Droste Verlag publishing has halted the printing of a new novel tentatively titled To Whom Honor is Due for fear of Islamic backlash. Felix Droste stated, “After the Mohamed cartoons, one knows that one can’t publish sentences or drawings that defame Islam without expecting a security risk.”
We all remember the backlash from the cartoons that depicted Mohamed, which were published in Denmark in 2005 and intentionally spread across the Islamic world with additional inflammatory cartoons that were not part of the original publication. This was done by Islamic clerics with the intent of fanning the flames and causing violent unrest: and it worked.
Of course, this is not the first thing to fall victim to fears of Islamic retaliation. Random House decided against printing The Jewel of Medina in 2008. A German theater canceled a play in 2006, which showed Mohamed getting beheaded. Yale University refused to reprint the Mohamed cartoons on the anniversary of their publishing in Denmark.
Gabriele Brinkmann, the author of To Whom Honor Is Due stated, “It’s a scandal for a publisher to tuck its tail between its legs. This is anticipatory obedience.”
Obedience to who or what: the fear of Islamic retaliation. Islamists are proving the point that Islam is a violent religion. Critics can say that suicide bombings are more political or cultural-based instead of religious-based, but when it comes to the Islamists’ reactions to the printing of Mohamed or criticism (AKA blasphemy) of Islam, there is no denying that religion is the key player in the violence.
With Muslims rallying in London carrying signs that said “Behead those that mock Islam” and “Slay those that mock Mohamed,” no wonder publishers, playwrights, directors, and politicians are running scared: afraid their building will be blown up, assets destroyed, employees killed, etc.
But wait… Droste is trying to have it both ways. He is worried about the security risk, as evidenced by his statement above, but then he turns around and says he was primarily motivated by a desire to respect all religions. He then goes on to say that he plans on publishing a honor killing book next year and that this particular book will not be published because of a single sentence.
What sentence is that? One of the characters in the book says, “You can shove the Koran up your ass.”
Of course that would offend Muslims, but what wouldn’t? Why should we be worried about offending Muslims and fear their retaliation? Their retaliatory and violent streak simply proves the point of the critics.
Nonie Darwish, who is the author of Cruel and Usual Punishment: The Terrifying Global Implication of Islamic Law said it best, “I am often amazed by Muslims who are offended by criticism of Islam but at the same time curse and encourage jihad and violence against Jews, Christians and non-Muslims. If Muslims want respect from others they must remove the tons of commandments to violence against others.”
After I posted a link to the story on Facebook, Eric Husby said, “For every book like this that gets metaphorically burned by the mob of murderers 10 more should be written. Take every opportunity to blaspheme Islam. Give it the zero respect it deserves. In fact, give it the scorn, ridicule, contempt and derision it deserves.”
I agree Eric. I agree completely.
Posted by Blair Scott
EDIT 10/22/09: The author of the book contacted me to let me know that the sentence I quoted is incorrect:
“The right sentence is: “You can shove the Koran…” then the character is interrupted by another who says: “Shut up! That’s enough!”
She also advises that she found a publisher and the book will be published.
To me, this makes the refusal to print the book even worse, as the insult is insinuated, but never completed.
Where religion is concerned I am an equal opportunity offender. There are no religions of mankinds manufacture that I have an ounce of respect for. Man is the only religious animal.
Has Islam effectively censored the world?
Islam has managed to intimidate the world. I can ridicule Christianity with impunity, and I do. But the moment I publically assert that Islam is a bloodthirsty death-cult, will be the moment Islam proves me right.
Islam is a bloodthirsty death-cult in those radicals that are members of Al Queda, (spelling?), while here in America there are muslims who, quietly, have said the same, that these people have taken their religion and twisted it. That is the problem with religion: It can be used, twisted, to serve the purposes of those who wish to support a cause. Even here in America.
AR
Yeh. Sure. We invade two other arab/muslim countries for unjust reasons while saber rattling about invading a third persian/muslim country and it’s muslims that “intimidating the world”? Are you smoking that crack while simultaneous doing acid?
