Posted by Jonathan Adler:
The Cartoons that Shook the World Won't Shake the World in This Book:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_08_09-2009_08_15.shtml#1250207929
Yale University Press has decided not to include controversial Danish
cartoons depicting Muhammad in a book about the cartoons and the
resulting controversy. Other depictions of Muhammad slated for
inclusion in the book, [1]The Cartoons that Shook the World, have also
been pulled. The NYT [2]reports:
The book�s author, Jytte Klausen, a Danish-born professor of
politics at Brandeis University, in Waltham, Mass., reluctantly
accepted Yale University Press�s decision not to publish the
cartoons. But she was disturbed by the withdrawal of the other
representations of Muhammad. All of those images are widely
available, Ms. Klausen said by telephone, adding that �Muslim
friends, leaders and activists thought that the incident was
misunderstood, so the cartoons needed to be reprinted so we could
have a discussion about it.� The book is due out in November.
John Donatich, the director of Yale University Press, said by
telephone that the decision was difficult, but the recommendation
to withdraw the images, including the historical ones of Muhammad,
was �overwhelming and unanimous.� The cartoons are freely available
on the Internet and can be accurately described in words, Mr.
Donatich said, so reprinting them could be interpreted easily as
gratuitous.
He noted that he had been involved in publishing other
controversial books . . . and �I�ve never blinked.� But, he said,
�when it came between that and blood on my hands, there was no
question.�
The book is due out in November.
References
1. http://yalepress.yale.edu/book.asp?isbn=9780300124729
2.
http://www.nytimes.com/export_html/common/new_article_post.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2009%2F08%2F13%2Fbooks%2F13book.html&title=Yale%20Press%20Bans%20Images%20of%20Muhammad%20in%20New%20Book&summary=A%20publisher%20has%20decided%20not%20to%20print%20the%2012%20cartoons%20that%20upset%20Muslims%20worldwide%20in%202006%20%26%23151%3B%20in%20a%20book%20about%20the%20controversy.§ion=Books&pubdate=August%2013%2C%202009&byline=By%20PATRICIA%20COHEN
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