Ömer Bahadır Baruter’s conviction showed state’s bizarre practice and energy to curb the freedomof expression in Turkey. Jenny White narrated it in her blog on September 28,2011
Posted on September28th, 2011 by Jenny White
Original image from Penguen, taken from Radikal
Prosecuters are asking for a year in jail forcaricaturist Ömer Bahadır Baruter for the above cartoon, which appeared in thesatirical magazine Penguen. [...] [T]he reason forthe law suit against Baruter by a religious organization and several citizensis what is written on the wall behind the figures [...] "There is no Allah, religion is a lie.” Baruter is accusedof “insulting the religious values adopted by a part of the population”. (click here)
So atheism is not only disapproved of by thepopulation (according to a 2009 poll, 57% don’t want an atheist or unbeliever in religion as aneighbor), but is now actually illegal. [...] A liberal constitution should ideally make itimpossible to try someone for having unpopular beliefs.
According to that same poll, 42 percent didn’twant to live next to Jews and 35 percent next to Christians. Do these groupsalso “insult religious values” held by another group? [...]
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