World Famous Muslim Pianist Jailed For Speaking Against Radicalism (illegal, accuse, speech)
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Location: In a Galaxy far, far away called Germany
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Actually, not jailed, but brought before the judge. Here is an excerpt from what BBC is reporting:
World-famous Turkish pianist Fazil Say has appeared in court in Istanbul charged with inciting hatred and insulting the values of Muslims. He is being prosecuted over tweets he wrote mocking radical Muslims, in a case which has rekindled concern about religious influence in the country. Mr Say, who denies the charges, said recently he was "amazed" at having to appear before judges. Rejecting an acquittal call, the court adjourned the case until 18 February. Prosecutors brought the charges against Mr Say in June. He faces a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison although correspondents say any sentence is likely to be suspended. The indictment against him cites some of his tweets from April, including one where he says: "I am not sure if you have also realised it, but if there's a louse, a non-entity, a lowlife, a thief or a fool, it's always an Islamist." Dozens of the pianist's supporters gathered outside the courthouse with banners, one of which called on the ruling Islamist-based AK Party to "leave the artists alone".
Wow! So moderate Muslims (in Turkey) are making it illegal to speak ill of the radicalists??? This does not bode well for Turkey.
I was in Turkey recently where I met up with someone who worked for me (on secondment) in NY for two years. What Fazil Say is accused of is exactly what educated - often American educated - middle class Turkish people are saying. The problem is that they are in a minority and that there are millions of relatively uneducated Turks who are very religious (not dissimilar to the extreme religious right in the USA). Just like in our country, you have politicians who are pandering to the lowest common denominator in search of votes.
Turkey is on the frontline between a modern secular state and a country where religion and religious views drive policy. But we should not be complacent. There are strands of the same problem in our own country.
Actually, not jailed, but brought before the judge. Here is an excerpt from what BBC is reporting:
World-famous Turkish pianist Fazil Say has appeared in court in Istanbul charged with inciting hatred and insulting the values of Muslims. He is being prosecuted over tweets he wrote mocking radical Muslims, in a case which has rekindled concern about religious influence in the country. Mr Say, who denies the charges, said recently he was "amazed" at having to appear before judges. Rejecting an acquittal call, the court adjourned the case until 18 February. Prosecutors brought the charges against Mr Say in June. He faces a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison although correspondents say any sentence is likely to be suspended. The indictment against him cites some of his tweets from April, including one where he says: "I am not sure if you have also realised it, but if there's a louse, a non-entity, a lowlife, a thief or a fool, it's always an Islamist." Dozens of the pianist's supporters gathered outside the courthouse with banners, one of which called on the ruling Islamist-based AK Party to "leave the artists alone".
Wow! So moderate Muslims (in Turkey) are making it illegal to speak ill of the radicalists??? This does not bode well for Turkey.
I am not so sure that countries with the heavy Muslim populations have freedom of speech like we do. I wonder if that would be part of the reason they want us done away with.
I was in Turkey recently where I met up with someone who worked for me (on secondment) in NY for two years. What Fazil Say is accused of is exactly what educated - often American educated - middle class Turkish people are saying. The problem is that they are in a minority and that there are millions of relatively uneducated Turks who are very religious (not dissimilar to the extreme religious right in the USA). Just like in our country, you have politicians who are pandering to the lowest common denominator in search of votes.
Turkey is on the frontline between a modern secular state and a country where religion and religious views drive policy. But we should not be complacent. There are strands of the same problem in our own country.
I would guess that that pandering you speak about might be much like we have going on here. I am talking about a different group than you are, I think.
Also, I am sure that they don't have as much freedom of speech as we do here.
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