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Sep 17, 2008, 13:34 GMT
Turkey bans biologist Richard Dawkins' website
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Older Talkback
Iftikhar AhmadSep 19th, 2008 - 04:56:44
I wouldn't call it mis-education nor de-education. The fact is that muslim youths are being let down by an antiquated religion that calls for the subjugation of women, the stoning of non muslim faiths and athiests, and the silencing of anything that muslims decree offensive. Plenty of muslim fundamentalists seem to think in the 21st century that this is quite alright.
In this country we have what is called a democracy where free speech is a right. This is unfortunately where it lets us down by allowing terrorists to spout their filth in the name of Islam.
Hey if you don't like our education system then fund your own muslim school instead of sending the money back to Pakistan to buy plane tickets to get more of you living over here. And don't forget to cancel the sham marriages to get Pakistanis British citizenship.
Churches in this country fund their own private schools, so why should muslim schools get any extra privelige? or is that being racist?
One of my best friends is a Pakistani man and fortunately he's an athiest too, but you know if he were to admit such a thing to his family and friends he'd be an outcast in his society. That is so wrong. No wonder there is racism from both sides. I feel sorry for any child being brought up in any religion but especially Islam.
moomoo
What is equally unfortunate as banning of Dawkins website by Turkis courts is that some of the adamant readers of Mr Dawkins are so ignorantly hateful and remorseful against Turks that, some wrong legal action taken against this website causes uproar and hateful remarks against a country that has one of the most legitimate and staunch secular systems in human history.
Frankly, I am ashamed for some of the racist commentators posting here anti-Turkish sentiments.
Atheism does not mean hating of others. Some long time readers are so hateful that I think they are pretending to be atheists not because they do not believe in god but they look for a reason to hate.
What happened in Turkey is not a political decision but someone taking advantage of a legal loop hole against this website for personnel gain. There is a legal system that is ever changing in Turkey and this decision will be dismissed by higher courts of appeals.
So, STOP HATING Turkey and its people and look at it from analytical point of view.
Comments like those posted by user named 'MrPickwick' reminds me of American-neoCon-Christian-fundamentalist-Islam-haters' (ANCFIH) comments appearing in christian Fundamentalist media.
Analyze the situation, do not take advantage of it and use to to pour out you hate.
Stop anti-Turkish sentiments, stop hate, stop now!. Atheism does not mean hating.
Besides Adnan Oktar is a freak, he is not Muslim or anything else.
British artist faces Turkish jail over collage
British artist Michael Dickinson faces up to two years jail in Turkey if he is convicted of 'insulting the Prime Minister because of his duty' in a court case to be heard on 25 September in Istanbul.
Dickinson, resident in Turkey, is a collage artist and made a picture Good Boy, showing the Turkish Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdoğan, as a dog with a stars and stripe leash and a nuclear missile for a tail.
The case, which was twice adjourned since October 2007, has attracted international media coverage, and threatens to have repercussions for Turkey's European Union membership application.
Dickinson is a member of the Stuckists art group, whose co-founder, Charles Thomson, wrote to Gordon Brown about the case. He received a reply from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office saying 'we are unable to interfere in the judicial process of other countries.' Thomson said, 'This is a pathetic response. The government should make it clear to Turkey that as long as they repress freedom of speech, they have no place in the European Union.'
Dickinson's younger brother, John, is the father of 13-year-old Caroline Dickinson, who was murdered in 1996 while on a school trip to France.
An online protest petition has over 500 signatures: mungbeing
Statement by Michael Dickinson
In 2005 there was a story in the news in Istanbul about the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan suing some Turkish cartoonists for 'insult' by depicting him in animal form. In support of the artists' freedom of expression, I made a collage image called Best in Show, depicting the PM as the winner of a dog show, having a stars and stripes medal tied to his collar by George W Bush. I wrote an article about the case:
In 2006 the picture was displayed along with other anti war collages of mine at a Peace Tent organized by the Turkish Peace and Justice Movement (BAK) in protest against the war in Iraq. Turkish police arrested one of the organizers of the event, Erkan Kaya, and charged him with 'insulting the dignity of the Prime Minister in his duty' for displaying my picture. A guilty penalty can result in two years prison.
