As human rights advocates across the world commemorated on April 24 the 106th anniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide committed by Ottoman Turkey, a Turkish nationalist MP was threatening an Armenian MP with murder. On April 27, Umit Ozdag, an independent member of Turkey’s parliament and a professor of political science, retweeted a statement […]
Turkey: A NATO Member Against the Kafirs
The president of a NATO member country has once again targeted his critics for being kafirs, which translates into “infidels” or “unbelievers.” Speaking at a ceremony of the Union of International Democrats (UID) on April 11, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the critics of the Turkish government “of waving the flag of the […]
Do Non-Muslim Citizens Have Property Rights in Turkey?
Istanbul, or Constantinople, is one of the world’s most well-known holiday destinations. Millions of foreign tourists visit this historic city to see its cultural heritage and scenic beauties. However, a large number of magnificent buildings in the city, such as homes, offices, palaces, hotels, museums, and even mosques (converted from churches), that are now […]
Why Erdogan pulled Turkey out of European treaty aimed at protecting women from violence
As Jihad Watch reported Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has withdrawn his country from an international treaty that aims at protecting women from violence and abuse. This withdrawal was issued through a presidential decree on February 20. The move sent shockwaves to women’s rights advocates throughout the country, which has been reeling from systematic […]
Why the Pope’s ‘Interfaith Dialogue’ in Iraq Excluded the Jewish Community
During Pope Francis’ recent apostolic pilgrimage to Iraq, many Iraqi political and religious representatives — including the country’s president, Muslim religious leaders, and Christians of various denominations — were present, except for one community: Iraqi Jews, who are also one of the world’s longest surviving Jewish communities, with a history of around 2,700 years. […]
Turkey: What happens when non-Muslim citizens return
What happens when non-Muslim citizens who fled discrimination or persecution finally attempt to return to Turkey, a NATO member? Recent news of a Yazidi man in southeast Turkey provides an answer. Süleyman Özmen (63) tried returning to his village in Mardin’s Midyat district after over 40 years. He was attacked by Muslim locals and […]
Turkish YouTuber Investigated for Criticizing the Qur’an
Investigations were launched against Turkish YouTuber and critic of Islam, Yakup Deniz, for allegedly “insulting” Islam’s prophet Mohammed and “degrading a section of the public on grounds of religion” on YouTube and in his opinion pieces. The pro-government newspaper Sabah announced on January 25 that “this person’s description of our prophet as someone who […]
Turkey: Poems and Genocides
From December 7 to 17, Turkey celebrated the “Week of Mawlana,” marking the life and legacy of one of the world’s most popular poets. Jalal al-Din Rumi, also known as Mawlana, was a 13th-century Persian poet and mystic philosopher. Born in Balkh (now in Afghanistan), Rumi authored thousands of Persian language lines of poetry, sermons, […]
Turkey: Muslim Professor Questions Muhammad, Qur’an, Receives Death Threats, is Forced to Resign
Mustafa Öztürk, a professor of Islamic Theology at Istanbul’s Marmara University and a columnist, has become a target of the pro-government media and Islamic movements in Turkey following his comments concerning the Koran. Exposed to a lynching campaign and death threats on Twitter, the professor had to resign from his post at university and retire. […]
Turkey: Christian priest tried for ‘membership in a terrorist organization’
A Christian priest in Turkey has been on trial for trumped-up charges since January. The Assyrian priest, Sefer Aho Bileçen, is accused of “being a member of a terrorist organization.” According to the indictment, the so-called “evidence” is “sharing his food with some PKK members.” The third hearing of the priest was held on November […]