Islamic preacher’s raunchy TV show fined by media watchdog

Zeynep GÜRCANLI ANKARA

Turkey’s media watchdog has fined a religious television program for “corrupting religious feelings” due to its host’s allegedly overfamiliar addresses to his aesthetically-enhanced female guests.

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) unanimously ruled to fine A9 television for two programs hosted by controversial Islamic sect leader Adnan Oktar, who is well-known for his anti-Darwinist efforts around the world.

In the first program titled “Religious Chats,” RTÜK ruled that Oktar “corrupted religious feelings” by dancing, singing and addressing to his female guests as “my kitten” and “my love.”

The guests who appear on his show mostly consist of young, blonde women who seem to have been physically standardized by medical operations and cosmetic adjustments, with large breasts and exaggerated facial features.

Oktar argues that the stand-out features of his program, such as the “beautiful” women and the occasional dancing sessions with electronic music, are designed to show young people “the real, beautiful face of Islam.”

RTÜK has also fined another Oktar program due to a heated argument between the controversial host and a citizen who criticized him. During the argument, Oktar found the person’s photo on Facebook, showed it on air and threatened him “to dandle him like a lamb.”

RTÜK will set the amount of the fines to be given to A9 after calculating the network’s advertising revenues.