Regarding the law suit against Dr. Çig (see October 31 post IAA appeal for Dr. Çig): she has been swiftly let off the hook by the judge. I quote from the International Association for Assyriology web site:
From the BBC came this encouraging message:
"A court in the Turkish city of Istanbul has acquitted a 92-year-old academic of charges of insulting Muslim women and inciting religious hatred.
Archaeologist Muazzez Ilmiye Cig was prosecuted over a book in which she linked the wearing of headscarves with ancient Sumerian sexual rites. The judge ruled at the first hearing of her trial that her actions did not constitute a crime. Dr Cig's publisher was also cleared in a trial lasting less than half an hour. The archaeologist was applauded by supporters as she left the courtroom"
The acquittal of all charges against Muazzez Ilmiye Çig and Ismet Ogutucu, her publisher, is very gratifying.
The International Association for Assyriology has received almost 150 responses to its appeal and we are heartened by it. The appeal is now suspended and we hope that there will be no future need for any similar call on behalf of intellectual rights and plea for legal sanity.
Update
See November 5 post Dr. Çig update.
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The Iraq War & Archaeology Blog - News, Background and Comment Francis Deblauwe, Ph.D., Editor |
