A few days ago, I spoke with Jytte Klausen, author of The Cartoons that Shook the World (and Yale University Press) (the book’s new title). Surely the news cycle has not quite cooled on the story of the YUP’s last-minute decision to publish a censored version of Professor Klausen’s book about the Dnaish Cartoons, a version that omits not only the cartoons themselves, thus robbing the book of its raison d’être, but also other artistic representations of Mohammed, thus capitulating to the daft iconoclasm that permeates the more extreme forms of Islam. If the designer of the book had a sense of humor, he would arrange to have the book printed with the offending illustrations blacked out and the word “CENSORED” emblazoned over the page. I’m not holding my breath.
Like almost everyone in Christendom (can I still say that?), I found the behavior of the YUP both disgusting and mysterious — disgusting, because it was an act of pre-emptive capitulation to the forces of intolerance and barbarism, mysterious because Professor Klausen’s book had been thoroughly vetted and enthusiastically endorsed by a broad range of scholars, including Muslim scholars. What precipitated their last-minute grovel? Some readers speculated that it had something to do with Yale’s desire not to queer the pitch with possible sources of support in the Middle East. Maybe so.
In any event, in response to my second post on the episode (my first was here), Professor Klausen sent in a comment to which I responded. The exchange can be found in the comments section of the relevant post, but since she raised a point that I believe it is important to air, I reproduce the exchange here:
Jytte Klausen:
A correction:
Mr Kimball and I agreed during our conversation that Yale University had legitimate reasons to be concerned about the impact of reprinting the page from the Danish newspaper with the 12 cartoons. I do not think free speech principles override a university’s obligation to consider the safety of its personnel, at home or abroad. If I thought my family would be put at risk if I reprinted the cartoons in my book I would not do it. Yale University, represented by Linda Lorimer, and I disagreed about the risks involved and, perhaps, more importantly about the means by which one estimates risk in connection with an otherwise non-controversial scholarly book with (sorry to say) limited readership.
Jytte Klausen, Brandeis University
Roger Kimball:
Regarding Professor Klausen’s comment (#5): my recollection is that she raised the threat of violence as a concern. I did not agree that Yale had a legitimate reason to censor her book only that, given past experience, publishing the cartoons might indeed spark violence. Who knows? As I pointed out in my column, displaying a “pig related item,” selling a container of ice-cream with an abstract design that might by the credulous be construed as representing the name Allah, wearing a football T-shirt with a red cross, or any of a hundred other things might be “offensive” to radical Muslims and spark violence by them. They’re a touchy lot.
There are, I think, two questions here. One concerns the extent one allows oneself to be intimidated by extremists. They say: “Don’t publish representations of Mohammed or we’ll burn down your embassies, riot in the street,” etc., etc. Do you say, “OK, noted. We’ll not publish.” Or do you say, “Buzz off, we’ll publish whatever we wish and the police here will take care of you if you try to make good on your threats.” I favor the second course.
The second issue concerns the credibility of Linda Lorimer and the Yale administration. As I said in my piece, the search for motives in this case takes one into a shadowy realm. I strongly suspect, however, that the threats-of-violence trope was a pretext, or at most a subsidiary concern. Put plainly, I do not believe her. I hope some energetic investigative reporter will look into the case and shed some light upon those shadowy regions. My suggestion: look at the money, both the money trail and prospective sources of lucre.
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14 Comments
1. Douglas Johnson:Fantastic article by Roger Kimball. But why in the hell has an Arab Matching service decided to run ads on Pajamas Media about how to meet Muslim girls? Is Pajamas Media the best place to target Muslim men? What’s more, is this smart ad placement by Pajamas Media?
One has to wonder. Perhaps this is meant to bait commentators like myself to say something in appropriate so that CAIR can point a finger and say ‘look how racist Pajamas Media readers are.’ Or maybe the folks at Arab Matchmaking know that Pajamas Media is a hotbed for Muslim singles. I don’t know, but it does seem like a game that Pajamas Media should play.
Yes, there’s nothing wrong with the ad. Yes, there’s nothing wrong with Muslim dating here or anywhere. Sorry, I’m not taking that bait.
Aug 15, 2009 - 7:43 am 2. Dennis Shaper:Censorship at Yale. Bowing to Catholic pressure groups to censor books is outlandish. Those Christians don’t have the right to force their morality on us. Freedom of speech and the press is the hallmark of elite liberal colleges. What? You say it’s Islamic fundamentalist pressing Yale? Never mind.
Aug 15, 2009 - 8:11 am 3. John Reid:Douglas Johnson, I’ll take that bait.