A letter which I wrote to the court claiming full responsibility for displaying the picture was rejected, and the charge of insult against Erkan Kaya continued. On the day of his trial I went to the court house to offer my services as a defence witness, but the trial was deferred until a later date because Kaya didn't turn up. Coming out of the court house I was arrested for unfolding and displaying a new poster-size collage to waiting journalists and cameramen. It depicted Tayyip Erdoğan with a dog's body and a nuclear missile for a tail. Held on a leash made from the American flag, he is eating a stack of American dollars. The picture was entitled Good Boy.
Thereafter I was held in custody for ten days – 2 days in Umraniye Prison, then moved overnight, during which I made a desperate escape attempt and was shot at -
I spent a further seven days in the Detention Center for Foreigners where I witnessed sickening racist cruelty by the guards in charge -
After two visits from British Consulate staff, I was released and told to leave the country. I did, but returned, and have since been living in Turkey on tourist visas, renewable only by leaving the country and returning every three months.
Although I have lived and worked well as an English teacher in Turkey for 22 years, many schools and universities have put my name on a 'not to employ' list. To save myself from total destitution I am now just managing to pay the rent by telling fortunes with rune-stones in the streets of Istanbul.
Media Info:
More information on Michael Dickinson: wikipedia
Michael Dickinson
Home: Istanbul 0216 418 2376
Mobile: 0535 647 8040
Email: michaelyabanji@gmail.com
Contact if Michael Dickinson is detained after the hearing:
Sanar (pronounced Shanar) Yurdatapan, spokesperson for Freedom of Expression. He speaks excellent English and can be contacted at 90 216 532 7545. Email antenna@superonline.com
File no/Court: 2006/958 Kadıköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance
Plaintiff: kh
Accused: Michael Dickinson
Law/Article: TCK 125/3 Insulting the prime minister because of his duty
Date of hearing : September , 25 2008 Time : 09:30
On conviction the penalty can be up to 2 years in prison.
selfish gene is the main book in one of my lesson..Ý couldn't believe when i first read about the banning...what a pity for us..
some of the books of Harun Yahya is free, i don't know how many people read them but i am sure somebody reads..once i tried to read but i could't, it was waste of time for me..
when the EU is concerned..i want to be part of EU only for to be able to visit countries without permission,other things..?..
Turkiye get water,workforce,agriculture,energy sources,..we don't need EU..please do not forget not all people in Turkiye wants to be part of EU..
I don't care if Turkey joins the EU, as long as we in the UK are out of it when it does.
There is nothing better than Islam for turning the mind to insanity.
it's very unlucky situation.i'm blaming turkish government and adnan oktar as a turkish citizen.
As a turk, atheist and anti-authoritarian, I spoke few bookstore owners around istanbul, this ban made richard dawkins even more popular.
colored
judging turkey by its current rulers wouldn't be any different than judging U.S. by Bush or judging France by Sarkozy. This decision do not represent the whole country. There are creationist everywhere and the most powerful country in the world has 'in god we trust' written on their money... so get of our Turkish backs and take a look at your 'enlightened western' ignorance and creationism first.
This is all happening with respect to a law that has been legislated by the ruling party AKP.. That is how much freedom AKP is going to bring to Turkey. Maybe this might finally wake some West(ern)ers up and they might finally see that there is no such thing as a mildly religious country. There is sharia and then there is (and once in Turkey, was) Democracy..
I can't say I think much of Dawkin's work, but blocking his website is hardly going to solve anything.
Turkey bans professor Richard Dawkin's website. I am not suprised.
The Kurdish atheist website, diwaroj dot com, has been unfairly blocked by the goverment before. Maybe the only reason they blocked diwaroj was becouse of articles about (The God Delusion), but who knows...
And now they bans professor Richard Dawkin's website.
When I was in Turkey a month ago, the only way to access the website was using a proxy.
I recommend all atheists to do the same, free web based proxy to bypass.
