A Muslim creationist has succeeded in having Richard Dawkins’s website banned in Turkey, after complaining that its atheist content was blasphemous. The country’s internet users are now subject to a court order imposed on Turk Telecom that prohibits them from accessing richarddawkins.net.

The court in Istanbul issued its judgment after Adnan Oktar claimed that his book Atlas of Creation, which contests the arguments for evolution, had been defamed on Dawkins’s website.

In July Professor Dawkins wrote on his site: “I am at a loss to reconcile the expensive and glossy production values of this book with the breath-taking inanity of the content.”

Earlier this year Mr Oktar, who uses the pen name Harun Yahya, tried to have Dawkins’s book The God Delusion banned in Turkey but failed. He is also appealing against a three-year prison sentence for creating an illegal organisation for personal gain.

Source: http://www.turkishforum.com/content/2008/09/20/creationist-adnan-oktar-wins-ban-on-richard-dawkins-site/

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YouTube banned several times, this site banned, what´s next?

TLC

But, seriously, why don´t Turks start civil trials for the violation of their rights? If somebody considers atheism blasphemy, somebody else may consider Islam blasphemy and demand banning Islamic sources. This is a vicious circle, all online content may be considered improper by some people.

harun yahya is banned as well. he is in jail.

It is very weird to find a country that bans both headscarfs in schools and atheist websites at the same time!  How do Kemalists justify such a ban?

Evolution is not a theory it is fact.  Most muslim intellectuals agree and argue that evolution can be integrated into the Quran.

Kemalists don`t need to justify that because the decision is taken by the puppets of akp not Kemalists.

Ahhh hello Tam

But those puppeteers working the strings are the Kemalists - let us not forget it

Until they lose their paranoia and allow complete democracy, they have to accept responsibility for any governments actions!

it seems like you`re still living in the 90`s. Can you tell us which "Kemalist institution" it is that pulls the strings of the puppet? Honestly I don`t see such an institution. No Kemalist would take such a decision in favor of this Harun Yeahyeah orangutan

Really?  Strange because I seem to remember that "someone" took the present government to court earlier this year. 

The military (as far as I am aware) is still not under the rule of the elected government, and has overthrown four civilian governments in the last 50 years.

Please also advise me who bans any unsavoury talk about Ataturk?  The AKP? 

Please correct me if I am wrong

Ermmmm maybe the Ergenekon gang?

and what happened at the end? that "someone" you`re referring to is just a prosecutor who legally has rights to take the government to court. he is not god or the secret ruler of Turkey.

see, that`s why I`m saying you`re living in the past(it`s not 4 but 3 btw)., and it`s not the army who makes decisions about judicial issues.

it`s the Turkish constitution which bans insulting Ataturk, not a "secret Kemalist  institution"

Ermmmm maybe the Ergenekon gang?

have you given your password to thehandsom?

Ahh sorry - I realise it is funny to mention the Ergenekon gang - it amuses me too to think of Kemalists working with such skum.....

The court case was really nothing more than an attempt at coup by triall You dont have to use such words as "secret ruler" as I am not afflicted with the paranoia of nationalists

Anyway, I think you missed me

+10000000000000000000

I wish there was a strong secular group in Turkey with equal amounts of money that would start banning religous web sites.

+ 100000000000

Can we all sign that petition?

Yes, along with donating money! Your signature alone Trudy is not good enough.

Adnan Hoca really has a lot of money.  My business partner was just invited, as a foreign journalist, to an iftar meal he is hosting at the Çirağan Palace this Wednesday!

Harun Yahya , i think he is charlatan ... 

 İn a country which let´s even say %60 of the people are muslims,do you want them to ban the İslamic sources/sites ?

Because what ? assuming that they hate their own religion ?!!

Want/wish them to fight them on their own religion ?!!

Well, so you are making it sound like religious rule is a tyranny. When the majority of people are religious, non-religious people can be squandered, banned, censored, but never the other way round. In other words - you can deny rights of minority, but not of the majority? People belonging to the majority are privilaged and superior, have higher human rights then those who belong to minority! This is plain mob rule.

In a democracy, all people should have equal rights - whether they are religious or not, whether they are the majority or not. If a religious person can ban a site because he ´proves´ that a web site talking about evolution insults feelings of a group of people, then a non-religious person should have equal chances of banning a religious site, if she/he shows that it insults feelings of another group of people. If these two people do not have equal chances, then we can say that the country is a religious tyrannical state, where non-religious people or minorities do not have equal rights as the people who belong to the majority.

If you allow sites to be banned because they insult someone´s feelings, then all people´s feelings should be equally valued and all groups of people should be able to ban other web sites. If you don´t want that, then simply no web sites should be banned.

 Read my comment well cat,i havent mentioned anything nor commented on the issue of banning that site because i almost agree with most that have been said,that there was/is no need for such banning

İ have no problem if those sites exist or not,i dont have interest in such sites,so to me its not a problem both ways,i dont view them

And if i did by chance,and read there what i dont like,simply i wont open again,thats simple

Thats my opinion as a muslim

But my reply was to both your post,and DD´s regarding muslims,which wishing secular people ´which surely they have enough money´ ban religious sites

İnteresting way of thinking..not just thinking but wishing too !

I agree with you that this is wrong, but this is exactly what they are doing to sites THEY don´t like. So this wish is for them to get what they give. Not an ideal solution, but just a thought that they should taste what they serve to others.

I didn´t say Turkey should ban religious sites. I believe in freedom and access to all kinds of sites with all kinds of religions, news, films and so on. Trying very hard, I can understand that a site promoting atheism is insulting to a Muslim. Yet, it mustn´t be a reason of preventing all people from watching it. If the court allows banning a site on the basis that somebody finds it blasphemous, an atheist may as well sue religious sites as blasphemy to his/her ideology. I wanted to show that basing court orders personal religious preferences lead to a vicious circle where the whole Internet should be banned as every single site will find its opponents.

I think everybody should have the right to view whatever site they want!!!

Its wrong for them to ban ANYTHING!!!

Even if it is a muslim populated country!!!!

Here we have christian channels and muslim channels (i.e. they talk about religious stuff)

you dont see them going around and banning!!!

Im seriously starting to think turkey is NOT a free country!!!!

(partially...)