[New-Poetry] Accused Turkish Writer

[Suzanne Burns]

Tad,
I will forward this on to PEN New England's reedom to Write actioncommittee.  We conducted a letterwriting campaign last year for OrhanPamuk, who faced similar charges, and there was much talk aboutcontinuing the focus on Turkey.
I lived inTurkey for two years. Denial of the Armenian genocide is avery big issue over there, and more an more intellectuals and writersare challenging it and taking it on in their work.  I haven't readElif Shafak's work, but for anyone who is interested in knowing moreabout this, I highly recommend Panuk's novel "Snow".
Suzanne


On 9/16/06, TheOldMole <tad at opus40.org> wrote:>>> Forwarding this note from my friend Boria Sax, poet, scholar and former head> of his area's Amnesty International chapter. I think it's important.>> Tad>>>>> Elif Shafak, a Turkish Writer of my acquaintance, as been arrested for> "insulting Turkishness" and is awaiting trial this Thursday. The ground is a> passage in her recent novel The Bastard of Istanbul, in which a character> alludes to the genocide of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Turkey, which some> believe anticipated the Holocaust. An article about it from the New York> Times may be found at:> http://www.pen.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/814/prmID/172.> As a child of the American left, I, personally, am reminded here of the> denial of the crimes of Stalin in the milieu in which I was raised. Well, if> anybody wants to send a short email to the Turkish embassy asking that> charges against Elif Shafak be dropped, the name and email address are:>>>>> Cc: H.E. Nabi Şensoy> The Embassy of the Republic of Turkey> 2525 Massachusetts Ave. NW> Washington, DC 20008> Fax: (202) 612-6744>> Email: contact at turkishembassy.org>>>> Many thanks.>> Boria>>> Boria Sax, Ph.D.> 25 Franklin Avenue, Apt. 2F> White Plains, NY 10601-3819> Phone: (914) 946-6735> Email: Vogelgreif at aol.com> Web Site: http://www.boriasax.com> _______________________________________________> New-Poetry mailing list> New-Poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu> http://wiz.cath.vt.edu/mailman/listinfo/new-poetry>>>

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