Prejudice is A Barrier Against Living Together, Interview with Reyhan Gümüşkaya

Could you tell us a little about the work your organisation does in the field?

I work in the child development centre of the Metropolitan Municipality, in the Roma neighbourhood. We conducted women’s health education training, handcrafted activities, and conduct awareness trainings about early marriage of girls. We are right in the middle of the Roma neighbourhood. We held women’s health seminars with the Syrian Solidarity Association; 6 seminars lasting for 6 weeks. We also conducted health seminars for Kurdish, Syrian and Iranian women (with the support of Foça Peace Women) in Foça. On behalf of the Women’s Solidarity Association, we offered solidarity with Syrians in Eski Çam; we held health seminars with the youth association. We conducted activities focused on the body, reproductive health, sexuality and gender. I have done a lot of work with Turkish woman too.

What does the concept of “multiculturalism” mean to you?

There is a culture of the society in which you are born; your traditions, communities and history has its culture. For example, I am a Bosnian, but we have lost many elements of our culture. So, I do not have that culture, Turkey is not very open to this. For example, I have been mocked in many places, because I have worked with the Roma people. Multiculturalism is actually these cultures living together. The aim of our work was to understand each other and to work together by using empathy. I also don’t like the concept of tolerance. In the groups I worked with, I saw that different cultures clashed and became diversified from each other. Roma began to discriminate against Syrians, for example.

What does the expression “living together” mean for you?

Trying to live by paying attention to everyone’s sensitivity, by caring and not being selfish; without ignoring each other, its culture, but not looking at it as integrational. We do not use the term integration; we are against it. Without integrating, destroying, assimilating; meeting on common grounds together. Developing with and learning from each other’s culture. For example, Syrian women who I work with ask me why I am so maintained, why didn’t I have more children? I tell them why; they tell me why. They see a young woman dressed in fashionable clothes and ask in surprise, “Is she Kurdish?”, for example. I worked in the municipality’s women’s shelter; the security staff used to ask, “Where are these women from?”. They would not believe that they came from the villages of İzmir; they have the presumption that women with dark skin came from the East. Women also discriminate each other; Syrians also exclude each other. They say, she’s from Aleppo or from Idlib; to be from Aleppo is much more “cool”, for example. They don’t like each other’s food. I say that your dishes are the same… “We are more educated; our families are more cultured” they say. Kemalist groups also exclude women with headscarves, but when they get to know each other, they see that there is nothing to be excluded/criticized about.

What are the barriers preventing different identities living together? What are the main problems? Is it possible to categorise these barriers? (politically based, expression based, etc.)

Prejudice. They don’t know each other; they judge each other with the information they hear from the media and the environment. We are not at peace with ourselves as a society, we do not have an understanding of citizenship. As Turks, we are a society with a complex, we have a habit of seeing ourselves superior. How did Kemalist women and conservative women come together in my groups; Kurdish, Syrian, Roma women worked together… They got to know each other, they met at a common ground and understood that the other person was a human. If there was a discourse of brotherhood and equality in the mainstream media, would there be discrimination/prejudice in schools? No. This is also the case with Alawis and Sunnis. For example, Syrian women say Pakistanis smell; I feel very sorry.

What are some of the cultures and identity groups in the field/city in which you are active?

Romas (they have organisations but they have few activities, males are more active), Kurds, Yezidis, Afghans, Iranians, Syrians (they are organised, we can reach them, they can reach us, somewhat dispersed), Turks.

Which civil society organisations are active in the area of culture and identity in the field or city in which you work?

Bridging People Association, Mülteci-Der, ASAM, Roma Women Solidarity Association, Roma Youth and Solidarity Association, Contemporary Romas Association, Konak Refugee Association…

Regarding the discrimination which identities and culture groups are subject to, are there any areas open to cooperation with the aim of transformation and acting efficiently? What would be your suggestions?

A lot can be done. Projects can be made for women to acquire a profession; I say this for refugee women. They are very work oriented, they are needy. Turkish language courses can be provided, I do not think that this is assimilation. They can learn to express himself where they live. Turkish and refugee groups need to be brought together more often; empowerment work should be conducted. We should conduct awareness and inclusion activities.