TW: An American publishing firm, Random House, has decided to cancel publication of a book due to the fear of violence if it were to publish the book, which apparently integrates sex and violence into a story involving Mohammed. As the attached outlines the concern is not the decision so much by Random House as their decision may be rational given the value of publishing a likely minor work relative to the cost of doing so. The challenge relates to the continued clash between the norms of liberal democratic freedom of expression and the some time visceral reaction of certain Islamic adherents to many expressions related to Mohammed. Certainly Christian and Jewish adherents have their own red lines although from my perspective those are generally themselves illegimate. The red lines for Islam appear more frequent and more stringent. This is a problem.
From Int'l Herald Tribune:
"Gibson Square, a British publishing house, has announced that it will soon release "The Jewel of Medina," a novel by American author Sherry Jones, whose publication in the United States was recently canceled by Random House for fear of triggering violence by Islamic fanatics...
Random House sent copies of the galleys to various scholars, some of whom told the publisher that the content distorted history, would inflame Muslims and could cause much trouble. Security experts were also consulted. Random House decided to cancel publication of Jones' work, invoking reasons of "safety."
...The problem is not whether Random House was entitled to its decision, but what the decision to go against its own desire to publish the book tells us about the fear that fanaticism has instilled in Western countries through systematic acts of intolerance."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/16/opinion/edllosa.php
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