WorldViews: Turkish premier likens Rupert Murdoch tweet to Nazi collective punishment

A series of tweets by media mogul Rupert Murdoch in the wake of the Paris attacks has caused a wave of controversy, with high-profile critics such as author J.K. Rowling stepping in to dismiss his viewpoint.

"Maybe most Moslems peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible," Murdoch had tweeted, using anantiquated and politically incorrect spelling for Muslims. "Big jihadist danger looming everywhere from Philippines to Africa to Europe to US. Political correctness makes for denial and hypocrisy."

Now Murdoch's comments have drawn the ire of Turkish Prime MinisterAhmet Davutoglu, according to the Turkish daily Hurriyet. Davutoglu reportedly said that the News Corp chief executive's comments reminded him of the logic used byNazi Germany.

This understanding of collective crime is the reason for the emergence of theNazimovement,Davutoglusaid Tuesday as he returned from Paris.We believe that people are innocent at birth. No matter which religion they are from, they are innocent."

Murdoch has a number of business interests in Turkey, includinga branch of his television channel Fox. However, the billionaire has a habit of making comments that prompt anger in the Muslim and Arab world including suggesting that Muslims"find it hardest" to integrate or that Egyptians were "white." This puts him at odds with Davutoglu and PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan's pro-Islam nationalist government.

Erdogan himself stepped into controversy on Monday when he said he couldn't understand how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could attend the Sunday march in Paris when he had committed"state terrorism by massacring 2,500 people in Gaza"

An earlier version of the headline on this article incorrectly said that the Turkish premier had likened a Murdoch tweet to Nazi collective punishment. It has been changed.

Adam Taylor writes about foreign affairs for The Washington Post. Originally from London, he studied at the University of Manchester and Columbia University.

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WorldViews: Turkish premier likens Rupert Murdoch tweet to Nazi collective punishment