Alevis condemn mosque arsons
Alevi leaders have condemned a series of arson attacks against mosques that started last week in İstanbul and expressed concern that the fires could be the work of foreign powers trying to play off Alevis and Sunnis in Turkey against each other.
Eight mosques were set on fire this past week on İstanbul’s Asian side by unidentified perpetrators. Seven of the mosques suffered minor damage, while the Medine Mosque in Kadıköy was destroyed completely in a fire on Saturday. The police have set up a special team to track down the attackers.
World Ehli Beyt Foundation President Fermani Altun said Turkey had seen similar situations before, recalling past incidents in the Anatolian cities of Maraş and Çorum. He also called on people not to be tricked into conflict.
Selahattin Özgündüz, the leader of Turkey’s Jafari Shiites, called on citizens from all segments of society to be careful and not fall into a “trap.” He stressed: “Imperialists who would like to keep alive a certain ethnic conflict are also trying to start a sectarian conflict. The same hands throwing Molotov cocktails at mosques will soon attack the cemevis [Alevi places of worship]. For this reason, our citizens of every religion should be very careful. We are together on this boat.” Muharrem Ercan, the chairman of the Karacahmet Sultan Dergah Cemevi, said: “The individuals who are doing this are directed by foreign powers. They are provocateurs in the games others play in Turkey. As an Alevi spiritual elder, I call on the entire Alevi and Islamic community not to fall into this trap.”
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