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Letter from Prison:
A Mother facing death penalty for Hijab

Sister Huda Kaya and her three daughters were arrested with fifty others protesting the ban on hijab (islamic headscarf) in Ynonu University, Turkey. The prosecutor is demanding the death penalty for them. The trial adjourned on 22 June 1999.


We have a new letter from Sister Huda Kaya. It was sent from her prison in Malatya.

The english translation isn't brilliant but still understandable:
 

THE LETTER OF HUDA KAYA

08-07-1999

THURSDAY

TO ISLAMIC HUMAN RIGHTS COMISSION

Bismilahir-Rahman'ir-Rahim.

Elhamdulillah and salam to His Honourable Prophet Muhammed, our lovely leader, our lovely guide. Salam to the Honourable Prophet Muhammed (s)'s followers, the momineen resisting against oppression and the momineen whose hearts are beating with us, sharing our pains. 

Dear sisters and brothers,

We are too proud to see that you are interested in the problems of Muslims in Turkey who are living the basic principle of Islam that "only the momineen are brothers." 

When the so-called Muslims very near to us, don't even care what has been done to us, to know that there are people that are interested in us makes us very happy and proud. 

Through IHRC, I am sending salam to all those valuable momineen brothers and sisters. 

The oppressions and the bans were already present in Turkey but in last few years it has increased to the highest levels. Meanwhile the citizens of the Turkish Republic who think, write and talk are getting arrested and sent to prison, and kicked out from their jobs. Oppressions and the torture are the first currency in Turkey.... There is no private life in Turkey and what is present about it, is under the invetsigation of the oppressers......

And when the oppressions are directed to our religion , Islam , we, the Muslim Women are put in the target as we put on hijab as Allah ordered as a religious responsibility ...

Muslim women and young girls from every level are oppressed regardless of if they were going to the religious schools* or high schools. Today these oppressions are increasing ever faster ...

If you oppose the bans, then you face torture, oppression, courts and jail...

I was arrested in Istanbul in 1998 as I demonstrated against this oppression. After that I was again arrested in Malatya because of my reaction to the hijab ban. (October 1998 - January 1999). I was sentenced under article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code to 20 months for writing an article in the newspaper, the subject of which was "The insensitive behaviour of so-called Muslim." The case is now in the Supreme Court.

After that there had been demonstrations against the hijab ban in Malatya (April 1999-May 1999). Me and my three daughters were arrested again. In court we are charged under article 146 of the Turkish Penal Code and our death has been called for by the Prosecution. This is another beginning. In fact they send mohajibahs to prison, in order to shut up peoples mouths. They found the death penalty as a solution. But they don't even sense that they are showing us how they are finished. 

Elhamdulillah. We are just laughing in their faces, as they are trying to shut our mouths with the death penalties. They don't even understand that we have already chosen this way to reach the level of being a MARTYR to get Allah's pleasure. The Turkish authorities are fighting against the Islamic hijab...

People have very certain concerns about the hijab ban would reach to the streets...Our first hearing was be on July 22nd. My three daugthers were in the last class of their schools. The youngest one of my three daughters is aged 17. She is here in the prison as she read the "OATH of FREDDOM"... And the other one at the age of 18 , Nurulhak is here as she read "SONG OF FREEDOM". And Intisar at the age of 19 is here as she was present at the demonstrations as a correspondent.

When my daughters were arrested they faced torture from the police to tell them where their mother was living...They were beaten very heavily, and subjected to psychological torture. By doing this they are trying to break up the "Hijab Resistance". And we know that the history is built upon "Tevhid ( the word of saying that Allah is one)Struggle". But people have never thought of martyrdom as death. And WE ARE GOING TO TAKE OUR ROLE IN THIS INFIDEL - MUSLIM WAR. WE ARE GOING TO RESIST AGAINIST OPPRESSION AT EVERY LEVEL. AND WE TRY WITH OUR WHOLE HEART TO GET MUSLIM WORLD UNITY. 

"Surely Allah loves those who fight in His way in ranks as if they were a firm and compact wall."

(Saff-4 / Holy Quran) 

And again by using IHRC, I am sending salam to all those valuable momineen brothers and sisters. We are waiting for your letters.

WITH SALAM AND PRAYERS,

"your sister who is waiting for your prayers"

Huda Kaya

E-Type Malatya Prison (E-Tipi Cezaevi/ MALATYA)

* these are kind of schools which are built by public money and nowadays the government and the military are trying to close them down, without heeding the communities yearnings of sending their children to those schools. They do so to prevent the youth to learn even a very little bit about Islam. Also it is banned to go to Qur'an Courses before the age of 15. In Qur'an Courses you are taught to read the original text of the Holy Book. Arabic is not taught there only the reading of Arabic letters is taught. By doing this they want to prevent the younger generation's interest to Islam. 

 


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