What, the only response your comment warrants is this sentence.
AA Leadership
Get a grip! Your willingness to hype the islambogeyman while giving monsters in our midst a free pass is cowardly to say the least.
Bring back AA’s courage. Bring back Ellen Johnson.
what,
Islam is not really the Religion of Peace that it keeps marketing itself as. Here is a website that details every single terrorist act around the world committed by Muslims. http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/ As an atheist, I have no vested interest in any of the world’s myriad of bullshit religions. But I have to call it as I see it. It is called intellectual integrity. Islam = Worst. Religion. Ever.
AR
Jew and xians are far more potent destructive forces. You give the grand tally of people killed by muslims in the 20th century and I will give you the grand total killed by xians. No freaking contest.
what,
Well if you really want to play “box score” mass murder of the 20th Century, then Communism wins hands down as the most lethal ideology.
If you want to count all of history, then Islam wins. And you can do the research on Islam’s conquests into India sometimes known as that 900-hundred-year-long “Hindu Holocaust”.
You keep on stating that Islam is worst but you offer no facts, no numbers, and ,most importantly, no credible references. Put up or shut up.
what,
You claimed first that Christians and Jews are a far more potent destructive forces, yet you provide no facts, numbers or references. How about you put up or shut up, first.
Uh-oh, better be careful how you talk to the Arab Crusader – otherwise, he’ll call you all sorts of filthy names, move the goalposts, & whine about his perceived martyrdom.
AR
Here are the death tolls for the wars of the twentieth century. How many of these deaths were due to muslims?
20,000,000 Second World War 1937-45
8,500,000 First World War 1914-18
1,200,000 Korean War 1950-53
1,200,000 Chinese Civil War 1945-49
1,200,000 Vietnam War 1965-73
850,000 Iran-Iraq War 1980-88
800,000 Russian Civil War 1918-21
400,000 Chinese Civil War 1927-37
385,000 French Indochina 1945-54
200,000 Mexican Revolution 1911-20
200,000 Spanish Civil War 1936-39
160,000 French-Algerian War 1954-62
150,000 Afghanistan 1980-89
130,000 Russo-Japanese War 1904-05
100,000 Riffian War 1921-26
100,000 First Sudanese Civil War 1956-72
100,000 Russo-Polish War 1919-20
100,000 Biafran War 1967-70
90,000 Chaco War 1932-35
75,000 Abyssinian War 1935-36
Didn’t even list 1/2. Only listed the ones that are convenient for the argument.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_20th_century_Muslim_history
It’s official: I’m declaring Formosa’s law, & ignoring you from now on.
KA
The wars listed are the most costly wars of the 20th century in terms of lives lost (75,000 was the cut-off). Are there some that have been missed that should be on the list? Would you like to change the cut-off threshold? If so then stop your whining and give me the numbers.
KA
You have an odd way of admitting defeat.
That’s not defeat, that’s an admission that trying to reason w/you is a waste of my time. I’d be better off shoveling water.
Coward. What you are doing is being a bigot and a tool of the xian and jewish right. You rag on Islam so that those good xians and jews can feel better about killing arabs and potentially persians.
(Rotating index finger at head, whistling)
As far as I’m concerned, you’re banned.
Goodbye.
AR
Here’s a easy starting point.
The US, a predominantly xian country, has killed 100s of thousands of Iraqis and displaced millions form their homes these past ten years. This violence was 100% unprovoked.
Israel a predominantly jewish country committed recent war crimes against the Palis killing at least 1000 civilians. The Goldstone report concluded that Israel used disproportionate force, deliberately targeted civilians, used Palestinians as human shields, and destroyed civilian infrastructure during its incursion into Gaza to root out Palestinian rocket squads.
What recent comparable violence has been committed by a predominantly muslim country?
KA
You are a child.
what,
Darfur.
Your move.
