Turkish university students demand Jedi, Buddhist temples amid mosque frenzy

[Valin]

Hurriyet Daily News‎ :

ISTANBUL

4/6/15

 

In their petitions, the students of Dokuz Eylül University in western Turkey used this image from ‘Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones,’ in which Master Yoda is seen giving his younglings Jedi training.

 

Thousands of Turkish students have raised their voices in online campaigns to build Jedi and Buddhist temples at their universities, after a series of mosques were constructed on their campuses by rectors who stressed “huge demand.”

 

The debate started last month when Mehmet Karaca, rector of Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ), announced that “a landmark mosque” would be built on the campus.

 

While stressing “huge demand,” the rector referred to a petition on change.org that more than 185,000 people signed to demand the construction of İTÜ’s first mosque.

 

Karaca’s positive response to an online campaign encouraged university students from other religions around Turkey, as well as many others who launched satirical campaigns to point at what they claimed to be a political emphasis on “religious populism” even as many education institutions lack scientific instruments and research funds.

 

In one of the counter-campaigns on change.org, more than 25,000 people demanded a Buddhist temple at İTÜ.

 

(Snip)