Illegal Quran course in an abandoned building with dozens of foreign children: Where are their families?
It has been learned that a religious sect in Istanbul rented an abandoned building to use as a Quran course. It was reported that more than 20 children, aged between 5 and 15, were living in the unsanitary and unsafe facility, which lacks signage and oversight, with the top floor being used as a dormitory.
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A religious sect in Istanbul was found to have rented an abandoned building to use as a Quran course, where more than 20 children, whose families' whereabouts are unknown, were living in an unsanitary and unsafe environment.
It was learned that complaints made by building residents regarding the course have yielded no results.
According to a report in Sözcü, a four-story abandoned building in Beykoz, Istanbul, was rented out as a Quran course by one of the property's co-owners.
It was reported that more than 20 children, aged between 5 and 15, were staying at the unsanitary and unsupervised Quran course, which lacks signage and uses its top floor as a dormitory.
"ALL OF THEM ARE FOREIGN NATIONAL CHILDREN"
Upon seeing journalists, the dormitory officials took the children inside to a different location to hide them. The children, all of whom are foreign nationals, were captured on camera wearing turbans and robes.
In the room where the children slept, dirt on the beds and rotten food in the cabinets were noticeable.
Raşit Karabulut, who owns an apartment in the building, stated that the religious instructor who should be in charge of the students in the building never shows up, saying, "We have been making our applications to the necessary authorities for a very long time. However, we have not received any results. No one has taken an interest."
"THREATENED THAT YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING"
Stating that they have filed applications with CİMER, the Diyanet, and the Beykoz Municipality, Karabulut also noted that the other co-owners of the building threatened them by saying, "You cannot do anything."
While it is clear that the building is not earthquake-resistant due to cracks in the columns and falling plaster visible while climbing the stairs, the density of insects and flies on the floor where the dormitory is located also drew attention.
WHICH SECT ARE THEY AFFILIATED WITH?
A child of Tajik nationality, who said he had been staying at the dormitory for 3 years, did not provide any answer to the question of where his family was, while stating that there were 20-25 people of his own age inside.
The children, who explained that they were receiving Quran education, did not provide information about which sect the people in charge of them were affiliated with.