“Muhammad is the apostle of Allah. Those who follow him are ruthless to unbelievers, merciful to one another.” (Qur’an 48:29)
“O you who have believed, fight those adjacent to you of the disbelievers and let them find in you harshness.” (Qur’an 9:123)
“Attacks on Christian cemeteries alarm Turkey’s Christians,” by Uzay Bulut, Ahval, March 14 2020:
Attacks on Christian cemeteries in Turkey have deeply shaken the embattled community in recent months.
Twenty of the 72 gravestones in the Ortaköy Christian Cemetery in Ankara were destroyed on Feb. 14, according to news reports. Six people who carried out the attacks were briefly detained and then released.
“These attacks against cemeteries are making the Christian community across Turkey feel incredibly sad and desperate,” Ankara-based pastor İhsan Özbek told Ahval. “Nobody can watch over the graves of their loved ones like a guard.”
One of the destroyed graves belonged to Olga Komshdoğan’s son.
“My son lies here,” Komshdoğan told the Sözcü newspaper. “He died last year. He was 17-years-old. Children his age came here and destroyed his grave. What type of conscience can accept this?”
Komshdoğan said it was not the first attack on the cemetery.
“They hid the attack on the graves from us. We learned of it through a stonemason. I’m hurting inside so much. If my son were alive, he would not do such a thing. They have carried out similar attacks before, and no one was caught. I want those who attacked the graveyard to be punished. We will sue for material and moral damages,” she said.
Another attack was carried out on a grave in the cemetery of the Santa Maria Catholic Church in Trabzon, northeast Turkey, said the news website, Hristiyan Haber.
Zehra Çolak lost her life on Jan. 17 and was buried the next day in the cemetery of the Aya Filbo (Arafilboyu) neighbourhood, 500 m from the church. A wooden cross was temporarily placed at the head of the grave. According to those who attended the funeral, a small group tried to disrupt the ceremony, shouting Allahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest).
Veysel Çolak visited his wife’s grave on Feb. 14 and said the wooden cross was broken and had been burned near the grave.
Çolak reported the incident to the police and said that even while his wife’s grave was being dug, a man who covered his face tried to steal the cross. When children playing in the cemetery reacted angrily, the man got his dog to attack the children.
Trabzon police said they would launch an investigation into the incident and the provincial governor’s office said the burnt cross would be replaced with a new one. The governor’s office could not bring itself to refer to the cross as such and called it a “grave marker”, according to Hristiyan Haber.
“The environment of hate in Turkey is the reason for these attacks,” journalist Seyfi Genç, who reported on the attack on Çolak’s grave for Hristiyan Haber, told Ahval.
“But this hateful environment did not emerge out of nowhere. The seeds of this hatred are spread, beginning at primary schools, through books printed by the Ministry of National Education portraying Christians as enemies and traitors. The indoctrination continues through newspapers and television channels in line with state policies. And of course, the sermons at mosques and talk at coffee houses further stir up this hatred.
“And even more disturbing is the fact that the perpetrators are either not caught, or not brought to account even when they are caught,” said Genç.
Trabzon’s Santa Maria Catholic Church was where a Roman Catholic priest, Andrea Santoro, was murdered in 2006 by Oğuzhan Akdin, who was 16 at the time. Ten years later, the killer was released on probation. Akdin said he was treated “like a king” while in the prison.
Genç said education was needed to help reduce attacks and hate speech targeting Christians in Turkey.
“A comprehensive campaign of education regarding hate speech should be launched to raise awareness of the problem,” he said….
Arthur says
some people who desecrated muslim mosques in the UK with a bacon thrown there, were sentenced to few months in prison, one was killed in a prison, nobody guilty of his death..in muslim countries desecration of Christian holy sites is acceptable
mortimer says
Double standards are what the Leftards are all about.
Chistopher Watson says
There will be a time of retribution.
Kepha says
Leave room for the vengeance of God. It is no accident that most Islamic countries, when left to their own devices, are basically slums surrounded by deserts.
mortimer says
No, Chris, Christians will not retaliate because they are commanded to love their enemies. Muslims will leave Islam in greater and greater numbers.
James Lincoln says
mortimer,
And that puts Christians at a severe disadvantage…
AleX says
’10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [of Christ], do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.’
2 John 1:10-11
Note that one shouldn’t ‘love thy neighbor’ in all circumstances, even less so when graves are desecrated.
Michael S Hayes says
Make Istanbul Constantinople again.
