New Year’s Eve in Turkey: Santa Taken Before Shari’a Judge, Converts to Islam

Cybercast News Service ^ | December 30, 2015 | 10:13 PM EST | Patrick Goodenough

[Olog-hai]

Turks celebrate New Year's Eve in a big way, but for Islamists it's a time to protest what they view as a Western, Christian, immoral event, and for one small far-right Islamist party that means a public skit involving Santa and a shari'a court judge.

Turkish media outlets report that members of the Great Unity Party (BBP) in the city of Bolu -- roughly halfway between Ankara and Istanbul -- staged an "anti-New Year celebration" skit involving a man dressed as Santa. (In Turkey, Santa Claus, decorated trees and gifts are associated with New Year as much as with Christmas.) [...]

"The judge asked Santa what he was doing, and learned he was celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ by wearing red and consuming alcohol," Hurriyet reported.

After the judge hears from other people who are celebrating that there is no coercion involved -- that they in fact enjoy the celebration -- he releases "Santa."

"Surprised by the decision, Santa said he heard that the Turks were barbaric," according to Zaman's account. "The qadi [judge] answered that there was no room for barbarism or violence in Islam. Moved, Santa converted to Islam by reciting the Islamic shahada, the Muslim profession of faith." ...

[KarlInOhio]

"The qadi [judge] answered that there was no room for barbarism or violence in Islam.

Ouch. I sprained something from laughing.

Did the translation leave out the words "anything but"?

[markomalley]

The perverse part of this is St Nicholas was known to be a staunch defender of orthodoxy. He decked Arius during the Council of Nicea for espousing his heretical beliefs.

Perversely, Turkey used to make a big deal of St Nicholas coming from Turkey as a tourist attraction. But I guess Islamic Fundamentalism is now worth more to them than tourist dollars.