In the censorship file add a new clip for Yale University Press of all places. They will be publishing a scholarly book called The Cartoons That Shook the World by Jytte Klausen, a Danish-born professor of politics at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, without the cartoons. Yale was apparently so concerned about reprinting the cartoons that sparked such controversy in 2005 that they consulted with two dozen authorities who produced a 14-page report on why the cartoons should not be reprinted and, what’s more, other images of Muhammad including a drawing from a children’s book and an Ottoman print should not be reproduced either.
The author, Klausen, accepted Yale’s decision not to publish the cartoons, but is upset that they will not publish the other images either. She asked to see the report and Yale told her she would have to sign a confidentiality agreement first.
John Donatich, the director of Yale University Press, said that the cartoons are easily accessible on the Internet and to publish them in the book “could be interpreted easily as gratuitous.” Huh? And I detect a bit of defensiveness when he insists that he’s been involved in publishing controversial books before as if that proves that he’s not afraid of controversy.
If they aren’t going to publish the book with any images at all, I wonder why Yale even decided to publish the book? And I wonder why the author hasn’t pulled the book. I suppose she has a contract and can’t, but I’d think all things considered she’d have a good ground to negotiate from in canceling the contract. But I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV; I just work in a law library but that doesn’t mean anything other than I have the resources to research contract law if I feel so inclined which I don’t. I’m surprised and confused and disappointed by Yale University Press’s decision. For an institution that is about scholarship and presumably truth, debate and reason, they dropped the ball on this one.
Stefanie,
I agree with you 100%. This is completely crazy. Yale afraid to publish cartoons? In the United States? Like you say, “What the?”
Shows you how far PC lunacy has gone.
Oh brother.
That’s unfortunate. I imagine the report boils down to death threats. I don’t know if bystanders can reasonably expect other people to put themselves and their colleagues in mortal danger, but I think our society does lose something when its individuals don’t take the risk to stand up to bullying. In a way it stains the memory of those who have already died when we don’t.
I’m not surprised. When my colleague and I were writing the book on pornography, our university press strongly suggested we should be very very careful in choosing the accompanying pictures. It seemed sort of odd that my colleague could write a chapter on the most extreme homosexual practices but we had to think twice about having a cover that showed a woman in her knickers. Still, the syndicates who run these university presses behind the scenes tend to be very cautious as they don’t want to risk expensive legal action which no university could currently afford. I’m afraid it always boils down to money in the end.
Your title sums it up eloquently. I also reckon the university doesn’t want any lawsuits, but for a place that teaches freedom of expression to students, they are pretty much backward when it comes to practising what they preach.
I saw this in the news as well. I suspect Litlove has nailed the real reason behind their decision – they are probably very afraid of any legal battles. How sad.
My guess? It’s an excuse. Probably there were large fees associated with reprinting them that Yale didn’t want to pay.