Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam

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- billy
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Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
OP - April 23, 2012, 02:09 PM

The headline makes it sound as if he is a voluntary exile, 'disillusioned' suggests mild objection - but he has been hounded out through threats and even the prospect of state sanctioned prosecution.

+++++

Atheist pianist to turn back on Turkey; disillusioned by rise of conservative Islam

The acclaimed composer and pianist Fazil Say said Monday that he was turning his back on his native Turkey and would live in exile in Japan after becoming disillusioned by the rise of conservative Islam.

In an interview with the Hurriyet daily, Say spoke of how he felt completely ostracized by Turkish society since he declared that he was an atheist and that the criticism he had received had highlighted a growing culture of intolerance.

“I think it’s time for me to move to Japan,” Say told the daily.

“When I said that I was an atheist, everyone insulted me and the legal authorities jumped on everything that I wrote on Twitter. I am perhaps the first person anywhere in the world to be the object of a judicial inquiry for declaring that they are an atheist.”

The multiple award-winning artist, who is a culture ambassador for the European Union, has drawn the ire of conservatives in Turkey with a series of provocative tweets about Islam.

A senior lawmaker for the ruling AKP party, Samil Tayyar, has called Say a “son of a whore” and the composer now fears that he could end up behind bars.

“If I am sentenced to prison, my career will be finished,” said Say, 41.

Under Turkish law, anyone convicted of insulting religious values can be sentenced to between three months and one year in prison.

Turkey is an officially secular country but the AKP, which has been in power since 2002, has strong Islamist roots.

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/04/23/209696.html

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #1 - April 23, 2012, 02:53 PM

Quote
“I think it’s time for me to move to Japan,” Say told the daily.

Why Japan, I wonder?

If he comes to Osaka we'll be neighbours.
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #2 - April 23, 2012, 03:14 PM

Quote
Earlier this week, Say sent controversial tweets questioning whether heaven in Islamic belief is like a brothel or pub because the Quran says there are rivers of drinks and houris [very beautiful women] in heaven for those who commit good deeds while they are on earth.

Say also tweeted about a muezzin who recited the evening call for prayer in 22 seconds, questioning whether he was in a rush to reunite with his lover or go to the rakı table.

http://www.sundayszaman.com/sunday/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=277221

Its got nothing to do with the AK Party or conservative Islam, even if he said the heaven thing 10 or 20 years ago it'd have still been condemned by most Turks. The second tweet is just stupid and pointless, 22 seconds? How precise. Timing the call to prayer, how boring....
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #3 - April 23, 2012, 03:23 PM

Aphrodite:
And those statements makes its permissible to persecute the guy? How do you explain what the AKP lawmaker said?

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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #4 - April 23, 2012, 03:37 PM

Nooo problem for this guy. Japan is NOT Malaysia..

There are a million billion places to hide, and I have no doubt
the japanese people would be willing to hide him.

He could even pass as being half japanese and blend in
without any problem. and if all else fails, I have no doubt
De Bee Do san would take him in

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #5 - April 23, 2012, 03:42 PM

When a senior AK party member calls him a son of a whore and leaves him fearing for his freedom it has to do with that party, and when it comes out of an atmosphere in which he's not free to speak his mind it has to do with conservative religiosity.

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #6 - April 23, 2012, 03:44 PM

Quote from: Al-Ma`arri on April 23, 2012, 03:23 PM
Aphrodite:
And those statements makes its permissible to persecute the guy?

Persecuted? He's being investigated for laws he may have broken. And no, I don't agree with those laws, they've existed for decades too, so again I don't see why he's linking it to conservative Islam or the AK party. The constitution is the problem, you can be jailed for criticising the military.

Quote from: Al-Ma`arri on April 23, 2012, 03:23 PM
How do you explain what the AKP lawmaker said?

Don't care.
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #7 - April 23, 2012, 03:44 PM

Quote from: David on April 23, 2012, 02:53 PM
Why Japan, I wonder?

I'd guess he maybe has contacts there as a musician.

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #8 - April 23, 2012, 03:46 PM

Quote from: billy on April 23, 2012, 03:42 PM
When a senior AK party member calls him a son of a whore and leaves him fearing for his freedom it has to do with that party, and when it comes out of an atmosphere in which he's not free to speak his mind it has to do with conservative religiosity.

Its to do with the constitution. In case you hadn't noticed Turkish courts are secular.
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #9 - April 23, 2012, 03:52 PM

If he perceives his well being is at risk after being abused and threatened for his views, and that those threats and abuse emanates from conservative religiosity, then that is part of what he is stating - a diminution in the space for dissent or atheism within society. That is a separate complaint he makes about how the law can be used to stifle him.

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #10 - April 23, 2012, 04:08 PM

Abused? LOL! He's being "threatened" not by Islamists but by the laws of a secular constitution and secular judiciary. Believe it or not Turkish judges aren't bearded pro-sharia mullahs. I don't value the opinion of every idiot who screams "OMG the Islamists are going to take over". Being called a son of a whore by a politician isn't going to jail him, being prosecuted for breaking a law is.
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #11 - April 23, 2012, 04:23 PM

Being persecuted by politicians quick to make recourse to laws designed to stifle dissent against religious 'sentiment' whatever their origin, being singled out by a senior member of an Islamist party for doing so, and facing personal abuse and threat for enunciating your beliefs is fairly described as conservative religiosity doing what it does best - inquisition against free conscience. No amount of victim blaming changes that.

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #12 - April 23, 2012, 04:46 PM

Blah blah *yawns*
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #13 - April 23, 2012, 04:49 PM

Wow, he's so talented, look at his very individual playing style and how he uses the inner parts of the piano to make it sound so different (and kind of Turkish in parts)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFSm5_4afro&feature=fvst

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #14 - April 23, 2012, 04:56 PM

Aphrodite, considering this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sivas_massacre, I don't think it's unreasonable for this dude to fear for his life.

fuck you
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #15 - April 23, 2012, 05:15 PM

wow... what an egnima! amazing!

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #16 - April 23, 2012, 05:36 PM

British blasphemy laws are totally ok because Britains aren't crusaders so Gay News should have should shut up and pay the fees.

So once again I'm left with the classic Irish man's dilemma, do I eat the potato or do I let it ferment so I can drink it later?
My political philosophy below
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #17 - April 23, 2012, 06:09 PM

Quote from: Jinn and Tonic on April 23, 2012, 03:37 PM
if all else fails, I have no doubt
De Bee Do san would take him in

As it happens we have an unused, if rather ramshackle, wing to our house - complete with private long-drop.

However I suspect that as an elite Turk he might turn his nose up at our primitive facilities.
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #18 - April 24, 2012, 03:59 PM

Quote from: deusvult on April 23, 2012, 05:36 PM
British blasphemy laws are totally ok because Britains aren't crusaders so Gay News should have should shut up and pay the fees.

You have blasphemy laws ?
That's just ridiculous !
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Re: Atheist pianist leaves Turkey after rise of conservative Islam
Reply #19 - April 24, 2012, 05:40 PM

I think mosr of Japan have Aethist like values compare to most other countries.

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