Source: “HDP’nin eşcinsel eylemine büyük tepki,” (“Big reaction to the People’s Democratic Party’s homosexual event,”) Haber 10, 15 January 2014, http://www.haber10.com/haber/468587/#.Utfg82SSzEh
The Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim-Sen) and the People’s Democratic Party’s (HDP) panel of gays and lesbians in southeastern city of Batman led to big reactions from the people of Batman.
Eğitim-Sen’s panel entitled “Students Living with Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity,” held last weekend at the Batman Municipality Conference Hall drew the reactions of Batman locals. Activists from the gay movement and the representatives of Batman Eğitim-Sen Branch attended the panel. Remzi Altunpolat- LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex) activist, Kaos GL member, and HDP member- and psychological consultant Berna Savcı attended Batman’s first ever panel as speakers.
What’s the goal of such activities in Kurdistan?
Şirin Işık said that they cannot understand why such a panel would be held in Kurdistan and added, “Panels like this are situations that do not fit our religion and customs. The people who organized this are trying to spread the perversion of communism to our society. It’s curious that a perverted event like this was held in a place like Batman that is bound by its religion and customs. What’s the goal of such activities in Kurdistan? We strongly condemn the people who host such events and do not want it to happen again.”
“This path is sacrilegious”
As a Muslim Kurd, Nurettin Beyca sees the panel as disgusting and immoral and says, “I find it disgusting and immoral that an education union holds such a panel. I do not understand why an education union would organize this. It is also significant that the municipality opens the door to this. This path is sacrilegious. The people who host this panel are unaware that they have lost their humanity.”
Such events have no place in Kurdish customs
Hasan Yıldız described the events as “disgusting” and condemned the organizers. He said, “As Muslim Kurds we condemn this event. What are they trying to do with such events in Kurdistan? The Kurds’ religion is Islam. Our religion does not allow such perversions. These events are not part of Kurdish customs. We strongly condemn the organizers of this event and the municipality that facilitated it.”
The goal is to distance Muslims from Islam
Şehmus Şen emphasized that the goal of the event organizers is to distance Muslim Kurds from their religion and reacted by saying, “This event is definitely not something that befits the Kurdish people. The goal of the organizers is to distance the Kurdish people from their customs and from Islam. We do not approve of this event in any way and strongly condemn it. This event is an insult to the Kurdish people.”
We do not want perverts in Kurdistan
Davut Başaran said that they do not understand why such a panel would be hosted in Batman and stated, “These events are highly worrying. They in no way befit our customs. This event is extremely disgusting. They want to distance Muslims from Islam with their perverted thoughts. We absolutely do not want such a perverted event to be hosted again. And we do not want such perverted people in Kurdistan.”