Mohamed cartoons controversy at Yale
Sixteen organizations will accuse Yale today of failing to stand upfor free speech with its decision not to print satirical images of theprophet Muhammad in a book published by Yale University Press lastSeptember.
The organizations, which include the American Civil Liberties Union,the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the InternationalPublishers Association, appear as signatories on a statement that willbe sent to Yale, chastising the University for not printing Danishcartoonist Kurt Westergaard’s controversial cartoons. The statement,written by National Coalition against Censorship Executive DirectorJoan Bertin, argues that by capitulating to threats of violence, Yalehas fed a climate in which people will be afraid to speak and publishfreely. Yale’s decision drew widespread criticism and debate fromprofessors, students and alumni in the past three months.
“The situation is extremely disturbing because Yale is a very prominentuniversity, and their doing something like this might justify otherinstitutions doing so,” Bertin said. “This action compromised the book,the press and an important principle: not only should academics be ableto discuss these things among themselves, but in this country we’reentitled to talk about and view the images.”