How a German Comedian Has Europe in an Uproar

Merkel Won’t Stand Between German Comedian and Court System

A law in Germany prohibits individuals from insulting foreign dignitaries. If that seems like an antiquated rule prioritizing the egos of magistrates above a building block of democracy, that’s because the law dates back to 1871 under the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II. He was an emperor and emperors make laws like that.

The law doesn’t specify whether thumbscrews or a public stoning is the appropriate punishment but instead allows the insulter to be tried by a court if the government approves. When in history would a democratic government possibly prioritize the ego of a foreign leader over its citizens’ right to free speech? During the desperation caused by an overflow of refugees and terrorism? In 2016, maybe?

On March 31st of 2016, a late-night comedy show hosted by Jan Böhmermann aired. As part of the show, the host acknowledged he was breaking this obscure law and read a sexual poem about the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on television as part of a show Jan hosts. He called the president a goat fucker, which is one step above a turkey fucker but a few below a pig fucker.

That’s how a late-night joke became an international trial, in addition to a private law suit between Erdoğan and Böhmermann. There are a few steps in between. German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave the government’s permission for the prosecution to continue on April 15th. In the same announcement the Chancellor added that the very law this comedian is being tried under will be repealed by 2018. Her justification was that, “weighing up personal rights against freedom of the press and freedom of expression is not a matter for governments, but for public prosecutors and courts.” Of course, when the law specifies that it’s the government’s power to weigh in, this only leads to circular thinking.

Merkel’s is a hugely unpopular decision, with two thirds of the German population opposing. Laura Chaplin, granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin has compared the situation to American and British attempts to stop the filming of her grandfather’s film “The Great Dictator” as to appease Hitler. Turkish communities in Germany have also opposed; Gökay Sofuoglu, chairman of the Turkish Community in Germany said: “I would have wished the chancellor had not allowed the trial to go ahead.”

A protest in front of the Turkish embassy in Berlin was scheduled for Friday afternoon with plans to read Böhmermann’s poem, but Berlin police have banned the event. Böhmermann himself has not commented on the issue, but Cologne authorities have confirmed that the comedian and his family are under police protection. So President Erdogan wastes governmental energy on personal feuds and the whole situation is unreal and obviously “president” can be a loose term here, right? Except this whiny boy is indispensable to the EU.

Amidst the Syrian refugee crisis, it was only last month Merkel closed a bargain with Turkey that the country would accept the return of illegal migrants who had made it to Greece in return for billions of Euros. Without Turkey’s compliance, an unprecedented flood of refugees continues to enter Germany under the country’s open door policy. While that policy was Germany’s call in the first place, there’s also a current migration issue unlike anything since World War 2.

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Rachel Crowe

The most notable lies Rachel Crowe has ever told were that she has 10 children (no twins), she’s running a marathon retracing the path her ancestors took to evade the IRS and that she found childcare for 10 on a Saturday night. She’s also a stand-up comedian and dog walker living in Los Angeles. Follow Rachel on Twitter @Racheddar or on Instagram @thelma_and_disease. Or don’t, but at least appreciate those fresh hot puns.

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