'Insult Turkey's Erdogan' contest set up by Spectator magazine

By Wild Turkey •
A UK-based magazine has offered a prize to the author of the most offensive poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is suing a German comedian over a satirical verse.
The Spectator is offering £1,000, donated by a reader. [BBC]
Here's your chance to win £1,000.
You cannot suppress - especially in today's connected world..
Societies develop at their own pace and will continue to do so...
An obscure German law, dating back to 1871, was used to silence Iranian dissidents critical of Iran's Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in the 1960s and 1970s. Now Erdogan has become the third foreign leader taking advantage of that law after a popular German comic satirized him in crude terms.
The law allows prosecution in Germany for insulting a foreign leader, but only with the consent of the government. German Chancellor Angela Merkel granted her consent for the prosecution of German comedian Jan Böhmermann, although she promised that the law allowing legal proceedings would be repealed in 2018.
How will our societies develop when we have people justifying dictatorial and atrocious tendencies.
Your explanation seems to be an emotional one. The examples and instances you have quoted are debatable but let's not get into that. Nonetheless, that's your opinion and you are welcome to it.
//How is respecting sentiments an excuse to suppress someone's voice? Pls explain//
How can you be so ignorant.Take the example of India and Pakistan. Look how individuals and minority groups are suppressed in the name of 'hurting sentiment''. Look how publishers and writers are lynched in Bangladesh for hurting the sentiments of .......... I can give you dozen other examples but I cant write in details over here. Hope you understand the constraints.
No Mufti I don't want the world to remain oppressive and unjust. But it's better to be factual and accept things the way they are.
How is respecting sentiments an excuse to suppress someone's voice? Pls explain.
Speaking out leads to discussion and exchange of views - positive for all
So as per you since the world is in equal and oppressive- it should remain so. This is what you mean.
This business of 'respecting sentiments'' is an excuse to suppress peoples voices.
No my choice is not to keep the pot simmering but rather to acknowledge that the issue at hand exists.
My point regarding universal human rights and that all humans are equal - this is a myth and is non existent in the real world.
//This issue regarding east & west is perennial. It's always going to be there whether you choose to turn a blind eye to it, is your choice//
Looks like your choice is to keep the pot simmering till eternity.
//"All humans are equal and human rights are universal" - do you know a single country where this is practiced and there is no bias/preferential treatment doled out on the basis of race/religion/color/ethnicity etc.//
So your are justifying the discrimination and suppression of freedom of expression.
Mufti: This issue regarding east & west is perennial. It's always going to be there whether you choose to turn a blind eye to it, is your choice. "All humans are equal and human rights are universal" - do you know a single country where this is practiced and there is no bias/preferential treatment doled out on the basis of race/religion/color/ethnicity etc.
acchabaccha has a valid question - Has any one put up a reward for insulting any any leader from the west?
Making satirical comments about political leaders is alright but when the media posts such contests where the most offensive piece of prose/poetry wins - this is highly irresponsible and ridiculous.
Mufti: As long as one doesn’t call for violence any form of expression is justified. How can you justify this?
WT: My schooling, education and upbringing does not allow me to use foul, filthy, obscene and vulgar language while speaking or writing no matter how angry or upset I may be. This is irrespective of race or religion, colour or creed. I stand by my principles. In our part of the world we have leaders doing all sorts of unwanted and undesirable things. They get pulled down in the media, but then we also have red lines of decency which we do not cross. Possibly, the people in the west may have something to learn from the east.
Agreed that freedom of speech is not ultimate. But you can’t hound a person simply because he has criticized a powerful person. Praise or criticism is the part of whole discourse. As long as one doesn’t call for violence any form of expression is justified. And for God’s sake stop making it an issue of east or west. Humans are equal and human rights are universal.
I have to agree with WT here... Erdogan should have kept quiet and it would have gone away.
Now all he has managed to do is garner negative publicity
WT, cool down...n hav chilled Karak ! :)
And do you know why it won't bother me? - Because I KNOW that I am not an a.s.s.h.o.l.e.
accha, go ahead and call me an a.s.s.h.o.l.e. Trust me, I couldn't care less!
Erdogan could have said:" So, what? Let them talk." But obviously there seems to be some truth in the insults, hence his panic reaction!
What I mean is, there is never a reaction from the 'insulted' people.
Yes, there are numerous satires insulting Mrs. Merkel or Obama. However, they don't give a s.h.i.t. If you could, you could watch satire almost every day on German TV. Unfortunately you would have to understand German to see how insulting many remarks are!
I have stated earlier also, "freedom of expression" and "freedom to insult" are totally two different things. Under the garb of "freedom of expression" the people of the west have gone about insulting and religion is their prime target followed by humans. And when the attack is directed towards Islam or Muslims as is the case with Erdogan, people are very eager to put up rewards for the best work. Has any one put up a reward for insulting any any leader from the west? You have the answer!
Freedom of expression must be supplemented by sensibility. Otherwise it's moronic to use this term loosely to further sinister agendas, like in the above case.
I don't think so. If there were a reader offering to pay US$1,000 for a glorifying poem, they would probably have made a competition, too. Fact is, there is none who is willing to pay for that.
WT: If the magazine had just asked for poems regarding the president, then to me that is fine. But to offer a reward for the most offensive one seems wong...
Freedom of expression goes in both directions. If you want to praise your king I have the same right to condemn him.
Only few people understand "Freedom of Expression".
I am fully supportive of freedom of speech. However, in this case, it is incitement. Whilst i often read the Spectator, i would disagree with its methods here..
WT, Your priorities are misdirected .............