Censorship is Always Wrong

… no matter the reason. Especially if it’s simple political correctness.

There’s a book that was about to be published soon called The Jewel of Medina. It’s about Mouhammad nine-year-old wife. The one he fucked on their wedding night. Well, it was set to be published, but after some uptight professor in Texas complained, the publisher pulped it. The professor was afraid that the book would “offend” Muslims everywhere, and that was a good reason not to publish it (read here for a great editorial condeming this nonsense). She seemed to believe the book’s publication could lead to the widespread violence we saw after the publication of the Danish cartoons mocking Islam.

While I can understand these fears, I certainly don’t agree with the professor that the book shouldn’t've (is that a legitimate contraction? Anyone know?), been published. The fact that it might cause offense is a great reason to publish it! People need to be offended sometimes, and everyone should have their ideas challenged (including me). If your beliefs are strong enough, they’ll withstand any level of mockery. And anyhow, getting pissed off at someone for saying your religion is violent, like with the Danish cartoons, and then proving it by going out and being violent, solves nothing.

As for me, I’m willing and able to offend everyone’s beliefs. If they don’t like what I say, they don’t have to listen. If they don’t like what I type, they don’t have to read it. But they haven’t the right to tell me I can’t type or say whatever I please.

The one bright side to this story is that apparently the rights to the book have reverted back to the author, so she can take it elsewhere and get it published. I hope she does. I know I’ll read it if I ever get the chance.