Spiro says
It’s Muslims being Moslem
This is the way of the evil one
Michael Copeland says
“..merciful to each other …violent to the kuffar”
Erdogan
mortimer says
The persecution of Christians comes from the top.
mortimer says
This is the result of the TURKISH GOVERNMENT teaching Muslims to HATE THE KAFIR.
Rarely says
…and nobody was surprised.
Jim says
Trabzon used to be called Trebizond. It was the last part of the eastern Roman Empire to be taken by the Ottomans after they took Constantinople in 1453.
From the late 1000s till 1204, when the Fourth Crusade decided to take the eastern Roman Empire rather than some Muslim-occupied area of the Holy Land, the Komnena family ruled over the eastern Roman Empire. After the Latins took Constantinople, the Komnena family formed the Kingdom of Trebozond, in the northeast of modern-day Turkey, which lasted about 260 years, until the Ottomans took it.
To see how life was under the Komnena family, read The Alexiad, by Anna Komnene. I assure you that any Muslims living in Trebizond were much better off than the Christians of today who live in Trabzon.
GreekEmpress says
Jim,
You obviously have an appreciation for Byzantine history. I do too, from having ancestors that lived in that area and also Constantinople. Going to see about getting a copy of the Alexiad on line in the future.
Wilfred says
Why do you always have a problem when there are muslims in a majority. Cant they live their lives like normal people or does islam make them abnormal & sadists? This a a reason that muslims have made little or no contribution to the society. It seems that their religion either closes their mind from rational or scientific thinking or make makes them ruthless animals. One thing is certain that if you are born as a muslim, you life will revolve only around the Quran or Sharia & you’ll end up being a mercenary who takes pride in killing or nudging other muslims to do so. And at the end of the day they will say Islam is a religion of peace. How preposterous?
James Lincoln says
Wilfred says,
“And at the end of the day they will say Islam is a religion of peace. How preposterous?”
Yes, preposterous indeed – but only from the viewpoint of the non-muslim.
Muslims believe that peace will be attained when all non-muslims:
Either
1. Convert to Islam
or
2. Remain a non-Muslim and pay a jizya
If they refuse to convert or pay a jizya,
3. They will be killed…
And there will be the peace, from the muslims point of view…
Jim says
Roman Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, Anna’s father, took over when the eastern Roman Empire was out of money and being invaded on every side. He had to fight constantly, leading the Roman troops from the front and fighting very bravely and energetically. He also had to be very skillful on the diplomatic front. He actually got along well with the Muslim leader who was wanting to take his eastern lands (modern day Turkey) – he was strong enough (and honorable enough) to gain his respect. As a result, the Muslim leader actually helped him militarily, giving him just enough breathing room to defeat his European enemies.
Anna goes into great detail. If you have the patience to read all the way through the book, you will be glad you did.
You can get a good used copy of the Alexiad from Amazon or Ebay for just a few dollars.
gravenimage says
Turkey: Muslims screaming “Allahu akbar” disrupt Christian funeral, desecrate Christian graves
……………..
Muslims wiped out almost all Christians remaining in Turkey a hundred years ago–but Muslims are still persecuting the tiny surviving remnant there.
God, I hate Islam.
Battle says
Erdogan is Christianophobia.
George McGuire says
While they are destroying graves they distract us from the fact we need to kick Turkey out of NATO before Turkey starts World War 3! We need to move our forces back to our old bases in Greece and cancel all military support to Turkey!
European pagan says
They have no respect.
But… I am happy to hear that there are practicing Christians in Turkey.
Goofy says
Can somebody please enlighten me? My understanding is that according to the Koran the Hebrew scriptures and the Christian gospel were handed down by Allah, and that Prophet Muhammad swore on the Hebrew scriptures.
How does this tally with the fact that the same Koran calls the followers of the Hebrew scriptures and the Christian gospel disbelievers who they are commanded to humiliate, exploit, subdue and kill if they don’t convert to Islam?
gravenimage says
Goofy, the Qur’an *does* say this.
But it also says that Jews and Christians then “corrupted” their scriptures, which originally (supposedly) did not differ with the Qur’an itself in any way. Never mind that no trace of these fantasy Torah of Gospels have ever been found.
TruthHonestReality says
Islamaphobia is a real word now, has been for several years and will be forever. Christianophobia is not and this is despite the fact that Christians are the most persecuted religion by far and away on earth. That is actual racism (as the left would say) yet no one seems to care.
Odo Saunders says
This attitude is down entirely to the process of Islamification undertaken by President Erdogen. Until the Turkish people wake up and realise the dangers facing their secular society, there will be no hope for the country. Kemal Ataturk must be spinning in his grave!