Conservative Turkish party makes comment on Houston's death

ISTANBUL

Pop diva Whitney Houston was found dead on Feb 11 at the age of 48. AFP photo

The early death of singer Whitney Houston and other Western pop stars shows why Turks should not idolize decadent cultural icons who act immorally but instead remain steadfast in Islam, the Felicity Party’s Istanbul Provincial Directorate has said.
 
“Just like the death of many other celebrities before, people that are presented by the Westerners as model characters die alone in a corner,” the statement said, according to daily Milliyet.

“Like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse, Houston drew her last breath in alcohol and a drug coma, too,” the statement from the conservative party said. “What is befitting us is to protect our own faith and values of civilization, which is the only solution to bring peace and welfare to the world and to rise again just like in our bright history in order to rescue humanity from depression.”

Houston’s body arrived in her home state of New Jersey, and her family has been making funeral preparations, CNN reported.

The cause of her death is still unknown.

CNN said a hearse and a large police procession arrived late Feb. 13 at the Whigham Funeral Home in Newark, where a crowd of several dozen had gathered.

Footage of the arrival showed the hearse backing into a white tent set up in front of the funeral home, apparently to prevent any pictures being snapped of the unloading of the body.

Fans are awaiting autopsy results that may not come for weeks, as speculation has swirled that the pop legend with a troubled past may have died from a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs and alcohol.

Houston, who was one of the biggest singing stars of the 1980s and 1990s, selling more than 170 million records, fought a long and public battle with substance abuse after her career and personal life went off the rails.

She was found dead on Feb. 11, at the age of 48, in her bathtub in a luxury suite of the Beverly Hilton hotel as preparations were under way for the Grammy Awards, the highlight of the music industry calendar.

An autopsy was completed on Feb. 12 but the toxicology probe is said to be ongoing and a “security hold” has been placed on its results, which officials say may not be published for six to eight weeks.
Houston’s death led to an outpouring of grief from fellow musicians, friends and fans, and sales of her records have soared, with her 1992 hit “I Will Always Love You” the top seller on iTunes.