The excuse to support Palestine

Activities held in schools as part of Palestine Awareness Day were used to promote certain foundations and associations known for their close ties to the government. As part of the Palestine Awareness Day events held in some schools, students were shown videos produced by organizations such as IHH , TÜGVA , and YADEP.

Educators have reacted to the fact that events intended to support Palestine and raise student awareness of Israel's massacres in Palestine were being turned into propaganda . Some teachers expressed their outrage, saying, "It's likely that the school branches of religious sects are organizing this."

ASSOCIATION PROPAGANDA

The Ministry of National Education (MEB) declared October 7th "Palestine Awareness Day." As part of the project, it sent instructions to schools for activities. It was revealed that in one school, children held a ceremony in the schoolyard under the flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, bearing the "Kelime-i Tawhid" (The Word of Tawhid).

Kadem Özbay, Chairman of the Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim İş), criticized the practice. Özbay stated, “The government continues its trade with Israel and continues its cooperation with the US, Israel's biggest supporter. These demonstrations in schools today are a deception designed to conceal their responsibilities from the public eye. They mean nothing more than imposing ideology on children and producing propaganda. Schools are not your propaganda grounds. You do not own the teachers or students.” Özbay emphasized that they will not allow students to be shaped by ideology, continuing:

If you truly want to support Israel, cut off all direct or indirect trade with Israel, close down US bases, end your ties to my friend Trump, and make schools a place for the light of the Republic, not for sects. What is being done is an attempt to cover up your responsibility and to shape our children ideologically. We will not allow this.

∗∗∗

A Sharia banner was unveiled at Istanbul University.

Banners calling for sharia were unfurled at an event called "Occupation from Istanbul to Gaza: National Struggle and Freedom," organized by Istanbul University. The speech continued with a speech by IU trustee rector Osman Bülent Zülfikar. While describing the events in Palestine, Zülfikar deviated from the topic and made the following statement: "We attach great importance to science being for the benefit of humanity, just as the Messenger of God sought refuge in the Creator from useless knowledge. We believe no one is more pioneering than us in emphasizing that science is the supreme value in shaping society. We are the most pioneers." Following the speeches, a banner was unfurled by reactionary foundations, and the words "Martyrdom is a call to generations and ages" were recited. The banner carried by a group called the Young Value Movement drew attention, including the phrase "Martyrdom is a call to generations and ages."