The Museum of Thought Crimes Opens

The online Museum of Thought Crimes has opened. 

Just before Initiative Against Thought Crimes (!?)’s Şanar Yurdatapan conducted the opening of the museum in the 9^th Istanbul Gathering for the Freedom of Thought, Professor Noam Chomsky from Massachusetts Institute of Technology joined in the conference via teleconference. 

Chomsky: Orwell couldn’t have pictured this

Professor Chomsky pointed out that the documents exposed by former CIA employee Edward Snowden and published by Glenn Greenwald revealed the U.S. and the National Security Agency’s (NSA) attempts to obtain the information of everyone in the world engaging in electronic communication. “Neither George Orwell, nor any other dystopian writer could have seen this coming,” Chomsky remarked on the subject.

“It is highly significant that people are continuing this project with excitement and enthusiasm in one of the most free countries in the world. At the same time, this rests on the violation of the US Constitution. The Bill of Rights is crucial here. There are very explicit provisions protecting citizens from unnecessary searches.

“No matter how much government lawyers try, it’s not possible for these principles to coincide with the current situation. The protection of privacy too is extremely important here. When the US Constitution was accepted, despotic British rulers were trying to get information about the private lives of US citizens. Nowadays the U.S. is doing the same to its own citizens.”

Museum of Thought Crimes

Yurdatapan conducted the opening of the Museum of Thought Crimes following Professor Chomsky’s speech.

The free online museum is still undergoing updates. A bulletin board concerning current events is located at the entrance of the museum. 

You can choose to tour the museum with the help of a guide or alone. Throughout the trip it is possible to find the stories of people investigated, tortured, incarcerated, or exiled for their thoughts, and related documents. 

There is also a cemetery in the Museum for people who have been murdered due to their thoughts.

* You can access the Museum of Thought Crimes from this link. 

* Click here to read the article in Turkish. (EA/PU/BM)