Turkish Cultural Center Brooklyn Honors Borough’s Elected Officials

Una Clarke And Assemblywoman Diana Richardson With Turkish Cultural Center Brooklyn Executive Director M. Fethullah Onal And Other Officials. All Photos By Kadia Goba
Una Clarke And Assemblywoman Diana Richardson With Turkish Cultural Center Brooklyn Executive Director M. Fethullah Onal And Other Officials. All Photos By Kadia Goba


Date posted: May 2, 2017

Kadia Goba

The Turkish Culture Center of Brooklyn feted a bevy of Brooklyn elected officials tonight as part of their eighth Annual Friendship Dinner & Award ceremony celebrating cultural diversity with the theme of the evening being “Hate Crime.”

The event was held at the Baku Palace Restaurant, 2001 Emmons Avenue in Sheepshead Bay. Among the awards doled out were for peace, leadership, community service and interfaith Dialogue.

Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz and Kings County Politics Founder and Editor Stephen Witt.

Turkish Cultural Center Brooklyn Executive Director M. Fethullah Onal said this year’s dinner had special significance as it comes on the heels of the recent election of Turkey President Recep Tayyio Erdogan. The election consolidated the authoritative power of Erdogan and resulted in thousands of arrests. Onal and the Turkish Cultural Center of Brooklyn is part of the Turkish opposition to this regime.

 “Every community in Brooklyn should know the DA’s office is going to stand up for everyone’s rights,” said Eric Gonzalez, acting District Attorney and recipient of the Center’s Peace Award. “I look forward to getting to know the Turkish community in Brooklyn a lot better.”

When asked about the unique social dynamic of Sheepshead Bay, Assembly member Steven Cymbrowitz commented on the Turkish community’s practices of inclusivity. “The Turkish Cultural Center and the Turkish-Americans in Sheepshead Bay have made a significant effort to be part of the community.  They’ve partaken in Jewish events and in Christian events,” said Cymbrowitz. “They partake in my holocaust event, they partake in giving away food to the needy, not just to those who are from Turkey or other Islamic countries, but to anyone who needs it.  They are very special people,” added Cymbrowitz.

Assemblywoman Diana Richardson

Assembly member Diana C. Richardson (D) was awarded the Center’s award for community service. “Unfortunately in the vote, love didn’t Trump hate,” said Assembly member Richardson. “The power of the people is stronger than any weapon that can be formed against us. I stand here tonight to say no to hate.  I stand here tonight to say I stand with the Turkish community.”

The Center also acknowledged Nancy Tong, (D) the 47th District leader with its Carrier Excellence Award, Cindy Greenberg with its Leadership Award and the Interfaith Dialogue Award was granted to the Midwood Jewish Center and Our Lady of Refuge Church. Former Council member Una Clarke (D) and Assembly member Latrice Walker (D) were also in attendance.

 

Source: Kings County Politics , April 28, 2017

Tags: | | |


Related News

Turkish groups call for global peace at historic İstanbul meeting

Inspired by esteemed Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, Turkish activists have established intercultural and interfaith organizations in more than 100 countries all around the world. The primary objective of these organizations is to encourage tolerance and build bridges across different ethnic and religious groups.

Canada’s Green Party leader on human rights violations in Turkey: I am entirely horrified

Canada’s Green Party leader and lawmaker Elizabeth May said during a panel discussion held at the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa on widespread human rights violations in Turkey that “I am entirely horrified by the behaviour of the Turkish government. We need to be more speaking out loud.”

A Canadian-Saudi’s reflections on Hizmet

We also noted the Turkish people’s respect for each other. Girls in miniskirts mingled easily with those in hijab, and so did people of various faiths. We met priests who appreciated the rights they enjoyed and saw synagogues that were well preserved and attended.

Mongolian teacher Galimbek’s message

Because we have been unable to become a regular and normal democracy, every generation and every social segment has once been defined as a domestic enemy in different periods. One of the things that the clandestine structures governing the old Turkey did best was to declare part of the people as an internal enemy and to launch effective propaganda to undermine their image in the eyes of the people.

Commentary: Abuses rampant in wake of Turkish coup

We don’t know a lot. But what we do know should cause us to ask our elected officials to look carefully at any request for extradition for Fethullah Gulen. We don’t know everything, but we know that the post-coup crackdown has included public appeals “to be protected from the evil things of educated people.” Nearly 60,000 have been detained. Some 1,600 university academic deans have been relieved of their positions.

Youth address global poverty in Gülen Institute’s essay contest

Hundreds of young people from around the world pondered the issue of global poverty and proposed potential solutions based on their own research and experience in an international essay contest launched by the Gülen Institute, a US-based civil society organization.

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

8 detained in police raids on İzmir schools as Erdoğan’s witch hunt continues

The fall of democracy and predicament of political Islam in Turkey

Practicing Muslims and negotiating with the Kurdists

UN Concerned About Albanian Deportations of Turkish ‘Gulenists’

Building bridges while breaking bread: Norfolk temple holds interfaith Ramadan meal

Man killed in Yalova over sympathy for Hizmet movement

From Poconos retreat, Muslim cleric Gulen: ‘We will oblige’ if extradited for Turkish coup

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News