In the Daily Mail can be read today that the publishers of the Oxford University Press (OUP), one of the largest and most renowned publishing houses in Europe have forbidden their schoolbook authors from using pigs or pork themes in their books, since these could offend Jews and Muslims. According to Daily Mail, this venture was announced Tuesday during a program on “Radio 4 Today” regarding the subject of free speech.
The moderator of the program, Jim Naughtie, whose wife is in negotiations for a series of teaching books, said he had a letter by the publisher to an author who wrote things especially for young people. Whether he meant his wife he didn’t say. Also on a list of things that shouldn’t be written about were: sausages, pigs and anything that could be construed as pork. The publisher didn’t deny the statement. Upon inquiry, a spokesman for the OUP answered that many British teaching materials are sold in more than 150 countries and therefore a complete bandwidth of cultural differences and sensibilities had to be covered. Phillip Davies, member of the British Parliament and representative of the Tory Party pointed out that politicians and the great and the good falling over each other to say how much they believe in freedom of speech. On the other hand they are presiding over people being unable to use and write words that are completely inoffensive. He added: “We must get free of this senseless political correctness.” And: “The political correctness brigade appear to have taken control of our schools.” A spokesman of the Jewish Leadership Council also made it clear that pork actually is forbidden according to Jewish law, but the mention thereof or the mention of the animal from which it comes isn’t. Even Khalid Mahmood, member of Parliament and adherent of the Labour Party called the push by the OUP to ban anything that had to do with pork “absolute utter nonsense.”
The fact that even Oxford University’s publisher is caving in is just simply pitiful and should be a warning sign for everyone. Consideration is being taken for every culture and religion, just not four ours. They apparently haven’t happened upon the idea that this spineless groveling by our elite might possibly be an insult for us.
» Contact: schools.enquiries.uk@oup.com
Original on PI-German / Translation: Anders Denken
