Joint mosque-cemevi project launched in Tokat


Date posted: June 10, 2014

TOKAT

A mosque and a cemevi — an Alevi house of worship — will be built in the same complex in the Reşadiye district in the northern province of Tokat as a bridge-building initiative between the town’s Sunni and Alevi communities.

“The project that we have laid the foundation for will strengthen bonds between our people and highlight our differences as our source of richness. We are attaching great importance to this project in order to understand each other. Our religion and [holy] book is the same. We have a lot of common ground. For this reason, it’s very important to be located in the same complex. This project has special meaning. I hope similar projects will be realized in many other places,” said Muharrem Bektaş, the chairman of the association that launched the project, during the groundbreaking ceremony for mosque-cemevi cultural center.

The joint mosque-cemevi project was initiated by the Association to Construct and Maintain the Mosque and Cemevi of Güllüce, an Alevi village in Reşadiye.

When completed, the mosque and cemevi will share the same three-story building. The complex is scheduled to be completed in a year.

Reşadiye Mayor Cemil Kılıç and Tokat’s deputy mufti, Kenan Habiboğlu, attended the groundbreaking ceremony along with the residents of Güllüce village. During the ceremony, verses from the Quran were read while an Alevi prayer, Gülbank-ı Muhammedi, was also recited.

Turkey’s first-ever joint mosque-cemevi complex has been under construction in Ankara since last September. The project, which is being carried out by the CEM Foundation and the Hacı Bektaş Veli Culture, Education, Health and Research Foundation, was first suggested by Turkish-Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who lives in the US in self-imposed exile.

CEM Foundation Chairman İzzettin Doğan welcomed Gülen’s suggestion and took on the project, the first stage of which was financed by Sunni and Alevi businessmen.

Though it aims to strengthen bonds between the Alevi and Sunni communities, the joint mosque-cemevi project in Ankara has drawn diverse reactions from the Alevi community.

Alevi associations including the CEM Foundation, the Anatolian Alevi-Bektaşi Federation and the Association of Confrontation with the Past welcomed the project and stated that it would help alleviate tensions between Alevis and Sunnis and contribute to the culture of coexistence in Turkey. However, Alevi associations such as the Alevi Bektaşi Federation, the Pir Sultan Abdal Culture Associations and the European Confederation of Alevi Associations criticized the joint mosque-cemevi project, claiming it aimed to water down Alevism within “moderate political Islam.”

They also claim Alevi and Sunni communities do not have any serious problems with each other, adding that Alevis were demanding rights from the state, not from Sunnis.

In the aftermath of the Gezi Park protests last summer, demonstrations were staged against the project in Ankara’s Alevi neighborhood of Tuzluçayır, where the joint mosque-cemevi is being built.

The project in Ankara is scheduled to be completed this year.

Source: Todays Zaman , June 10, 2014


Related News

Burc Schools achieve 13 medals in AMC 8

350 thousand students, in total, from 6000 schools around the world participated in this year’s AMC 8, recognized as the world’s most prestigious math contest involving middle schoolers. Among the participating Turkish schools, Adana Burc Schools’ students achieved a notable success by winning 13 medals. Turkey, South Korea, China, US, Canada, Russia and Taiwan constitute the award winning countries in the event.

Gulen suspect testifies before US Congress on recent coup attempt

An alleged member of the Fetullah Gulen organization was invited on Wednesday to speak to a congressional panel on Turkey, a stunning move that could exacerbate tensions between Ankara and Washington. Ahmet Sait Yayla was added to the original list of speakers to address the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats.

Gülen movement reiterates principles, underlines transparency in statement

The faith-based network inspired by self-exiled Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, known as Hizmet (service) or more commonly the Gülen movement, issued a statement on Tuesday reiterating its principles while emphasizing transparency.

Gülen files criminal complaint over illegal wiretapping

Illegal wiretapping has been an issue in Parliament as well, as opposition parties have asked for a parliamentary session to address wiretappings carried out by the National Intelligence Organization (MİT). Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) İstanbul deputy Ferit Mevlüt Aslanoğlu called for a parliamentary session to inform deputies about the technical details of wiretapping.

AKP deputy calls on Turkey’s religious officials to declare Gülen followers apostates

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) İstanbul deputy Metin Külünk has said Turkey’s top religious officials should declare supporters of the Gülen movement apostates, the Yeniakit daily reported on Monday. Erdoğan himself has called Gülen movement people “terrorists,” “traitors,” “vampires,” “leeches,” “tumors” and “viruses.”

AK Party gov’t violates rule of law with mass profiling of civil servants

Profiling by the government — which a senior member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) admitted to over Twitter — of some 2,000 senior public officials including police chiefs, prosecutors and judges as well as academics, journalists and business people is a violation of the constitution, analysts have said.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

US Court Dismisses Turkey-backed Lawsuit against Fethullah Gülen

Hizmet Essay Contest 2015

War on Gulen Movement undermines Turkish diplomacy

Gülen’s followers banned from mosque in Germany

Ramadan Tent brings faiths together in Virginia

Muslim voices against ISIS – Rita Cosby discusses Fethullah Gulen’s stern stance

Terrorist PKK targets Gulen movement’s schools in Hakkari

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News