You Still Can't Write About Muhammad...

JustinW20 · 08-06-2008, 17:54

Hope this is the correct forum for this...

It seems Random House has been cowed by Muslim “extremists” into refusing to publish a historical novel about Aisha, the wife of Muhammad. Details are in the WSJ article below…

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1217...n_commentaries

82ndtrooper · 08-06-2008, 21:48

The Muslims don't have to purchase it nor read it, so what's the problem ?

SF_BHT · 08-06-2008, 21:50

This makes me so mad I can not write.......................................

charlietwo · 08-06-2008, 22:53

I agree with BHT... this gives me a gutshot feeling... like an old friend dying

It all goes back to cowardice in the face of danger. Our culture is simply losing it's collective backbone from the decay within.

God help us all.

Detonics · 08-06-2008, 22:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by SF_BHT

This makes me so mad I can not write.......................................

C'mon Sir! Don't get frustrated. This is all a tempest in a teapot and a very temporary situation. In the future we won't have to concern ourselves with trivialities such as censorship of publication. The truth will be readily available here on-line, in whatever version your master would like you to have, at that moment.

The truth will be electrons dancing, dancing across the page.

From IT Professional,
Volume 7 , Issue 4 (July 2005)

ABSTRACT

"Despite a continuing decline in book readership and the use of libraries among younger generations, the author wonders why so many of his colleagues persist in taking these trends as a sure sign that civilization is coming to an end. The article points out that learning and teaching will inevitably continue, albeit through varying mediums, and that there's really no overwhelming reason to worry about the declining importance of books. Just as the printing press revolutionized the way people received their information, so too has the Internet upped the ante in terms of accessibility. According to the author, information--books included--will continue to be digitized and libraries will still be around; only as storage warehouses for those antiquated things called books."

Kinda makes the "old thought" look quaint eh?:

"Cousin Claudette: Today's figures for operations in the urban area alone account for the elimination of a total of 2750 pounds of conventional editions, 836 pounds of first editions, and 17 pounds of manuscripts were also destroyed. 23 anti-social elements were detained, pending re-education." -Fahrenheit 451 (circa 1966)

greenberetTFS · 08-07-2008, 03:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by SF_BHT

This makes me so mad I can not write.......................................

SF_BHT

I agree......................................

JJ_BPK · 08-07-2008, 04:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Detonics

C'mon Sir! Don't get frustrated. This is all a tempest in a teapot and a very temporary situation. In the future we won't have to concern ourselves with trivialities such as

The Tempest we speak of has been an active sore on the face of this Earth for almost 1400 years.

I do not think "temporary" is a word most informed persons would use.

By way of comparison, the Black Plague ran from 1340 until the late 1700's,, one could say it was "Temporary" at only 300 years duration. Maybe???

JJ_BPK · 08-07-2008, 04:51

The people of the United States of America are quickly approaching a monumental decision point in our countries history.

To date, one of founding canons, "Freedom of Speech" has always been guarded as a freedom that will never change. We not only have fought to make it better here, but have carried that fight around the World so that others may experience the ability to freely speak their mind without fear of brutal despotic repression.

This freedom of speech is being threatened by both the right and left under the guise of "Political Correctness" (PC). PC is being used to subvert our basic abilities to communicate and few if any are standing up to complain.

Here is the latest example. One of America's largest publishers is rolling over to a small group of religious extremist.

Without the freedom of speech, you will be reduced to the status of a Pole (ref 1984), being watch by the Ministry of Truth and their minions the Thought Police...

If you don't complain loud enough, your ability to complain will wither up and die. If you think it won't happen,, you have already lost...

nmap · 08-07-2008, 06:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJ_BPK

This freedom of speech is being threatened by both the right and left under the guise of "Political Correctness" (PC). PC is being used to subvert our basic abilities to communicate and few if any are standing up to complain.

...

If you don't complain loud enough, your ability to complain will wither up and die. If you think it won't happen,, you have already lost...

Words of wisdom, Sir.

Political correctness is insidious; the required words and forms of communication channel the thoughts and can reduce the ability to even think independently among some. Still worse, the habit of self-censorship causes further withdrawal from the perceived limits.

SF_BHT · 08-07-2008, 06:18

1st This problem of a NON TOLERANT Religion is not going away any time soon. Not in our lifetimes. People had better wakeup and open their eyes. I have known many Good People that were Muslim but there is more than just a small minority that will go bonkers in the name of their religion. We are the Tolerant ones not them.

2nd We have seen a trend for 20-30 years where we have become more PC and they have become more outspoken and radical in expressing our selfs. We retreat and they advance..... It has a direct correlation. They have been watching as our society has started to cringe after anyone complains about something and we apologies for something that we did not do. They know that we keep backing up and they keep forcing the issue. Look at those silly cartoons........ Hell I thought some places were going to have call out the military to control the idiots. Probably should have. I use our openness and western ways against us. It is like a Classic long term use of PSYOP and they are winning.

