March 26, 2025
Dear Tufts community,
As a multifaith team of chaplains, we write today to express our anguish and profound concern for a beloved member of our Tufts community, Rumeysa Ozturk. On Tuesday evening, while walking on a public sidewalk from her off-campus home to a community Iftar at Tufts’ Interfaith Center, Rumeysa was stopped by a group of federal authorities, physically restrained, and led away to an unmarked vehicle where she was taken to an undisclosed location. Our hearts are breaking as we hope and long for Rumeysa’s safety and for the due process she deserves.
We know that we are not alone in our grief. We see you and stand beside you if you are grieving, angry, feeling afraid, or unsure of how to respond.
At this moment, we are drawing strength from the multiplicity of our traditions that share, at their very core, the belief in the inherent dignity and worth of every human being.
Our Tufts community is powerful and vibrant because of the people who give it intellectual, artistic, and spiritual life. Each one of you matters. You deserve to study, teach, and serve both in freedom and without fear.
Now and in the upcoming days, we hope that you will reach out, stay connected, and join us in community. This Thursday, March 27, all are welcome to come to the Interfaith Center anytime between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. We will be here with tea, coffee, and listening ears. Throughout the day, we will also be co-creating a mural on the wall of the Interfaith Center to express our community prayers, intentions, and hopes: for ourselves, for others, and for our world. Lifting up all students, faculty, staff and neighbors who are impacted or threatened by recent events is work we can do together. Solidarity is something we can share. Hope is something we can cultivate. Love will lead us.
On behalf the Tufts multifaith team of chaplains,
Elyse Nelson Winger
University Chaplain
