Silenced Screams Exhibition Held for the 43rd Time in Jacksonville, Florida

𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, which draws attention to human rights violations in Turkey, was held for the 𝟰𝟯𝗿𝗱 time on 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟱, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, in the city of 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲, located in the state of Florida, USA. The program took place during a special event organized at WJCT 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼.

Held on the occasion of 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆, the program included an 𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 for the participants and a screening of the documentary 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀, which focuses on the human rights violations experienced by women.

At this special program, 𝟮𝟱 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 belonging to women and children were exhibited. Among them, 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 particularly drew attention.

One of these items was the denim jacket belonging to Kurdish writer 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗦̧𝗶𝗺𝘀̧𝗲𝗸. The jacket she wore while crossing the 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰̧ 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 during the period when she was forced to leave Turkey was displayed in the exhibition as one of the symbols of the tragedy experienced. During the crossing, Şimşek was pushed into the water and survived at the last moment.

Another item displayed for the first time in the exhibition was the clothes worn by the children of visually impaired teacher 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗺 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗻 during the Meriç crossing. Demirdelen and her husband had been unjustly imprisoned during this period.

A total of 25 university and high school students volunteered in the organization of the program. The event was hosted by 𝗔𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮 and 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘆.

The coordinator of the exhibition, Aslihan Kas, delivered the following message in her speech:

“𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺, 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲.”