Turkish women laugh online to protest

[Shaman Slate]

Quote:

Turkish Women Laugh Online to Protest Deputy PM's Remarks

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Hundreds of Turkish women posted pictures of themselves laughing on Twitter on Wednesday to protest comments by Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc, who had urged women not to laugh in public to "protect moral values".

Melda Onur, a lawmaker from the main opposition party CHP, said on Twitter that Arinc's comments portrayed laughing as a dishonourable act and left women exposed to violence.

Arinc criticised the media on Wednesday for taking his comments out of context and focusing on a small part of his speech, in which he said he advised both men and women to adopt "ethical behaviours".

"Some people criticise me by picking up only a part of an 1 1/2-hour speech. What a baseless and disgusting claim. People who have listened to all of my comments have realised this," Arinc was quoted as saying by Hurriyet newspaper.

"I believe I have made a useful speech," he said. "If I had only said women should not laugh then I have done something irrational. But my speech was about manners and moral rules."

Opponents accuse Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government of ruling in an increasingly authoritarian manner and meddling in people's private lives, which has long been a source of conflict between the country's secularists and Erdogan's conservative supporters.

Erdogan is running to become the first directly elected president of predominantly Muslim Turkey.

Arinc, one of the co-founders of Erdogan's AK Party, said this week at a celebration of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan: "The woman should have chastity ... She should not laugh in front of everyone and not be inviting in her behaviour. She should protect her honour."

One women's organisation said it would file a criminal complaint against the deputy PM.

His comments, in which he also criticised television soap operas for promoting decadence, drew criticism from opposition presidential candidate Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu as well. He tweeted: "Our country needs our women to laugh and to hear everyone's joyful laughter more than ever."

[Ratttking]

An extremely foolish comment worthy of laughter, yet I see nothing criminal about his remark so I'd like to know the basis for the criminal complaint being filed against him.

[Alexander J Luthor]

Ratttking

An extremely foolish comment worthy of laughter, yet I see nothing criminal about his remark so I'd like to know the basis for the criminal complaint being filed against him.

It's basically saying "If you don't want to get raped, don't laugh in public." So, counts for both sexism and victim blaming. Plus, I'd be a little creeped out if the President said Americans weren't allowed to laugh in public for "safety reasons."

[crownvetch]

why isn't there a virus that only targets stupid people?

[Ratttking]

Alexander J Luthor

Ratttking

An extremely foolish comment worthy of laughter, yet I see nothing criminal about his remark so I'd like to know the basis for the criminal complaint being filed against him.

It's basically saying "If you don't want to get raped, don't laugh in public." So, counts for both sexism and victim blaming. Plus, I'd be a little creeped out if the President said Americans weren't allowed to laugh in public for "safety reasons."

Neither of which is criminal, and 'urging' them not to laugh in public is not even close to disallowing them to do so. I don't believe the Turkish president was involved here, this statement was from the deputy prime minister, which is a different position entirely and one for which we do not have an equivalent.

[lVlIGHTY]

Laugh it up ladies. ******** that prime minister. rofl

[darth acheron]

That's stupid. And to protect their 'honor'. Would someone almost equivalent be the Speaker of the House?

[Ratttking]

Darth Acheron

That's stupid. And to protect their 'honor'. Would someone almost equivalent be the Speaker of the House?

I don't think so. In the Turkish Parliament, the more or less equivalent position to our Speaker of the House [of Representatives] is the Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey. He also serves as acting president if the president is unable to fulfill his duties.

[Ame Yuki Kaze]

How about governments just concentrate on serving the people, instead of trying to impose manners and morals?

[Alexander J Luthor]

Ratttking

Alexander J Luthor

Ratttking

An extremely foolish comment worthy of laughter, yet I see nothing criminal about his remark so I'd like to know the basis for the criminal complaint being filed against him.

It's basically saying "If you don't want to get raped, don't laugh in public." So, counts for both sexism and victim blaming. Plus, I'd be a little creeped out if the President said Americans weren't allowed to laugh in public for "safety reasons."

