Mahinur Özdemir, a member of the parliament in Belgium, has been taken out of her political party because of not calling the events of 1915 as “genocide”.

In 2015, in the middle of Europe, freedom of thought and speech of a member of the parliament has evidently been banned. We, as Women and Democracy Association, see this implementation as a direct intervention to democracy and condemn it.

Success story of a woman, who could achieve her successful position with her own effort and elbow grease although she has an advantage of being a woman and also a Muslim in Europe, has been eliminated. Attitude of the political party, which Özdemir is a member, is evidently an example of discrimination against women which purposes freedom of speech and thought and also fundamental rights and freedoms.

While European countries which their own histories are the histories of full of colonization and massacres and stay silence to massacres at the present, do not remember and put their own colonial activities on the agenda. These kinds of attitudes of European countries are ironic and cannot be associated with democracy.

While we are talking about positive discrimination for women, discriminating of a woman deputy by expelling her from the party cannot be accepted.

We are inviting all the public to condemn this attack which is directed to democracy.

We are declaring that we support Mahinur Özdemir and try our best for helping her in taking her democratic rights back.

Respectfully announced to the public.

KADEM- Women and Democracy Association.