3/3/2023

Will There Be Accountability for Türkiye’s Devastation?

Turkish authorities have arrested 184 building contractors and property owners, who were allegedly involved in shoddy construction methods. However, the government knew about these unsafe practices near the faultlines for years. Who's really responsible? Since the initial earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, there have been over 10,000 aftershocks and over 50,000 people have died. 1.5 million people are living in makeshift shelters and 160,000 buildings collapsed. But corrupt building practices and flawed urban development can’t be solely pinned on construction contractors when the government continues to focus on speed more than safety.

3/3/2023

Will There Be Accountability for Türkiye’s Devastation?

Turkish authorities have arrested 184 building contractors and property owners, who were allegedly involved in shoddy construction methods. However, the government knew about these unsafe practices near the faultlines for years. Who's really responsible? Since the initial earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, there have been over 10,000 aftershocks and over 50,000 people have died. 1.5 million people are living in makeshift shelters and 160,000 buildings collapsed. But corrupt building practices and flawed urban development can’t be solely pinned on construction contractors when the government continues to focus on speed more than safety.

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After 10 Years In Hiding, Salman Rushdie Stabbed On Stage

Salman Rushdie, author of ‘The Satanic Verses and ‘Midnight’s Children’’, is fighting life-changing injuries to his heart, liver, and eyes after being repeatedly stabbed on-stage while giving a lecture. While the suspect, 24-year-old Hadi Matar, was just indicted by a grand jury on Thursday August 18, he told the New York Post that his motivation came from Rushdie’sattacks on Islam and its beliefs. Rushdie’s controversial 1988 novel left Muslims feeling outraged and that the book’s author was claiming verses of the Qur’an were “the work of the Devil”. ‘Satanic Verses’ is a phrase unknown to Muslims, and coined by Orientalist Western academics who were specializing in the study of cultures considered Eastern. Rushdie’s title immediately sparked protest because it refers to a legend about Prophet Muhammad that both Sunni and Shiite Muslims believe are fabricated by idolators. Rushdie’s book was also considered offensive because it portrayed weakness in the Prophet Muhammad, and Muslims felt that Rushdie was questioning Muhammad’s credibility as the messenger of God. The book was banned in many parts of the world, including Iran, India and Pakistan, and former Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini even issued a fatwa - or decree - calling for his death. Though the Iranian government has since separated itself from the fatwa, the price on Rushdie’s head recently increased to over $3M. For nearly a decade, the award-winning author went into hiding and lived under police protection, though in recent years became more lax about this, even venturing outside without bodyguard protection at times. Now, the outspoken defender of writers’ freedom of expression is living openly in New York, and once again at the center of free speech debate in literature.

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Will There Be Accountability for Türkiye’s Devastation?