İskeçe Mufti Mustafa Trampa strongly condemns “Kalanda” event at Dolaphan Middle School
The Kalanda event held at Dolaphan Middle School in the mountainous region of İskeçe has sparked strong reactions among the Turkish Muslim Minority of Western Thrace, as the school is attended exclusively by Muslim Turkish students.
The organization of an event reflecting Orthodox Christian rituals in such a setting has drawn sharp criticism, particularly on the grounds of religious sensitivity and freedom of belief.
“We Learned of This With Great Shock”
In a formal statement, İskeçe Mufti Mustafa Trampa issued a strong condemnation of the practice. He stated that they learned with great surprise and concern from social media footage and press reports that a Kalanda event—deeply rooted in Orthodox Christian tradition—had been carried out at Dolaphan Middle School.
Mufti Trampa emphasized that Kalanda is a religious ritual specific to Orthodox Christianity, and underlined that organizing such an event in a school where Muslim Turkish children receive education cannot be reconciled with religious or cultural values.
“Forcing Such Rituals on Our Children Is Unacceptable”
“Subjecting our children to such rituals is absolutely unacceptable,” Trampa said, stressing that the practice disregards the faith, identity, and cultural background of Muslim minority students.
He noted that educational institutions bear a fundamental responsibility to respect the religious and cultural identities of students, adding that the incident represents a clear violation of this principle.
Call for Preventive Measures and Accountability
Mufti Trampa stated that the incident has caused deep discomfort within the Turkish Muslim community of Western Thrace. He called on the administration of Dolaphan Middle School and all relevant authorities to take the necessary measures to ensure that similar practices are not repeated in the future.
Concluding his statement, Trampa affirmed that they would closely follow the developments and reiterated that the protection of the religious and cultural rights of minority students is non-negotiable.