AR
As many as 600,000 were killed in Iraq as a result of our invasion. Upwards of 2,000,000 are displaced from their
homes.
Also both of the warring parties in Darfur are muslim. Hardly a war motivated by religion.
what,
So, because the Darfur Genocide has Arab Muslims exterminating Black Muslims, 400,000+ dead, and millions displaced doesn’t bug you? Who are YOU rooting for?
As I understand it, for all intents & purposes, both sides are black, it’s being misrepresented as Arab vs. black.
& what has this theory going, that being anti-Islam is being anti-Arab, & that wild hair up his ass just proves it.
AR
You are losing so far.
KA
WTF are you talking about. Nobody ever knows!
The sane people do.
what,
Here’s a few genocides, wars, and massacres by Muslims you accidentally missed.
Armenian Genocide 1.5 million
Assyrian Genocide 500K
Bangladesh Genocide 300k
Anfal Campaign 200k
Iran-Iraq War 850k
Greek Genocide 200k
Darfur 400k
West Papua Genocide 100k+
East Timor Genocide 150k+
I’d say if you are going to defend Islam as some sort of Religion of Peace, you’ve already lost. Islam is a bloodthirsty deathcult. Got it? Now cut the crap.
The more fearsome and psychopathic the fundamental wing of Islam becomes, the more important it becomes to speak fearlessly against them. To take a stand and expose them for what they are. Fear of reprisal is the exactly the brand of terror that they seek.
Watch below as Whutthole and Godless turn this into a Jewish problem. Much like the KKK solving the negro problem. You could buy them some spectacles, but they still will not see. You could finance their education, but they still will not understand. You could beat the living shit out of them, but, they still wouldn’t have a clue. You think that believing that god doesn’t exist makes you enlightened? Read the ignorant dribble to follow. Any freethinker will learn the difference between rebellion and insight.
NeoWolfe
neo
All of islam is psychopathic and there is a jewish problem that is why we need atheist nation states with nuclear weapons and icbm systems.you have to fight fire with fire.
Accommodating the terrorists will only embolden them.
What on earth is an “islamist”? Is it anything like a christianist or a jewist? I think some Texanist probably coined the term.
Dave you have really picked a dud topic this time. You can’t blame islam for the cowardice of Droste Verlag.
A frequent theme of Dave’s post about Islam is violence. Are xians and jews less violent? Not on this planet. But Dave would like us to think they are. Hmm. What could possibly motivate such bias.
Since the post was put up by me and not Dave…. oops!
Gabriele Brinkman should tell Droste Verlag to piss off, then self-publish the book. There’s so much fodder for publicity. Most publishers have their heads up their asses anyway.
Any author who chooses to not publish a book for fear of religious retaliation ought to hide their book and themself as well. If they don’t want to bother people, they shouldn’t have written the book in the first place, but one cannot both complain about the problem, and surrender to the problem at the same time. Not without making some writers like me say “Tsk tsk, another writer plays the religious folks’ game, as if it’s a good game.”
We need more Salmon Rushdies. Writers who don’t give a damn about the risks. Some truths just need to be said, even if they’re all about religious holy books being shoved into dark and nasty places. If it’s true, it’s true.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by American Atheists and stargazerr. stargazerr said: "For every book like this that gets metaphorically burned 10 more should be written… blaspheme Islam" http://ow.ly/15U9wc [...]
Is this legal behavior in the UK? Come to think of it, I don’t know if it is legal in the USA either.
It goes way beyond the bounds of free speech or freedom of religion, and the people carrying such signs should be arrested and prosecuted. Violence and threats of violence should not be tolerated.
This blog is dead. Killed by censorship and bigoted AA spokespersons. Prediction. AA will disolve within two years. Good riddance. It has lost it’s way under the present leadership.
What makes you think so?
Because he doesn’t get to carry on @ length about his obsession to the detriment of others, is why.
Obsession? Is that a bad thing? Not when the reputation of AA is at stake!
