IS opens theological school in Ankara

 
Alican Uludağ

According to the indictment, IS opened a “theological school” in Ankara’s Etimesgut sub-province and gave lessons to young-aged children. It is stated in the indictment that the IS members held informal discussion meetings at the association, with Halis Bayancuk alias Ebu Hanzala participating as a monthly speaker. Parents paid 200 lira per month for the illegal theological school education.

 
It has emerged that the IS terrorist organisation opened a “theological school” in Ankara’s Etimesgut sub-province and gave lessons to young-aged children. It is said that informal discussion meetings were held in the Tevhid magazine/association and once a month Halis Bayancuk alias Ebu Hanzala, the founder/leader of the Hanzala Brotherhood recognised as being IS’s extension in Turkey, came here and participated as a speaker. At the meetings portrayed as being religious instruction organised on Sundays at the association by the sixteen suspects being prosecuted, the message put across as the IS terrorist organisation’s philosophy of life and action was that “jihad” can only be armed and the notion of “martyrdom” was imposed.
 
Ankara Republic Chief Prosecution has brought proceedings against sixteen people on charges of membership of the IS terrorist organisation. According to the indictment, informal discussion and lesson programmes were staged at the building where the Tevhid magazine is situated at the address in 2061 Street in Etimesgut’s Kazım Karabekir Quarter. A theological school was opened under the name of the association named SUFFE. Here, illegal theological education aimed at young-aged children was earlier given in line with Halis Bayancuk’s salafist/takfiri views. Parents paid this establishment 200 Turkish lira per month. Various programmes called informal discussions and instruction were held on certain days of the week at the same place. Once a month, Halis Bayancuk alias Ebu Hanzala came here as a speaker.
 
Jidadist chat
 
It is stated in the indictment, in which it is noted that the suspects held meetings portrayed as being religious instruction on Sundays at the magazine and the doctrine by way of a radical interpretation of the notion of “jihad” that it could only be armed and, by way of extension, the notion of “martyrdom” were imposed at these meetings as the IS terrorist organisation’s philosophy of life and action. The following conclusion was made in the indictment, which stresses that parliamentary systems and democracy were classified as being “idolatrous government” on the grounds that these were administrations that were outside religion, forceful, oppressive and practised idolatry, and were portrayed as being a target against which war must be waged:
 
“In these terms, the assessment made was that it was deemed by the DAESH terrorist organisation, with reference to the state’s institutes and institutions, that the existing constitutional system was an infidel and idolatrous system and education could not be received at official schools within the national education structure, organisation sympathisers and members holding such beliefs did not send their children to state schools and the latter were subjected to education by organisation members at a place named a so-called school at the place called a theological school with the aim of their being inculcated with the organisation’s own thinking and ideology and, by this means, there was an endeavour to increase potential membership and foster the potential to stage actions with regard to activities that the organisation would stage in future periods.”