Controversy over 'hymn school bell' in middle school: Child of detained father also subjected to pressure!
Parent Soner Akbal was detained after protesting the change of the recess bell to the hymn "Kabe’de hacılar" (Pilgrims in the Kaaba) at Çenesuyu Middle School in the Derince district of Kocaeli. It was stated that Akbal's child has been subjected to peer bullying at the school.
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At Çenesuyu Middle School in the Derince district of Kocaeli, the school recess bell for students was replaced with the hymn "Kabe’de hacılar." Parent Soner Akbal, who reacted to this practice, recorded a video in the schoolyard and stated, "You cannot make such a piece the ringtone! You are educators; you cannot leave children in such a situation. If that is the case, will you show the same sensitivity during the 12 Imams fast or other important days?"
SUMMONED FOR STATEMENT
Following his video, Akbal was summoned for a statement by the school administration. Subsequently, he was detained in Istanbul, taken to Kocaeli, and released under judicial control conditions.
His lawyer, Eray Akbal, claimed that his client's detention process took place after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made statements regarding the issue during his parliamentary group meeting. The lawyer stated, "If a legal process were truly being followed, they would have come in the morning and detained him directly. The strange part of the matter is that my client was detained in Istanbul."
PRESSURE ON HIS CHILD
Akbal's lawyer, Eray Akbal, reported that the student has been subjected to pressure from peers with questions such as, "Why don't you fast? Why don't you pray?" Upon learning about this situation his child was experiencing at school, Soner Akbal went to the school to meet with the principal and take necessary precautions. However, when he arrived at the school, he heard the recess bell that had been replaced with the hymn again and reacted once more.
After meeting with the school principal, Soner Akbal expressed his concerns regarding the peer bullying his child was experiencing at school. However, Akbal stated that the school administration did not intervene sufficiently in the problem and that no measures were taken against the pressure applied to his child.