Turkey makes the international news, but Malta does not
Why do these things make the international news when they happen in Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and so on, but not when they happen in Malta?
And we have had identical cases in Malta.
The Press Association wired this story today:
Pianist charged over Islam ‘insult’
An internationally known Turkish pianist and composer has been charged with insulting Islamic religious values in comments he made on Twitter.
A court in Istanbul today approved charges against Fazil Say, who has played piano with the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, National Orchestra of France, and Tokyo Symphony.
The 42-year-old faces charges of inciting hatred and public enmity, and insulting “religious values”.
Mr Say, who has served as a culture ambassador for the European Union, allegedly mocked Islamic beliefs about paradise.
Meltem Akyol, a lawyer for Mr Say, says the pianist has denied the charges. She says the opening trial will be held on October 18.
He could face a maximum one and a half years in prison if he is convicted.
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What (tediously, tenuously) similar cases are there in Malta? It’s all silly wherever it is.
[Daphne – Only a couple of years ago, a young man was prosecuted and fined for posting a remark about the Pope on Facebook.]
Wasn’t a writer recently prosecuted by the police for publicly criticising a magistrate who has undesirable standards in her personal and professional life?
Didn’t the young man threaten physical violence against the Pope, before/during the pontiff’s visit to the island?
Not sure, but if that were the case I think it would’ve justified police action.
[Daphne – No, he didn’t. And even if he had, it wouldn’t justify police action. There has to be a calculation of risk.]
I’ve asked around – apparently, he said something about hammering nails into the pope’s head. Charming.
[Daphne – No, he said nothing of the sort. It is a very bad idea to ask around about things in Malta, the land of Chinese whispers.]
Because they show what is underneath the facade. Why do you think the World Bank has just said, in Turkey, that 160 million dollars ‘disappeared’ from the Somalia aid fund during the last couple of years?
Because they are still playing the old Byzantine game: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
That’s because this is not Turkey, it’s a stuffed capon, which is why people like Franco Debono are taken seriously.
On the other hand no one is ever accused of insulting Christian beliefs. Maybe its because us Christians never try to pay back by exploding ourselves in middle east train stations and supermarkets.
[Daphne – Read the post again, Lupin. I asked: why do these things make the international news when they happen in Turkey but never when they happen in Malta? I meant the arrest, arrest and prosecution of somebody for ‘insulting religion’. It is reported internationally when it happens in Turkey or North Africa, but is never reported internationally when it happens in Malta, as when that young man a couple of years ago was prosecuted for posting a remark about the Pope on Facebook. It’s THE PROSECUTION that’s shocking, which is why it is reported in terms of NEWS VALUE by the major agencies. And you want the same thing to be done to people for insulting Christians? But it is done, in Malta at least. And it’s wrong.]
The pianist’s real offence was to define himself as an atheist in a religious country.
Shades of Malta today (not the newspaper).
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/02/world/europe/turkey-charges-pianist-fazil-say-over-twitter-posts.html
“The pianist, who has frequently criticized the pro-Islamic Justice and Development Party government over its cultural and social policies, publicly defines himself as an atheist — a controversial admission in Turkey, which is overwhelmingly Muslim. “
La Redoute, thanks for the link.
In my view, the most important sentence in that article is:
“The European Union, which Turkey is seeking to join, and other international organizations have criticized such actions as violations of free speech.”
Joseph Muscat, Franco Debono please take note.
Good on you Daphne to question why Maltese cases do not make it to the international media and the international bodies. In part it must be our fault, because we do not draw their attention to those cases.
They report these things about Turkey and not Malta simply because Turkey is bigger, therefore international readers will associate quicker/more easily with a bigger country. It’s the same why we never hear anything about places like Tuvalu, Liechtenstein, Andorra etc…
Who would care what happens in Tuvalu?