Freedom of thought, hate crimes and the conscience by Alin Ozinian*

Sensitivities

I suppose it is an undervalued aspect of human emotions and ethics to observe acts of vilification and slander of certain things that we do not like or do not approve of, and to wonder whether it results in a “crime” or not.

These days, we are witnessing the functioning of a “punishment” mechanism, one to which we are accustomed, and which we have even internalized without being aware of it. This politics of punishment can be verbal as well as written, and can even leak into afternoon gossip over tea, classrooms, workplaces and military barracks. One can be excluded or alienated due to one’s ethnicity, religion, thoughts and even what goes on in one’s bedroom, or the fact that one has blonde hair; insults can turn into punches and kicks, and sometimes people can even be killed in the confusion.

The tolerance that is oft discussed in Turkey, and basically means the non-alienation of others due to their names, thoughts, clothing, etc., as well as the non-alienation of those people due to their beliefs, and not preventing them from living the lives they wish, has been the subject of a fluctuating struggle for a long time now, with rhetoric about “what will become of the values of this nation, this republic.”

I am someone who, not being a Turk, was exposed from a very young age to these attempts to portray me as the “other.” My sensitivities were offended not just because of the insults and the behavior directed towards me but because of those who witnessed it all, and despite what they heard and saw did not raise their voices against it. As a result, I have always had very negative reactions towards those who hurt others because of perceived differences. And while sometimes laws have managed to quell some of these insults and verbal or written attacks, there have been other times when hate-filled sentences spilling from the mouth of a neighbor woman have been enough to hurt me. From a very young age, we are made to memorize one truth, though the fact that concepts such as “private lives” and “choices” are not discussed with us when we are children leads to certain incidents and attacks on others later on in life. The whole concept of “variety” and “difference” that is not taught to us, and is thus one we do not understand, is linked with the idea of the sacredness of choice, which is also something we are thus robbed of being able to understand, and which we do not see as an essential value of life.

Don’t replace one clichéd photo with another

There are many people who today are still alienated and excluded because they do not fit with the “societal photograph” promoted by quite a substantial number of people. This is a “photograph” utterly lacking an ideological basis in any real sense, whose creation was based on some very superficial revolutions arranged in Europe and whose dimensions some wish to see imposed on society. In circles where simply being Western is considered the most “sacred” of values, it is an unfortunate truth that religious and ethnic freedoms are not included in the list of general freedoms. There are those who do not grasp that living according to one’s beliefs, or speaking in one’s mother tongue, are essential freedoms.

There are many, many individuals and groups in Turkey who have been excluded, alienated, hurt, exposed to pressure and generally punished simply because of their status as “different.” I do not think it is unreasonable to believe that these people and groups should try to get to know one another better, or even try to protect and assist one another. One point that needs to be taken care of on the path towards “diversity” is that social engineering of the kind that erased the “old types” only to replace them with “new mono types” not be allowed. We need to not replace those old forbidden, painful and cliché-filled photographs from the past with our own photographs. We must assist to our utmost every sort of initiative there is, and see that they proceed according to their goals.

Sincere steps

More sincere steps need to be taken in order to persuade us that the positive events we have seen taking place within the framework of the “dialogue between religions” in recent years have not been specifically composed and ordered with the aim of producing photographs to fill promotional brochures from the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Incidents such as the one that occurred last October, when a taxi driver beat a female customer he discovered was Armenian, telling her she was a “kafir,” or a non-believer, make us feel that, sometimes, “religious sensibilities” are really only being analyzed according to certain conditions. The same goes for people who experience taunting or harassment at the hands of their neighbors; when nothing is done to solve the situation, they feel the only solution is to move abroad, and this also underscores the feeling that “religious sensibilities” are only important for some.

There is one very simple and critical topic on which we must reach accord when it comes to the idea of being able to live in peace with one another: not hurting one another. And beyond not hurting one another, there is also the importance of being able to hold onto our level-headedness when we are hurt, and to avoid making wholesale, rapid and sudden decisions in response.

Years ago, when writer Can Yücel, whom I very much like, wrote about the Virgin Mary, his topic drew much criticism. When he was informed that Christians in Turkey had been insulted by some of what he had written, he responded by saying, “How many Armenians are in Turkey anyway, and of those, how many are even literate?” I was very saddened by this response. My own feelings of hurt were not just linked to how a person with religious beliefs of his own could mock that which is sacred to others, but also to how it was that in a country where so many Armenians admire this person he could talk so ignorantly about them.

Muslims who have been hurt and who hurt

In recent days throughout the world we have witnessed events in which Muslims have been hurt and insulted, in particular by those who were aiming to hurt them. Unfortunately, many of the Muslims in these situations were unable to keep their sense of calm, with attacks ensuing. And today in Turkey there are many Muslims who have been insulted by words written by Sevan Nishanian. Angry reactions have included suggestions from “Sevan should be forcibly relocated” to “Let’s show the Armenians what’s what.” At the same time, however, those who were truly insulted are sad, but are not saying a word; it is clear that they are saddened by these words spoken by someone with whom they were working hand-in-hand to see change in Turkey. Sevan did not write these divisive words under his identity as an “Armenian” but rather as someone who “does not have good relations with Islam.” At the same time, the factions unable to come to terms with the handful of Armenians who are left in the country were once again able to put this incident into the category of “Armenian traitor.”

Basic rights and freedoms, justice, laws and rules are vital norms for a democratic society, but when it comes to human relations, I do believe we need to behave according to our human emotions and morality. Throwing a person accused of committing a “crime of hatred” into prison may wind up punishing that person, but it does not erase the hatred from his heart. My friends, I do not believe in going so far as to injure others for the sake of my “freedom of thought.” Never mind putting religious beliefs on trial, or questioning the things a person holds sacred; I support even accepting the colors they love. Let that person love red while I love blue; I support neither the slander and mocking of red, nor the overt praising of blue.

There was a rally that took place in İstanbul’s Taksim Square to commemorate the Armenian massacre of 1915. It was a rally that even some Armenians were afraid to attend, but despite that, there was a group that refused to make concessions, and that was there that day, despite being accused by some “patriots” and “socialists” of acting as “tools for imperialism.” What’s more, this group included Muslims. Young girls in headscarves sat with us with arms linked, and there were young Muslim men carrying posters and signs as well. I recall clearly the sense of strength and hope lent to me by the very presence of those companions on that day, within the larger framework of trying to understand my own pain, pain which is not accepted by the official history of the country.

I support the idea of people not showing respect for other beliefs because of “laws” and “concepts of freedom,” but rather learning from their own consciences. My own intention is to work to protect that which is sacred for my friends as much as to protect that which is sacred to me. A value which does not overlap with your own thoughts or beliefs should be important to you first and foremost because your friend might hold it true and believe in it; after all, the truly important thing here is your friend.

*Alin Ozinian is an independent analyst.

(Today’s Zaman)