SOAD fights for Free Speech in Turkey
Foxy Mop
Posts: 2,823
From the SOAD club email:
I am not one to keep silent when I see something wrong. So, today, I am writing to ask that you speak out with me on an issue that's really important.
Right now, in Turkey, there is a law called Article 301 that makes it a crime to say or write anything deemed to be "un-Turkish". Journalists, writers and many others who are vocal are facing trials under this law. In fact this year's Nobel Prize winner for literature, Orhan Pamuk escaped conviction on a technicality for his mention of the 1 million Armenians living in Turkey who were murdered in the first part of the 20th century.
The Turkish Government is not alone in repressing speech. In the Sudan today tens of thousands have been killed and millions more have been driven from their homes. The Sudanese Government will not acknowledge the extent of the tragedy and refuses to protect its own people. Journalists, writers and many others have been jailed for speaking out.
I ask that you join me and other Amnesty International members to stand up for free speech. Please send an email to the Turkish government now demanding that they uphold the right to free speech and repeal Article 301 of the penal code. In addition to speaking out against Article 301, I ask that you also take action through Amnesty and demand the protection of the men, women and children in the Sudan.
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/c.goJTI0OvElH/b.953489/k.B86E/Action_Center_Home/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&aid=7652
Amnesty's e-mail actions really do work. In the past 45 years Amnesty has helped not only to release over 45,000 prisoners of conscience but have also helped to both change and abolish unfair laws like Article 301.
As a member of Amnesty International, I know I am helping to change the course of history and by taking action, so can you.
Thanks for speaking out for human rights!
Peace,
Serj Tankian
Lead Singer of System of a Down
Co-Founder of Axis of Justice
I am not one to keep silent when I see something wrong. So, today, I am writing to ask that you speak out with me on an issue that's really important.
Right now, in Turkey, there is a law called Article 301 that makes it a crime to say or write anything deemed to be "un-Turkish". Journalists, writers and many others who are vocal are facing trials under this law. In fact this year's Nobel Prize winner for literature, Orhan Pamuk escaped conviction on a technicality for his mention of the 1 million Armenians living in Turkey who were murdered in the first part of the 20th century.
The Turkish Government is not alone in repressing speech. In the Sudan today tens of thousands have been killed and millions more have been driven from their homes. The Sudanese Government will not acknowledge the extent of the tragedy and refuses to protect its own people. Journalists, writers and many others have been jailed for speaking out.
I ask that you join me and other Amnesty International members to stand up for free speech. Please send an email to the Turkish government now demanding that they uphold the right to free speech and repeal Article 301 of the penal code. In addition to speaking out against Article 301, I ask that you also take action through Amnesty and demand the protection of the men, women and children in the Sudan.
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/c.goJTI0OvElH/b.953489/k.B86E/Action_Center_Home/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&aid=7652
Amnesty's e-mail actions really do work. In the past 45 years Amnesty has helped not only to release over 45,000 prisoners of conscience but have also helped to both change and abolish unfair laws like Article 301.
As a member of Amnesty International, I know I am helping to change the course of history and by taking action, so can you.
Thanks for speaking out for human rights!
Peace,
Serj Tankian
Lead Singer of System of a Down
Co-Founder of Axis of Justice
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Comments
But this poses a strange situation for me. You see as Americans (or Canadians like me), if we do send these e-mails, will it not be seen as Americans sticking their noses where it doesn't belong again? I know it is for a good cause but that is a very subjective term. I think Turks should stand up for their rights as a nation, because they may be able to kill one or two protestors, but they certainly can't kill a whole nation for fighting for their rights.
I live in Turkey and try to follow this situation with article 301 and this thing is a true violation against free speech. The article contains a sentence called "insulting Turkish " which I believe it is an obvious situation of low esteem and/or paranoia. And indeed many writers and journalists had, or are still having a trial about this (as far as I know no one got punishments as a results of these trials; yet)
Although I believe that to overcome this situation is to form a strong resistance/voice, and I don't think it should come out of each organization independantly. So in this situation I can't help to think that Amnesty International should co-op (if there is an option like that) with the civil right defenders in Turkey -but that’s just me thinking-.
Also I have to admit that I am confused about SOAD's attitude specifically on this subject. I have heard (from people that might have chosen to have an attitude similar to the Turkish Government about the Armenian subject) they have a rather "over-reacted agressive attitude" about this because of what the Armenian people have witnessed in the past (1915). So is this true? Because no one around me seems to make this clear because or they are a hardcore SOAD fans denying the probability; or they are Turkish racists that know SOAD only because they have Armenian roots and because of their so-called "agressive attittude"..