Western Cultural Imperialism and Protestant Missionary Activities: The Case of the Kurds of Türkiye

Yıl 2024, Cilt: 26 Sayı: 3, 1212 - 1228, 27.09.2024

Recep Gulmez

https://doi.org/10.32709/akusosbil.1208274

Öz

Protestantism has opposed the conservative paradigm since its first emergence, aiming to change the status quo. With the rise of nation-states, Protestantism, supporting minorities in their separatist actions within the scope of democracy and human rights, plays a remarkable role in the spread of cultural imperialism. Since the Ottoman period in Turkey, the conversion of minorities and local people has been considered a separatist act. The Protestant sect/Christianity began to spread in the Middle East, especially in the early 19th century, through missionaries. The Protestant missionaries, who made their influence felt throughout the region, attracted the attention of the Ottoman state to the point of provoking a reaction. In the early 21st century, especially in the Middle East, especially in the geography where Kurds live densely, Protestant missionaries have been conducting cultural imperialism in the region by targeting minorities. The Zirve publishing house incident and the recent relations of Pastor Brunson with the Kurds and the PKK terrorist organization support our argument. The missionaries, called the vanguard forces of imperialism, envision the Kurds converting to Christianity and thus turning them into groups subjugated by imperialism. The fact that Kurds are Muslims and a constituent element in Turkey constitutes an obstacle to separatist movements. Therefore, in order for them to obtain minority status, they must first be given the status of other official non-Muslims and have minority rights (education in mother tongue, having their own schools and foundations, etc.). In this exploratory study, which is methodologically based on a historical sociological approach, it is claimed that cultural imperialism supports Protestant missionary activities to control minorities and that Kurds are Christianized. The Christianization of the Kurds prepares the ground for the formation of separatist activities in the region and supports the divide-and-rule policy.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Protestanlık, misyonerlik, kültürel emperyalizm, kürtler

Batı Kültürel Emperyalizm ve Protestan Misyonerlik Faaliyetleri: Türkiye Kürtleri Örneği

Öz

Protestanlık, ilk ortaya çıktığı günden itibaren muhafazakâr paradigmaya karşı çıkarak statükocu yapının değişmesini hedeflemektedir. Ulus-devletlerin yükselmesi ile birlikte azınlıklara ayrılıkçı eylemlerinde demokrasi ve insan hakları kapsamında destek veren Protestanlık kültürel emperyalizmin yayılmasında dikkat çekici rol oynamaktadır. Türkiye’de Osmanlı devleti döneminden itibaren azınlıkların ve yerel halkın din değiştirmesi ayrılıkçı bir hareket olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Protestan mezhebi/Hristiyanlık Orta-Doğu coğrafyasında bilhassa 19. yüzyıl başlarında misyonerler vasıtasıyla yayılmaya başlamıştır. Tüm bölgede etkisini hissettiren Protestan misyonerler Osmanlı devletinin tepki verecek kadar ilgisini çekmiştir. 21. yüzyıl başlarında başta Orta-Doğu olmak üzere bilhassa Kürtlerin yoğun yaşadığı coğrafyada Protestan misyonerler azınlıklara yönelerek bölgede kültürel emperyalizmi hedefleyen çalışmalar yürütmektedirler. Zirve yayınevi olayı ile yakın zamanda Rahip Brunson’ın Kürtler ve PKK terör örgütü ile ilişkileri tezimi destekler niteliktedir. Emperyalizmin öncü kuvvetleri olarak adlandırılabilecek misyonerler Kürtlerin Hristiyanlığa geçmesini ve böylece emperyalizmin boyunduruk altına aldığı gruplara dönüşmelerini öngörmektedirler. Kürtlerin Müslüman oluşu ve Türkiye’de kurucu unsur olmaları ayrılıkçı hareketlerin önünde bir engel teşkil etmektedir. Bu nedenle, öncelikle azınlık statüsü elde etmeleri için diğer resmi gayri-Müslim statüsüne geçmeleri ve azınlık haklarına (anadilde eğitim, kendi okul ve vakıfların olması vb) sahip olmaları gerekir. Yöntemsel açıdan tarihsel sosyolojik yaklaşımla ele aldığımız bu keşifsel çalışmamızda kültürel emperyalizmin azınlıkları kontrol altına almak üzere Protestan misyonerlik faaliyetlerini desteklediği ve Kürtlerin Hristiyanlaştırıldığı iddia edilmektedir. Kürtlerin Hristiyanlaştırılması bölgede ayrılıkçı faaliyetlerin oluşmasına zemine hazırlamakta ve böl-yönet politikasını desteklemektedir

Anahtar Kelimeler

Protestanlık, misyonerlik, kültürel emperyalizm, kürtler

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