Turkishness
September 21st, 2006 | 
Author: 
In Turkey there is a law that makes it a crime to ‘insult Turkishness‘.
To criticize this law is considered an ‘attempt to influence the judiciary‘. Which is also a crime.
Turkish authors who have written about the brutal slaying of over one million Armenians during WW1 by the Turkish, have been charged with the crime of ‘insulting Turkishness’.
Turkey, who is seeking membership of the European Union, has been told, by that same European Union, that European Union members have a thing against putting writers in jail for expressing opinions. Something to do with that silly thing about freedom of press and speech.
During the trials of these ‘Turkishness insulting‘ writers, there were large protests by people waving European Union flags with Nazi swastika’s on ‘m and slogans referring to ‘EU Fascism’, therebyÂ
- expressing their opinions about the EU’s suggestion to not put people in jail for expressing their opinions
- supporting a law which, if the EU would adopt a similar one (criminalize insulting ‘European Unioness‘), they would go to jail for.
I’d say, let’s not make Turkey a member of the European Union just yet.
(btw, when was Turkey geographically moved to Europe? Last time I was there, it was still firmly planted in the Middle East)
Note: I hope I didn’t insult anyone’s ‘Turkishness‘ with this post. If so: I’m profoundly sorry for your reaction! (I learned this clever way of ‘apologizing‘ from the Pope!)
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Posted in In the news, Opinions, Politics
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I think this is just freaking fine! I’ve used the “Robishness” defense over and over – and dammit, it is valid!
Rob sometimes does stupid things, but it’s not Rob’s fault (not that it IS a fault). It is just “Robishness”. And that’s all good.
Hmmm – wonder if *I* could join the EU? Besides their somewhat bitter determination to force Microsoft not to do business there, the EU doesn’t seem all bad.
Damn MS for wanting to add stuff to their software to protect customers. Damn them.
Rob
I don’t mean to insult your
RubbishRobishness, but sorry, kiddo .. I can’t let you into the EU until you speak at least 3 European languages.And, as every Brit will tell you, your American doesn’t count as ‘English’.