Kenyan bishops renewed their demand for the government to act to the abduction of civilians, after four Turkish refugees were seized and deported.
Mustafa Genc of Harmony Institute, an intercultural and interfaith dialogue organisation, Ozturk Uzun, a teacher, Alparslan Tasci, a humanitarian worker and Huseyin Yesilsu, who also worked in education, were detained at gunpoint by unidentified masked men on 18 October. On 21 October, the Kenyan authorities said it had deported them to Turkey at the request of the Ankara government.
This was the latest in a series of abductions widely blamed on a secret police unit.
The refugees, who were under UN protection, had links to the Hizmet Movement founded by Fethullah Gülen, the Turkish religious leader who died in the US on 20 October. They had worked closely with several Catholic charities and institutions in Kenya, as well as in interreligious dialogue and education.
Bishop Willybard Kitogho Lagho of Malindi, chair of the Interreligious Council of Kenya, said the four men were well known to religious leaders and citizens as peace-loving people involved in philanthropy and humanitarian work. He said their abduction was in breach of Kenyan and international law.
“These individuals are refugees who have sought the protection of the Kenyan government. Their abductions underscore the growing concerns about the safety of all refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya,” said Bishop Lagho.
A Religious sister who joined a weekly scripture meeting at Mustafa Genc’s house expressed pain at his deportation. She said the meeting involved sharing a meal and scripture discussions that compared passages in the Quran and the Bible.
“It is very sad that a very humble and generous person has to face such a situation,” said the Sister, who wished to remain anonymous.
Gülen’s death occasioned widespread praise for his charitable work in Turkey and promotion of tolerant Islam, in opposition to the increasingly Islamist agenda of his erstwhile ally President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Among other work with Catholic groups, Gülen met Pope John Paul II and corresponded with Pope Francis.
“His memory will live on in the spirit of service which he encouraged as the authentic understanding of Islam,” said Cardinal Micheal Fitzgerald, a former prefect of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
Loading ...
