Konca Kuriş

Konca Kuriş (16 October 1961 – 1999)[1] was a Turkish feminist writer who was murdered in Konya, Turkey, on 20 July 1999 after having disappeared in 1998.[2]

Konca Kuriş

Death

Kuriş was allegedly a former member of the Turkish Hezbollah,[3] but later denounced the organisation and criticised dogmatic interpretations of the Qur'an. Kuriş disappeared in July 1998. She was tortured for 38 days and then killed and buried in a shallow grave. Torture sessions were recorded by the killers.[4] Her body was found in January 2000 after the operation in which Hüseyin Velioğlu, the Hizbollah leader was killed.[4] She was 38.[5]

Perpetrators

The Turkish Hizbollah claimed responsibility for her abduction, torture, and death with a statement "An enemy of Islam and a secular-feminist Konca Kuriş due to her actions and statements against Allah and Quran Al Karim, has been kidnapped by Hizbullah warriors and questioned in our bases. Konca Kuriş, who has been acting in parallel with the official religion statements and under the directives of the irreligious-secular Turkish Republic and also who has been used by the Zionists as well, has been punished according to the requirements of the sheria law for initiating activities that would put Muslims into doubt."[6] It was found that Hizbollah killed many people. The only woman victim of Hizbollah is Kuriş.[3]

Personal life

She was married to Orhan Kuriş and had five children.[3] She was a devout Muslim.[3]

Legacy

A plaque with the text, Konca Kuris 1960-1998 Tortured and murdered for advocating women's rights in Islam, had been placed at the "Canberra Nara Peace Park", part of the Lennox Gardens in Canberra, Australia.[7]

References
  1. "Biografien, Frauenporträts: Konca Kuris" (in German). Retrieved 9 August 2007.
  2. "It's official: Konca Kuris murdered by the Hizbullah terrorists". Hurriyet Daily News. 23 January 2000.
  3. Nadire Mater (6 March 2000). "Slain Muslim Feminist Writer Honoured". HWP. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  4. Justin Huggler (2 September 2000). "Did Turkish army kill the feminist Konca Kuris?". The Independent. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  5. Gwynne Dyer (3 February 2000). "Konca Kuris: Remembering a Muslim heroine". The Day.
  6. Nadire Mater (6 March 2000). "Gender-Turkey: Slain Muslim Feminist Writer Honoured". IPS News Agency.
  7. Canberra Nara Peace Park - Konca Kuris Flickr
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