You and Dave are censoring my posts because Dave has a jewish heritage-based bias against arabs and you are a rabid supporter of Israel – atrocities and all. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
It becomes a bad thing when you lack the self-awareness to realize it. & really, if AA can’t survive 1 obsessive schizo bad-mouthing it on the interwebs…well, that speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
& right on cue, you go on @ length about Israel & the Jews because – well, even though the post ISN’T ABOUT JEWS OR ISRAEL, I suppose in your addled fervor you figure ‘close enough, time to rant’.
Dave can defend himself, but I am NOT a ‘rabid’ supporter (I’ve said time & again Israel’s not above criticism), & no I do NOT support atrocities. Though you seem to re-interpret that word as freely as you can, to support your ridiculous arguments.
I might add, that Dave decided to moderate you, & I’m following his instructions. It’s HIS blog.
I would be, if any of your gibberish were true. But it isn’t, so I’m not.
KA
It was you, not I, that sent this thread off-topic. Moderate yourself. What Dave has instructed you to do is censorship pure and simple. If he can’t take the heat then he should stay out of kitchen and stop torching it as well!
Yeah, either you have a reading comprehension problem, or dyslexia. Look again. @ October 12, 2009 at 1:13 am, your post.
What it is, is that you don’t have any self-control, that’s the issue. Again – you were asked to stop, then told to stop, then moderated. & actually, it’s censoring 1 person who misbehaves. Something you don’t have a problem w/, unless it’s you.
Self control? Is that where you and Dave tell us all what to think and write and if we don’t think and write as instructed we are censored? I’m against AA censoring this blog. Period. You should be ashamed.
I released all SIX of your rants from moderation, just to illustrate how incredibly obsessed you are on this topic.
It ain’t healthy dude. You’re perfectly illustrating why you were moderated in the 1st place.
That’s pretty much a fucking lie. I don’t know how to spell it out for you any clearer. In the real world, when someone starts misbehaving in a big way, they’re told (presuming they’re an adult) to cool it. They don’t cool it, they get penalized.
Try being an adult, instead of a child throwing a temper tantrum because they can’t have anything their way.
Unless it’s some christian concern troll going off the deep-end. Nice double-standard you got there.
Um. KA. You are posting on an atheist web site, moderating it, censoring it, and doing so daily. Most of the world would call you obsessed.
Sorry KA no matter what excuse you use you are censoring. You are on-record on this matter.
I’m doing a friend a favor, is all.
As opposed to continuously posting about 1 subject on EVERY SINGLE THREAD not devoted to that subject? Concern troll.
I actually wasn’t denying that, you retard.
Try using some self-awareness.
Most of what has been said about islam is correct, imho. However, that is not the point here.
We have a lot of anti islamic publication here in Germany. German TV is full of anti islamic rhetoric.
I guess this book will be printed in a few weeks. Halting the printing now and expressing fears of Islamic retaliation is to promote the selling of this book.
A year ago or so we had a very similar incident with Mozart’s Idomeneo. The opera was cancelled for the same reason as the printing of this book is been halted. A few weeks later the performance became a huge success. Well, there was a problem: the demand for tickets could not be satisfied. (Something similar could happen to the book, too.)
Germans are afraid of only one religion and its followers. This is judaism or the jews, resp. You won’t find in German bookstore a single book criticizing the jews . If jews would commit crazy “honor killings” we even wouldn’t know about.
Islam has been invented about 600 years after christianity. Moslems are in their Middle Age. I am afraid we have to give them at least a few more generations to come to terms with reality.
ulric
Police estimate 180 islamic radicals for Germany with about half in country and the other training in pakistan.You don’t have a few generations you must deport them all or be lost.It is high time Germany stop giving jews a pass as well, no group should be given a free pass.
