Recent News and Events

• Statement from the Dialogue Society - In Response to Military Intervention in Turkey
• Interfaith Network Statement on the Bastille Day Attack in Nice
• Walk of Friendship 2016

On July 15, Friday, Turkey witnessed a coup attempt by sections of the military, which has left dozens dead and injured. The attempt has been successfully put down and the government is back in control of the country. At the Dialogue Society, we condemn, in the strongest terms, the attempted military coup in Turkey and reiterate that there is no place for military interventions in democracy.

Turkey has long suffered from the anti-democratic reflex of the military. The achievement of free and fair elections where governments are accountable to the public and power changes hands through the ballot box has been Turkey’s most valuable achievement, which should be protected and cherished at all time.

While admitting the scarcity of information at the early hours of the night, President Erdogan and figures close to him were quick to lay blame on the Hizmet movement. This is a predictable pattern, as Erdogan blames almost all oppositional development in Turkey on Hizmet as a pretext to purge state and civil society. Gulen issued a statement early in the night condemning this coup in the strongest terms, adding “[a]s someone who suffered under multiple military coups during the past five decades, it is especially insulting to be accused of having any link to such an attempt. I categorically deny such accusations.” Leading Hizmet NGOs in Turkey and abroad also issued condemnatory statements last night. Hizmet participants have consistently demonstrated categorical condemnation of such anti-democratic practices and showed strong commitment to the rule of law and functioning democracy. Both Fethullah Gülen’s teachings and the Hizmet participants’ works around the world on dialogue, democratic engagement, active citizenship and social cohesion is the embodiment of this commitment.

We hope those accused with trying to overthrow the government will be tried in courts of law and this incident becomes a source of motivation for strengthening Turkey’s democracy. We are particularly concerned that Turkey’s domestic troubles are used as a source of polarisation of the Turkish-speaking communities overseas and have already received reports from members of hate crime originating out of the UK. We encourage anyone who witnesses hate crime to report it to the police immediately.

Walk of Friendship 2016

On Saturday 9th July, Concord Interfiath Fellowship and friends were joined by Councillor  David Balckburn of Leeds Peacelink on the Annual Walk of Friendship, around the Burley/Hyde Park Area of Leeds.

Starting at the Quaker Meeting House on Woodhouse Lane, we took a wet walk through the University, visiting St George's Field cemetery, and across Woodhouse Moor to Hyde Park Terrace and St Augustine's Church, Wragthorne. After that, the weather picked up and we made our way down Hyde Park Terrace, Midland Road and Brudenell Road, where we were subsequently welcomed into the Makkah Masjid (Mosque). Finally we made our way to the Hindu Mandir (Temple) on Alexandra Road, via Thornville Road.