The Turkish military has reportedly banned screenings of the popular HBO drama Game of Thrones in military academies and instituted Islam instruction into the curriculum.
The Turkish Hurriyet Daily News reports that the reason for the ban is to protect students from “sexual exploitation, pornography, exhibitionism, abuse, harassment and all negative behaviors.”
Of course Game of Thrones – which chronicles the violent dynastic struggles of fictional noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms - is already no stranger to controversy, due to its ongoing graphic violence and explicit sex.
The ban is not to be taken lightly, as evidenced by disciplinary action imposed in 2012, when some Turkish army officers were given the boot from a military academy for allowing cadets to watch the drama.
The newly implemented regulations also set forth the introduction of classes on Islam in military schools for the first time – focusing on basic religious principles, as well as the Quran and the life of the Prophet Muhammad.
The unprecedented mixing of Islam and military instruction in Turkey – which is majority Muslim, but constitutionally secular – is seen as another sign that the government of President Tayyip Erdogan is indeed becoming less secular.
The discussion focuses on the glaring contradiction between banning Game of Thrones while promoting study of the Quran, which contains its own violent passages, as well as an examination of other recent government decisions in Turkey.
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