A Turkish author before court again

Turkish-French author Nedim Gürsel still faces a lawsuit for his novel "Allah’ın Kızları" (Daughters of God). The novel, which was released last year in March by Doğan Publishing House, is still being tried for insulting religious values under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code.Gürsel was first tried for his second novel. The storybook titled "Kadınlar Kitabı" (Women’s Book), which was released in 1983 and removed from shelves in the same week, was charged with having offended the public. Gürsel left Turkey in the same year and moved to Paris, where he still lives and serves as the president of France’s National Center for Scientific Research, or CNRS.

Gürsel came to Istanbul before the second hearing, which took place last Wednesday. Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review right after the hearing, he made a call to the Ministry of Culture and said, "An author is being tried in this country. I just want to learn what you think of this. The court will not be affected if you express your opinions."

No worse in Turkey
Gürsel said he talked to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about the issue but did not get a resolution. "Our prime minister and culture minister say that out of every country they visit, cases against authors in Turkey are no worse. But forget about the authors, even the publishing house that released a book by the founder of French poetry, Appolinaere, was sued a few months ago," he said.

Gürsel said he was targeted by some right-wing newspapers, adding that he was annoyed because of this issue. Turkish media often compares Gürsel’s latest novel "Daughters of God" to English author with Indian origin Salman Rushdie’s "The Satanic Verses." Talking about the issue, Gürsel said, "There is humor and sarcasm in Rushdie’s book. This is his style, and his right. It was a baroque novel but there is the sensitivity of a Muslim in my book."

This is not a prayer book but just a novel
Gürsel said his novel had autobiographic factors, adding that it was based on his childhood memories with his grandfather. "My grandfather was in the law business," said Gürsel. "My grandfather was a very modern person. He was also a very religious person; he used to pray five times a day and did not intervene in anybody’s faith. With this book, I wanted to go back to the days when I was happy. Also, it should be remembered that I am a member of Muslim culture."

Gürsel said the axis of his book was the life of Prophet Mohammed and confessed that he censored himself while writing it. Before writing the book, he conducted research at the Arabic Institute in Paris for months. "I put forth great effort to introduce all the perspectives of the history of Islam to my readers," Gürsel said. "I remind you once again that this is not a prayer book but a fiction. The novel is dishonored in the hands of bigots."

According to the publishing house, Gürsel’s book has reached nearly 20,000 readers in Turkey. The first investigation into the book was opened in June by the Şişli Public Prosecutor’s Office upon a compliant from a citizen named Ali Emre Bukağılı, but the case was dismissed. The verdict for dismissal has been lifted by the Criminal Court and a new trial process has begun. The first hearing was May 5, the second was May 27 and the third will take place June 25.

Gürsel said the Religious Affairs Directorate released a report against him. "The report says that the novel insults not only Islam but also all celestial religions and causes disintegration in society," he said. Gürsel said the suit negatively affected Turkey’s image in the Western world, and he defended himself against accusations that he was promoting himself thanks to the lawsuit. "I am not the one who filed a suit against me just to become popular.

I don’t need this because I already have a certain mass of readers in European countries. If someone should be accused, it should be the Beyoğlu Criminal Court that filed a suit against me," he said. Gürsel has written nearly 40 books that have been translated into some 20 languages and holds many national and international awards.

EXAMINING ISLAMIC FAITH
Nedim Gürsel’s novel "Allah’ın Kızları" (Daughters of God) examines faith and violence in Islam through the life of the Prophet Mohammed and the Koran. It is the tragic but happy story of a child with a rich imagination and a grandfather who defends the city of Mohammed, Medina, during the time of war.