[New-Poetry] Accused Turkish Writer

[Anny Ballardini]

Hi Tad,

I forwarded to the WOM-PO, I am sure they are interested in the case there.

From: "Suzanne Burns" <queenmouse at gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2006 1:27 AM


> 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> Th!
> e 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> 
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> New-Poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu> 
> http://wiz.cath.vt.edu/mailman/listinfo/new-poetry>>>
>
> -- "Start with your identity, which is a combination of your assets 
> andwhat your friends mean when they discuss 'the trouble with you,'polish 
> that, and you have style."
> --Quentin Crisp