No laughing matter: Social media mocks AKP’s fight for chastity
The Justice and Development Party's (AKP) selective conservatism, aiming at regulating Turkish women’s public space, is loudly disapproved by a minority while the majority doesn’t react.
On July 28, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc attended an Eid-al-Fitr celebration in Bursa. Arinc had a lot to say on moral collapse in Turkey to a mostly male audience. The most striking part of his speech was about “regression in morality and chastity of women.”
Arinc said, “Men should not be playing around, should not be womanizers. Women should be humble and protect their chasteness. They should not laugh out loud in public. Women should not be enticing in their attitude.”
With repeated references to the Quran and hadith (Prophet Muhammad’s teachings) Arinc was well aware that his words would stir controversy when he added: “When someone speaks like this they say, 'What language does this man speak?'" Arinc was on the mark with his last comment, for his words that day generated an avalanche on social and print media.
Hundreds of women posted photos of themselves, their friends and celebrities laughing on social media.