Go to google.com and type free web based proxy, finde web based proxies to bypass.
Dont worry they can't block all the websites.
Stupid islamic turkey will never stopp users viewing Dawkins website.....
It makes Dawkins even more popular....
I love you... United we are stronger and united we will defeat the enemey of the truth.........
----- ((((*A*))))----- (*_*)-------
I am from Turkey, Richard Dawkins official web site is not banned here even i find it pretty ridiculous that there is a banner on the top of the opening page of web site which claims 'banned in Turkey' right next to our national flag.
What a shame millions of people are deceived by this false news
Hello folk!
Yes, that is Islam. What did you expect folk?
Maybe you did expect muslims sending you flowers.
Turkey's regime does not want Richard. The regime need a Mullah more than scientist. A mullah can send a lot people to die in the name of Allah. A scientist...No, No place for you......
Our creepy stupid government, The White Party made that.
Because they're just bigotries.
Well it doesn't matter. I am in Istanbul,Turkey and still able to access his website using anonymizer websites.
In Turkey these stick-in-the-mud people sometimes create troubles like this. Believe me, they are outnumbered; some of them are still in important positions but they are outnumbered. In near future, I hope these obscurant views will be completely wiped out from Turkish democracy.
Actually we must look this event from marxist angle. Turkey is a capitalist but not a emperialist country.. And it's my country. Our country is used by USA and EU for their emperialist benefits. From the begining this country tried to join other capitalist countries (from 1923). But main capitalist countries has not accepted this. As a result our capitalist govern's always used our country to enter the 'big arena'. We have nearly no syndical rights, We have no democracy, but it will not come with EU or USA. Because they always want to use us. We have nearly no right some military bases. USA army use our bases for war with iran, russia, ıraq and many more.. And we have no right to say 'hey, don't shout ezan, I'm an atheist and I'm annoyed'. And to control our people capitalist govern's use militarism and religion.. we have tarikats, we have people like adnan oktar, we have racist millions... In univesity lots of people think there is a creator of universe because our education system work for capitalist system..
Take this picture big, and the ban is the one part of it.
Anyone can buy Richard Dawkins books in Turkey but the site is banned. What a stupid contradictory. Besides Adnan Oktar the man who banned the site is a self-interested person. Give him the money he does everything for you. At the past he was sentenced because of swindling.
English (Yusuf Ali): (Recite)
2:120 Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their form of religion. Say: 'The Guidance of Allah,-that is the (only) Guidance.' Wert thou to follow their desires after the knowledge which hath reached thee, then wouldst thou find neither Protector nor helper against Allah.
Turkish:
2:120 Sen onlarin dinlerine uymadikça, yahudi ve hristiyanlar senden kesinlikle hosnut olacak degillerdir. De ki: 'Süphesiz dogru yol, Allah'in (gösterdigi) yoludur.' Eger sana gelen bunca ilimden sonra onlarin heva (arzu ve tutku)larina uyacak olursan, senin için Allah'tan ne bir dost vardir, ne de bir yardimci.
French:
2:120 Ni les Juifs, ni les Chrétiens ne seront jamais satisfaits de toi, jusqu'à ce que tu suives leur religion. - Dis: 'Certes, c'est la direction d'Allah qui est la vraie direction'. Mais si tu suis leurs passions après ce que tu as reçu de science, tu n'auras contre Allah ni protecteur ni secoureur.
German:
2:120 Und weder die Juden werden mit dir zufrieden sein noch die Christen, es sei denn, du folgst ihrem Glauben. Sprich: 'Allahs Führung allein ist die Führung.' Und wenn du nach der Kenntnis, die dir zuteil geworden, ihren bösen Gelüsten folgst, so wirst du bei Allah weder Freund noch Helfer finden.
Spanish:
2:120 Ni los judíos ni los cristianos estarán satisfechos de ti mientras no sigas su religión. Di: 'La dirección de Alá es la Dirección'. Ciertamente, si sigues sus pasiones después e haber sabido tú lo que has sabido. no tendrás amigo ni auxiliar frente a Alá.
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