“Protest held against Head of Religious Affairs and Conservative policies”

A protest march was held in Lefkoşa yesterday evening against the Head of Religious Affairs Ahmet Ünsal and the conservative policies being implemented in the country. The action was supported by some political parties and organizations. The protest march held during yesterday’s downpours was supported by 48 organizations. Statements of the Head of Religious Affairs Ahmet Ünsal, which caused the public reaction, were also protested. During the protest slogans such as "Stand up against bigotry”, and “Ünsal go home” were chanted. Protesters who met at the Kumsal Park yesterday at 5.30 pm in the evening marched to the Prime Ministry building carrying larger banners reading “Our endeavours, our body, and our rights are our business” and smaller banners reading a variety of other slogans.

-“Action will continue until Ünsal is dismissed” Speaking during the protest march, CTP Lefkoşa Deputy Doğuş Derya said that the protests will continue until the government dismisses Ünsal and that a struggle will be waged against the sects being put forward.

“We want shelters not religious complexes” was another placard held up at the demonstration of which a joint statement was issued by 48 organisations, including some political parties, unions and associations.

The slogan “Our endeavours, our body, and our rights are our business” was chanted following the deep discomfort felt by the preaching of the Head of the Religious Affairs Ahmet Ünsal in Gazimağusa held under the establishment of HAGEM by the embassy of the Republic of Türkiye. The discomfort felt against the statements of Ünsal towards the privacy of women and LGBTI+s which ignores their human rights and interferes with the contemporary and democratic way of life of society in general was expressed.

Stating that discrimination rates against women and domestic violence in the home are increasing day by day, it was put forward that steps need to be taken towards equality and not to remain silent while children’s right to secular and egalitarian education is abused through religious exploitation. In the statement, it was noted that the Head of Religious Affairs, Ahmet Ünsal, should be dismissed immediately and "the exceptional citizenship granted to him should be revoked due to his activities that threaten the constitutional order". A call was also made to the Ministry of National Education to carry out the necessary inspections, to prevent the abuse that children are exposed to and to intervene in the structures that function in violation of the National Education Law.