Unidentified assailant graffitis Bursa cemevi with insults, swearing

BURSA – Doğan News Agency

An unidentified assailant wrote insulting and curse-ridden graffiti on the walls of a cemevi, an Alevi house of worship, in the northwestern province of Bursa early on May 3.

Security cameras showed a masked assailant spray painting the walls, stairs and surroundings of the Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli Cultural Center and cemevi in Bursa’s Kestel district at around 4 a.m.

The assailant was also recorded photographing the graffiti on his mobile phone.

After the attack cemevi officials notified police, who have then launched an investigation to find the assailant.

On May 3, Bursa Alevi Foundations platform members gathered in front of the attacked cemevi, delivering a press statement on behalf of the platform condemning the incident.

“Disintegration in society, which is on the rise, has reached the point where hatred is spilled out onto a doors of friendship,” the statement said.

It noted that video footage showed that the attack was “premediated and planned.”

“In this country’s history the massacres of Maraş, Çorum, and Sivas are still fresh in the memory. While these pains have not been still closed, incidents directed at our Alevi democratic citizens’ business places and our cemevi are an attack on our belief of living together,” it read.

It also quoted from philosopher Hacı Bektaş-ı Velis, saying “do not hurt even if you are hurt.” Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli (1248-1337) was a humanist philosopher and founder of the Bektaşi sect, a heterodox Islamic order.

“We once again state that we will live in brotherhood with Turks, Kurds, Alevis and Sunnis. We have filed a criminal complaint about the suspect of this incident and the reactionary powers behind it. We will follow up this incident until they are punished,” the statement said.