A Meaningful Visit: We Built Bridges at Yenimahalle Cemevi

Vicdan Foundation visited Yenimahalle Cemevi to contribute to the reinforcement of social dialogue and understanding. The president of the foundation, Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, and his delegation met with Pir Sultan Abdal Yenimahalle Cemevi Association President Onur Şahin and the community on April 3, 2024.

This visit was a valuable opportunity to listen to the voices of the Alevi community, which has a deep history and culture, and to understand their difficulties and wishes firsthand. Şahin spoke sincerely about the discrimination, slander and injustice they face as a community. He emphasized the suffering experienced by the Alevi community, which has a history spanning a thousand years, and stated that compulsory religious courses harm not only the Alevis but also other faith groups. He mentioned that the interventions in Cemevis and the assimilation-oriented orientations are concerning for the community.

The visit of our foundation was realized in the spirit of dialogue and solidarity. The foundation introduced the Conscience Meetings organized to share the experiences of different segments of our society and strengthen common understanding and gladly accepted the invitation to participate in the July 2 commemoration. Such meetings reveal the importance of raising awareness about social problems and meeting on common ground.

The concerns expressed by Onur Şahin and the injustices experienced overlap with the conscientious values underlying our foundation's work. The statute of limitations for the Sivas case, the impunity of the criminals, and the resistance displayed by the Alevi community against efforts to shape the Alevi community from the outside motivate everyone with a conscience to take action.

Vicdan Foundation finds these bridges established with Yenimahalle Cemevi Association valuable and underlines the contribution of such meetings to social peace. The visit reaffirmed our foundation’s determined stance on the path to social justice and equality and reinforced our commitment to be in solidarity with the Alevi community.