Jewish Community in Turkey: Steps should be taken against hate speech and acts

Jewish Community in Turkey: Steps should be taken against hate speech and acts
Publish:
A+ A-
"Jewish students have been targeted through some unacceptable gestures and remarks that glorify the biggest genocide in history 'the Holocaust' and its perpetrators," the Jewish Community has said.

The leadership of the Jewish Community in Turkey expressed concern over recent public acts of antisemitism and called on the Ministry of Education, school administrations and families of students to take urgent measures.

A player of an American high school's football team (more than one player according to different sources) made the Nazi salute after his team scored a goal against the team of a Jewish school on 14 March.

A few days later, a student of Istanbul's Hisar School allegedly started chanting a Nazi marching song and some others made the Nazi salute in reaction to a Jewish student who voiced criticism over the incident at the football match, according to a report by Jewish media Avlaremoz.

While the administration of Uskudar American High School defined the Nazi salute as an "inappropriate" gesture and announced that an investigation has been launched, the Jewish Community said in a statement on Saturday:

"Jewish students have been targeted in recent days by hate speech and acts, through some unacceptable gestures and remarks glorifying the biggest genocide of history 'the Holocaust' and its perpetrators, and this has once again showed the importance of educating and enlightening our youth on historical events."

It continued:

"In order not to let our youth, our country's future, be drawn into the dark world of 'hate speech and acts,' we call on all institutions of education and families of students to urgently take the necessary measures under the leadership of the Ministry of Education."

The Jewish Community also announced that they are ready "to contribute in all possible aspects to an education against discrimination, estrangement and hatred."