THOUGHTS ON INTERACTION WITH FAITH, IDENTITY AND SPACE

Prof. Dr. Ayşe Nur Ökten, Yıldız Technical Üniversitesi

How to deal with the problematic of "conversions in places of worship"?

The transformation of places of belief through indirect or direct intervention over time should be considered primarily in terms of fundamental rights. The symbols, rituals and actions that accumulate as we live and build our identity evolve under the conditions of the age and reinforce our identity in interaction with spaces. Our perception of identity remains alive thanks to social practices that take place in a space which is unique to us; it is continued by being renewed. But this interaction between the tangible and intangible legacies of culture sometimes takes a hit. This sometimes happens because of the dynamics within the relevant culture cluster, and most often due to the hegemonic trends in the fields of economy, politics and culture. The link between place and belief is physically severed. Belief clusters, faced with such compulsions, load new values ​​into new spaces they find, sometimes through physical interventions, and sometimes with myths. Sometimes traditions and rituals are continued by making concessions under the force of circumstances. This behavior, emphasized in various studies, is identity’s effort to exist.

When it comes to places that have symbolic value for the whole of society, the problem can become more than just the usurpation of the rights of a belief cluster. One of the issues that appears on the agenda from time to time is the disagreements and conflicts arising from the ownership of the same place by different belief clusters. This phenomenon is the embodiment of marginalisation in space, and at this point, the issue should be addressed in terms of the destruction of the common identity. What is at stake here is the destruction of a common identity created by different belief clusters and different cultures. Our common identity is woven through the intertwining of different cultural motifs throughout history. From this point of view, it is necessary to see interventions in the places of belief as attacks on the cultural heritage of the whole society.

It is necessary to discuss the transformation of places of belief with its institutional dimension. One of the basic conditions for the survival of identity is institutionalisation. In the process of institutionalisation in a broad sense, the basic principles adopted by the society regarding different belief clusters and places of belief are set forth. For example, a constitution and signed international principles constitute the institutionalization process in a broad sense. In the process of institutionalisation in a narrow sense, the state organizes the necessary implementation bodies (operating institutions) to implement the principles it has adopted. At this point, many problems that are key to maintaining places of belief are based on definitions, classifications, and generalisations on which operating practices are based; they stem from the distribution of authority and responsibility. In order to take realistic steps, it is necessary to evaluate the basic principles of institutionalisation in terms of institutional practices.