Why Douglas Murray wants your offensive poems about the Turkish president
How does one protest a case of potential prosecution over an offensive poem? If you're Douglas Murray, an author and commentator with Britain's The Spectator, you start your own offensive poem contest.
Last month, German comedian Jan Boermermann told a rude poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a late-night comedy show. Turkey complained and the segment was pulled, but last week German Chancellor Angela Merkel authorized Ankara's request to prosecute the comedian for his poem.
Should Boermermann be found guilty, he could face up to five years in prison.
Interestingly enough, Boermermann's poem was in reference to the Turkish president's penchant for censorship. But Murray's poem, and The President Erdogan Offensive Poetry Competition, aren't too focused on the political.
"It has to be abusive. [Poems] that are merely critical or merely factual do not have a chance of going through to the final round," Murray tells Shad, "they have to be defamatory, they have to be profoundly rude."
Murray has already been flooded with entries from all over the world in this form of advocacy for free speech, and a reader even put up a prize of £1000 for the most offensive poem.
WEB EXTRA | Read Murray's offensive poem about the Turkish president that couldn't be repeated on-air.