'Simpsons' Episode Targeted by Turkish Watchdog for Mocking God
A Turkish TV watchdog has said it will fine a local television station for airing an episode of the popular U.S. series "The Simpsons," which it says mocks God because it depicts Him taking orders from the devil.
The episode in question, "Treehouse of Horror XXII," typically airs around Halloween and features horror-themed "Simpsons" skits, shows copies of the Bible being burned and encourages young people to consume alcohol, The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) said. The devil orders God to bring him coffee in the before-mentioned scene.
The watchdog group has said that it will fine CNBC-e, the network that aired the episode, close to $30,000, The Washington Post reported.
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The episode is accused of "making fun of God, encouraging the young people to exercise violence by showing the murders as God's orders and encouraging them to start drinking alcohol on New Year's Eve night," the RTUK report said, according to The Hurriyet Daily News.
"One of the characters is abusing another one's religious belief to make him commit murders. The Bible is publicly burned in one scene and God and the Devil are shown in human bodies," RTUK add.
Turkey, a largely Muslim nation of 75 million people, prohibits television programming that is deemed to be offensive to God and believers.
"I wonder what the makers of 'The Simpsons' would say when they hear their jokes are taken literally in a country called Turkey," wrote Hurriyet columnist Mehmet Yilmaz, criticizing the decision to target the American animation.
"Perhaps Homer will get a Muslim neighbor," he added of a possible response by the show.
Conservative values in Turkey also do not take kindly to programs insulting historical figures or family values. Last week, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan targeted a popular soap opera show about the Ottoman Empire's longest-reigning Sultan, which RTUK has also warned against crossing the line.
CNBC-e has said it will comment on the case only after the fine for airing "The Simpsons" episode has been made official.
