Islamist HÜDA-PAR targets concerts, says youth being pushed to ‘subversion’

The ruling AKP’s radical Islamist ally HÜDA-PAR has targeted concerts once again, arguing that they have been pushing the youth to “subversion” and causing a “degradation” of moral values. 

Duvar English

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)’s radical Islamist ally Free Cause Party (HÜDA-PAR) has targeted concerts, with the party spokesman saying, “It is totally unacceptable to disregard moral values under the name of ‘entertainment’ and for the youth to be dragged into subversion.”

Yunus Emiroğlu said that municipalities have been causing a “waste of public sources” by organizing “so-called festivals.” “Such activities that have no contribution whatsoever to our culture, social fabric and country's economy distract the youth from all of their ideals, values, aims and priorities,” he said on Aug. 9. 

He called on municipalities and public organizations to refrain from holding festivals and “use the public sources to meet the nation’s basic necessities” at a time period when Turkey is “financially going through very serious problems.”

He argued that the youth is “facing a very serious moral degradation” and instead urged other kinds of “social and cultural works,” which he did not elaborate on. “Building a future is possible only with the improvement of the youth. A future cannot be built by libation or swamp of debauchery,” he further said.