Neither of which is criminal, and 'urging' them not to laugh in public is not even close to disallowing them to do so. I don't believe the Turkish president was involved here, this statement was from the deputy prime minister, which is a different position entirely and one for which we do not have an equivalent.

I thought prime minister was relative to vice president? Or is it more of a police force figure in Turkey?

[Ratttking]

Alexander J Luthor

Ratttking

Alexander J Luthor

Ratttking

An extremely foolish comment worthy of laughter, yet I see nothing criminal about his remark so I'd like to know the basis for the criminal complaint being filed against him.

It's basically saying "If you don't want to get raped, don't laugh in public." So, counts for both sexism and victim blaming. Plus, I'd be a little creeped out if the President said Americans weren't allowed to laugh in public for "safety reasons."

Neither of which is criminal, and 'urging' them not to laugh in public is not even close to disallowing them to do so. I don't believe the Turkish president was involved here, this statement was from the deputy prime minister, which is a different position entirely and one for which we do not have an equivalent.

I thought prime minister was relative to vice president? Or is it more of a police force figure in Turkey?

No. IDK what you mean by 'police force figure', the PM is appointed by the president. The president is the head of state, but the PM is the one who actually runs the government.

[Alexander J Luthor]

Ratttking

Alexander J Luthor

Ratttking

Alexander J Luthor

Ratttking

An extremely foolish comment worthy of laughter, yet I see nothing criminal about his remark so I'd like to know the basis for the criminal complaint being filed against him.

It's basically saying "If you don't want to get raped, don't laugh in public." So, counts for both sexism and victim blaming. Plus, I'd be a little creeped out if the President said Americans weren't allowed to laugh in public for "safety reasons."

Neither of which is criminal, and 'urging' them not to laugh in public is not even close to disallowing them to do so. I don't believe the Turkish president was involved here, this statement was from the deputy prime minister, which is a different position entirely and one for which we do not have an equivalent.

I thought prime minister was relative to vice president? Or is it more of a police force figure in Turkey?

No. IDK what you mean by 'police force figure', the PM is appointed by the president. The president is the head of state, but the PM is the one who actually runs the government.

Like... not the chief of police, the attorney general or something.

I'm confused because over in England their PM is pretty much the president, unless they're hiding a diplomatic body somewhere.

[Ratttking]

Alexander J Luthor

Ratttking

Alexander J Luthor

Ratttking

Alexander J Luthor

Ratttking

An extremely foolish comment worthy of laughter, yet I see nothing criminal about his remark so I'd like to know the basis for the criminal complaint being filed against him.

It's basically saying "If you don't want to get raped, don't laugh in public." So, counts for both sexism and victim blaming. Plus, I'd be a little creeped out if the President said Americans weren't allowed to laugh in public for "safety reasons."

Neither of which is criminal, and 'urging' them not to laugh in public is not even close to disallowing them to do so. I don't believe the Turkish president was involved here, this statement was from the deputy prime minister, which is a different position entirely and one for which we do not have an equivalent.

I thought prime minister was relative to vice president? Or is it more of a police force figure in Turkey?

No. IDK what you mean by 'police force figure', the PM is appointed by the president. The president is the head of state, but the PM is the one who actually runs the government.

Like... not the chief of police, the attorney general or something.

I'm confused because over in England their PM is pretty much the president, unless they're hiding a diplomatic body somewhere.

It can be somewhat confusing. The UK's system is a bit different from Turkey's though, as the monarch is the non-elected head of state and in theory could dismiss the elected PM if it suited her, or refuse to approve laws agreed on by both houses - the latter last happened in 1707.

[Glorious Leader Luna]

Ratttking

An extremely foolish comment worthy of laughter, yet I see nothing criminal about his remark so I'd like to know the basis for the criminal complaint being filed against him.

The Constitution of Turkey explicitly states that religious sensibilities cannot become involved in the political process.

[Ratttking]

Glorious Leader Luna

Ratttking

An extremely foolish comment worthy of laughter, yet I see nothing criminal about his remark so I'd like to know the basis for the criminal complaint being filed against him.

The Constitution of Turkey explicitly states that religious sensibilities cannot become involved in the political process.

Morals and manners need not relate to religion. I see nothing religious about his comment.