3rd It just burns me that one person can act upset when reviewing a book and send an e-mail and make a phone call and incite such a hornets nest. I am ashamed that the company and individuals have lost the backbone to say We have the right no mater what it is to publish it and if you do not like it do not read it. It is a fictional book any way. But no the tuck their tail and hide. Every time this happens those type of idiots get stronger and we get weaker.

I hate to say it but we will have to deal with this problem with a strong fist in the near future or our western way of life will be at grave risk. I am speaking in terms as a historian.

You know I am a very tolerant person and I do not go out and meet people and ask them are you Gay, What is your religion, what is your political party. I get to know someone and judge them by their action no mater what those answers are. I could care less, your a good person, your an Asshole or your a Nut. When I determine what you are after time I deal with you, I ignore you, confront you or just never deal with you again. Why do people have to make a 1st judgment of a person my such narrow information?

JustinW20 · 08-07-2008, 09:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJ_BPK

This freedom of speech is being threatened by both the right and left under the guise of "Political Correctness" (PC). PC is being used to subvert our basic abilities to communicate and few if any are standing up to complain.

It seems that "Political Correctness" has become a great excuse for moral cowardice...

Don't want to make the tough call, do the politically correct thing. Don't want to stand up to the bully, do the politically correct thing. Don't want to do the right thing (that may make you unpopular in the short-run), do the politically correct thing. It's a sad, downward spiral...

LibraryLady · 08-07-2008, 10:18

From the author's blog:

Quote:

... On the other hand, I'm distressed to see THE JEWEL OF MEDINA and its termination used as a tool on other sites to promote divisiveness and hatred. There's an I-told-you-so-the-Muslims-are-evil attitude that makes me cringe. I started writing JEWEL for the pleasure of presenting A'isha to the western world; I finished it, and started its sequel, with the hope that these books would become bridge-builders to another culture and increase understanding of Islam as it was originally intended. I know I can't control the discourse, but I still harbor the highest, most idealistic hopes for these books. Let's keep it civil. And let's remember: There have been no terrorist threats over THE JEWEL OF MEDINA. Only warnings of possible threats.

It looks like she got a termination agreement from Random House/Ballantine so she can go find another English language publisher. The Spanish publisher is bringing it out in the spring and the Hungarian and Italian rights to the book have been purchased. After all this attention, I'm sure another publisher will pick it up.

It was one reviewer, who used the power of the Internet to spread her distaste and subsequent bloggers who magnified the whole thing WAY out of proportion.

I'll keep an eye out for news it's been picked up and the release date.

LL

morolen · 08-07-2008, 19:25

Ive alwayst felt the PC was the enemy of true compassion and tolerance, since it is a forced compassion, i feel people will resent it just as deeply as it is forced on them.

also,

Islam is an Evil cult. end process. run program. On any other board I would feel the need to explain myself more, but im sure we all remember the not so distant past of little girl/mentally challenged suicide bombers. Where were the riots in the streets of the muslim world then? Silence is akin to support.

Detonics · 08-08-2008, 23:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJ_BPK

The Tempest we speak of has been an active sore on the face of this Earth for almost 1400 years.

I do not think "temporary" is a word most informed persons would use.

By way of comparison, the Black Plague ran from 1340 until the late 1700's,, one could say it was "Temporary" at only 300 years duration. Maybe???

Wasn't speaking to the problem of Islamist's. My post stated that the problem with publisher intimidation would be "temporary" in nature due to the growing prevalence of digital vs. printed communications. That trend alllows for wholesale manipulation of recorded history, for instance:

"Obama website's opposition to successful surge gets deleted"

"A funny thing happened over on the Barack Obama campaign website in the last few days.

The parts that stressed his opposition to the 2007 troop surge and his statement that more troops would make no difference in a civil war have somehow disappeared."

Sorry for the miscommunication.

SF_BHT · 08-09-2008, 08:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Detonics

Wasn't speaking to the problem of Islamist's. My post stated that the problem with publisher intimidation would be "temporary" in nature due to the growing prevalence of digital vs. printed communications. That trend alllows for wholesale manipulation of recorded history, for instance:

"Obama website's opposition to successful surge gets deleted"

"A funny thing happened over on the Barack Obama campaign website in the last few days.

The parts that stressed his opposition to the 2007 troop surge and his statement that more troops would make no difference in a civil war have somehow disappeared."
Sorry for the miscommunication.

That was his own team doing it to start to change his position history. If they get called out on it they blame hackers......