Aug 15, 2009 - 8:18 am 4. William D. Lawrence:It’s because girls nine year old who are willing to date are hard to find.
See, that wasn’t so difficult.
AS many know, William F. Buckley wrote GOD AND MAN AT YALE. I would be keen to know his “take” on this issue. Alas…
Aug 15, 2009 - 8:31 am 5. bibio44:“…mysterious because Professor Klausen’s book had been thoroughly vetted and enthusiastically endorsed by a broad range of scholars, including Muslim scholars. What precipitated their last-minute grovel?”
Mysterious also because the cartoons have been reprinted with no (or minimal) repercussions by numerous publications and are readily available on the web. I still think it’s a PR ploy to elevate an academic publication from obscurity to international attention. I wouldn’t be surprised if YUP relents at the last minute and includes the cartoons, thus assuring best-sellerdom.
Aug 15, 2009 - 8:41 am 6. Sarah:I’m curious – are they equally worried about the KKK coming after them for showing photos of interracial couples? Do they think it was worth it for the National Guard to be called out just so a couple of black kids could go to a white school in the 1950s?
It’s beyond strange for a university like Yale to flake out on the grounds that they’re too intimidated to stand on principle.
Aug 15, 2009 - 8:49 am 7. Alan:As recent history has illustrated, the capitulation of major institutions like Yale will not prevent violence, it will only delay it until the next set of Muslim threats or “requests” to accommodate their endless demands. How long until all Yale students are required to purchase their own mats and attend prayer sessions in order to avoid offense?
Aug 15, 2009 - 11:46 am 8. Cristina:Mr Kimball nails the argument:
Aug 15, 2009 - 12:26 pm 9. Colonel Travis:To write and publish a book about the story of some cartoons’ cultural and political impact without showing those very cartoons is purely and simply innane. Publishing those cartoons in the Danish newspaper is the whole point of the story, or there wouldn’t be a story for Ms Klausen to write about. It’s like writing about the holocaust without images of the death camps on account of “offending” the Germans.
Moral and intellectual courage, standing up for liberty and freedom of expression are the very essence of the whole affair–unless Professor Klausen’s book was already a multi-culti propaganda screed, which, I fear, is the case, or she wouldn’t have caved in so readily. Scholarship without truth is worthless, no matter how you spin it.
Disgusting pansies.
Aug 15, 2009 - 12:35 pm 10. The Divine Conspiracy Blog » Blog Archive » No Pictures:[...] Kimball has an exchange with Jytte Klausen, author of The Cartoons that Shook the World. Posted in Islam | No Comments [...]
Aug 15, 2009 - 12:37 pm 11. HalifaxCB:They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin.
If Ms. Klausen cannot understand such a simple tenet of American philsophy, then perhaps she should pack her bags and head back to Europe, where Chamberlianism is much more accepted.
As for Yale, most likely they are beginning to understand if Mohammed becomes fair game for cartoonists, then so will their Obamessiah. One of the curious sidelights to this whole issue of course is the parallels between the Islamicist reaction to parodies of Muhammed, and the deep Left reaction to chimpanzee drawings, or the Joker poster. Can fatwas by Ayatollah Pelosi be far behind? One can only wonder….
Aug 15, 2009 - 3:08 pm 12. ImaYaleAlum(Really):The solution is to publish the cartoons, and, if muslims withdraw contributions, or whatever, then Yale U Press should open a division of Anti-Muslim Shock-Jockery. Publish a book of depictions of Muhammed taking a dump. Or, of people taking a dump on HIM.
For a discussion of how to handle a different, but equally dangerous, community of terrorists, check out aich-tee-tee-pea://operationcounterstrike.blogspot.com
Aug 15, 2009 - 11:10 pm 13. Men of Letters | A reference for good literature. » An Exchange with Jytte Klausen on the Missing Cartoons:[...] Roger Kimball of New Criterion and author Jytte Klaussen have an exchange over The Cartoons that Shook the World, which Yale University Press has decided to edit rather than support its author. This post was filed under Articles, Authors, Books, Censorship, Controversy, Culture — Read more [...]
Aug 25, 2009 - 7:38 pm 14. John Mullen:The most important thing is not whether the cartoons are in the book or not (they are easy to find on the web). The important thing is that some of them are clearly racist. Mohammend with a lighted bomb in his turban (ho, ho an arab whose head is about to explode, ha ha!) is obviously racist. Both because it is considered humorous that his head explode, as well as for the more widely discussed reason that muslims in general are identified in the cartoon with terrorists.
The cartoons are in fact remarkably similar to cartoons of Jews in the twenties.
Sep 20, 2009 - 1:22 am