expression as an excuse. We demand immediate action against those who staged this demonstration and those who allowed it to take place.”
AGD Ankara University Commission said in a statement, “We strongly condemn the immoral people in the guise of students who, despite all warnings and promises, carry out the cruelty under the name of Cow Festival in our faculty. Those who make fun of people's religious sensitivities, aim to humiliate them and present this as entertainment should know that the values they mock will find a place in the heart of the nation until the end of the day with the consciousness of 'the independence of my nation who worships the Right and Truth'. The perpetrators of this immorality will be remembered with curse in our nation's conscience and before history.”
"THE ISLAM’S VALUES HAVE BEEN INSULTED BY USING THE IMAM FIGURE"
In addition to the Anatolian Youth Association, many other organizations reacted to the disgrace at Ankara University. Cebeci Masjid Community, one of these organizations, said, “Despite all the warnings, the values of Islam were insulted by using the figure of the imam as part of the cow prayer in the cow feast event of the property administration. Today, no human child with faith and conscience can accept this murder, which is committed under the name of freedom of thought.”