Exhibition of Silent Screams: Advocating for Those Who Have No Voice

On June 5, 2025, Advocates of Silenced Turkey (AST) and the Turkish Cultural Center of New Jersey co-hosted a moving event titled Exhibition of Silent Screams: Advocating for Those Who Have No Voice. Held in Fairfield, NJ, the evening gathered nearly 40 attendees—including journalists, educators, human rights defenders, and civic leaders.

The event aimed to raise awareness among American audiences about ongoing human rights violations in Turkey. At its heart stood the Exhibition of Silent Screams—a powerful collection of memory objects, symbolic relics, children’s drawings, and firsthand testimonies from victims of political persecution and imprisonment.

The program began with a networking dinner, followed by a formal presentation moderated by Hafza Girdap, spokesperson for AST. In her speech, she drew attention to the subtle forms of oppression, including a case where, after the state-appointed trustee seized Fatih University, electricity to research labs was deliberately cut—destroying years of academic work stored in laboratory freezers.

Osman Dülgeroğlu, CEO of AST, thanked guests and stressed the importance of making these stories visible to American audiences. He emphasized the role of such exhibitions in building empathy and global awareness.

Aslıhan Kas, coordinator of the exhibition and director of the documentary Metamorphosis, shared her refugee experience and her seven-year journey with AST advocating for the silenced. She described how the exhibition was born out of a desire to give voice to the victims—through real objects that speak louder than words. One emotional moment came when she told the story of baby Enes, who was smuggled unconsciously in a suitcase across the border at just 18 months old.
She also remembered her friend Hatice Akçabay, who died with her child while fleeing Turkey, and stated that her promise at Hatice’s funeral—to carry these stories to the world—guides all her work.

Keynote speaker Dr. Kari O’Rourke, an educator and human rights advocate from Kansas City, shared that she is writing her PhD dissertation on the Exhibition of Silent Screams and helped bring it to three different Kansas City venues. She recalled the moment that inspired her:

“At the first event in New Jersey, I saw a woman crying in front of an object. She kept saying, ‘This is my sister’s.’ She didn’t speak fluent English, but we cried together. I knew then this exhibition had to travel. I invited it to my city—and I’ve made it my mission to speak about Turkey’s human rights tragedy.”

Joan Rivits, New Jersey Human Rights Commissioner, shared her observations from her visits to refugee camps in Greece and pledged her support to help bring the exhibition to several museums in New York and New Jersey.
DeAnne Dileo-Odria, former president of the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association, praised the exhibit’s emotional power, while current president Edie Peters Liguori said the story of baby Enes deeply moved her and shared her thoughts that people can do this to one another for no reason is beyond comprehension.

The event ended with emotional reflections and renewed solidarity:
Silent screams must be heard.