Turkey is building mosques in Yazidi villages in Syria's Kurdish Afrin

Dr. Kamal Sido | Exclusive to iKurd.net

Human rights organization criticizes policy of Islamization in Syria’s Kurdish Afrin.

The Bureau of Religious Affairs in Turkey, Diyanet, is building more and more mosques in Yazidi villages in the northern Syrian region of Afrin [Rojava]. According to the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), this is an attempt to push through with a policy of Islamization and to promote a radical interpretation of Sunni Islam in the once multi-religious region. Via its German branch DiTIB, the authority is also trying to promote its religious agenda at schools in Germany.

“According to Yazidi sources, a mosque is being built in the Yazidi village of Shadere, to the south of Afrin City. There are 45 people of Yazidi faith living there. Before the Turkish occupation, there were around 450,” stated Dr. Kamal Sido, Middle East Consultant of the STP. “After most of them were driven out of the region, Turkey took to resettle radical Muslims to the area. They regularly mug and harass the Kurdish people.” The Diyanet authority decides what is to be taught at the mosques and the new Koran schools in Afrin.

“Even little girls are forced to wear headscarves – and during the last Gaza war, the mosques were said to be spreading massive propaganda against Israel and against Jewish people,” Sido criticized. “Against this background, it is especially incomprehensible why this Turkish authority should be able to gain influence on what is taught in Islamic religion classes at German schools.”

Mausoleum of Nebi Huri in Turkey-occupied Syria's Kurdish region of Afrin converted into mosque — Mausoleum of Nebi Huri in Turkey-occupied Syria’s Kurdish region of Afrin converted into mosque, 2020. Photo: anfenglish.com

DiTIB is not a liberal organization. It promotes a radical interpretation of Islam. During the attacks on Afrin, almost all DiTIB mosques in Germany held prayers for a success outcome of the military operations to occupy the region.

The population of Afrin was once at least 96 percent Kurdish. Following the Turkish occupation, most of them were displaced, and the proportion of the Kurdish population fell to around 25 percent. “Thus, Turkey is about to reach one of its most important goals: to rid Afrin of the Kurdish population,” Sido stated. Most of the Kurdish people of Afrin are moderate Sunni Muslims. Once, there were around 20.000 to 30.000 Yazidis living in the region. Today, there are only a few thousand left.

Dr. Kamal Sido, a prominent Syrian Kurdish intellectual. Advisor ethnic, religious, linguistic Minorities and Nationalities. He is a Middle East Consultant of the German Society for Threatened Peoples (STP).