Turkish singer’s tweet on Nepal raises eyebrows

ISTANBUL

A Turkish singer, known for her animal rights activism, has raised some eyebrows by suggesting the devastating April 25 earthquake in Nepal was punishment for Hindu animal sacrifices.

“Hundreds of animals were slaughtered for a Hindu goddess in Nepal. Would it go without punishment? Thousands of [Nepalese] died today and let their goddess accept [this sacrifice],” Leman Sam said in a tweet late April 25.

Hundreds of people in Turkey have slammed Sam on Twitter, arguing that her “radical” animal rights activism violated the basic principles of humanism. 

“In order to be human, you need to be saddened by the loss of life for all living beings,” a Twitter user named Betül Altıner said. Another user with the handle @Reklamovan reminded that a major earthquake had hit eastern Turkey nearly four years ago, asking “What was our mistake then?”

The flood of reactions prompted Sam to send more tweets. “I am not a humanist in the sense that people, who are ready to ramp and rage without thinking, understand,” she said, adding she believes “nobody has a right to judge her.”