You can’t just deport thousands of people if there’s only a few terrorists among them. & especially Germany – that’ll be a few hundred more years before they can do anything remotely like that.
ulric
I, as well, suspect the same motivation for publicizing this. There are a lot of knee-jerk islamophobes out there. Don’t get me wrong Islam like all religion is a wasteful and hurtful pile of dung but our media and culture are obsessed in its focus on Islam. Even AA’s leadership has been sucked into the paranoia. Not good. Not good for atheism at least.
Ulric,
Its not just Germany that is terrified of the jews, the whole world has been conditioned to self censor when it comes to criticism of this one group.
Except for the KSA, Yemen, Jordan, Palestine, or any other Sharia-ruled country. & we know how THEY feel. They think the jews are sub-human, & they all would love to commit massive genocide.
But all that’s off-topic, sorry.
They would all love to commit massive genocide? And you know this how? You are full of crap.
Meanwhile Israel actually is committing war crimes.
Careful Godless. You are next on Dave’s censorship list. A bet that KA doesn’t even see the irony of AA moaning about self-censorship by Verlag while he censors posts on this very site.
In the end KA will claim that he was just following orders .
Well, since YOU’RE not being threatened by anything but moderation, I’d say your irony meter broke down a few years back.
Comparing me to Eichmann just illustrates your mental illness.
Uh…they’ve said as much, on multiple occasions? I’d give you links, but you’d just do some hand-waving & re-interpret them, or make some other nonsensical claim.
And again…you’ve managed to derail the thread, & spout off your usual nonsense. You got a little help from me, so damn.
Anyways, enough of this. I hate being your babysitter.
As usual you can not justify your statements.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/1248
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has categorically announced that Israel’s to be wiped off the map? They even have a popular pop song called ‘I hate Israel’? The children are brought up hating Jews, & the blood libel is propagated like crazy?
You live in a bubble?
You accused at least three entire countries of wanting to commit genocide and what do you offer as proof of the validity of your accusation? The statement of one man. Never mind the fact that this one man never said what you are accusing him of having said.
I have heard Ex Liars for Israel has a good support group.
Your bullshit gets entirely old pretty quick. I’ve heard the ‘re-translation’ argument before. & I like how you cherry-pick things I say.
Just like a denialist theist would.
The Mufta of Jerusalem was asshole buddies w/Adolph, & Mein Kampf is a nat’l bestseller in the ME.
How much evidence would I need to prove my point? I couldn’t, because you’re obviously on a religious tangent, & you prefer rhetoric to reality.
& moral relativists who criticize a culture they don’t live in are vastly amusing. Because by its very definition, you should have no opinion @ all.
I asked for proof. What you offered as proof could I only be seen as such through the eyes of a bigot who will seen what he wants to see. As usual you got nothing.
And what is the moral relativist nonsense that you keep harping on? I have no idea. Get a grip guy.
I offered plenty of proof – but when a zealot’s on a religious crusade, there’s no arguing w/evidence.
You offered next to none. Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof.
Do you realize how juvenile you appear when you claim that I – an atheist – am on a “religious crusade”?
Grow up and a grow pair.
I offered plenty – it’s not my job to educate you, especially when you don’t want to be educated.
Self-awareness thing still not working out for you, I see. I realize that you imagine yourself as some lone warrior battling against all odds, but it sure does look like what I called it.
Get a hobby.
If Brinkman needs inspiration for courage she need look no further than HERTA MULLER a truly brave writer.Muller earned her nobel prize.
OT
http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2009/10/religion-gives-me-headache.html
Wow! And your going off-topic (the stated reason for the censoring of my posts) too. Dave must be ready to blow gasket as he contemplates whether to instruct his henchman, KA, to censor you on this thread about censorship.
It has been mentioned Germany will not allow anti Jewish books, thoughts or rhetoric. This statement seems to have caused a stir, but allow me to remind some people here of he bloody obvious.
In the heart of the twentieth century, a nation went mad and slaughtered millions of people based on their religion. Allow me to emphasize the time, this was not the 16,17 or 1800’s. planes flew, cars sped, men were dreaming of going to the moon using the tools of science. It was during this modern time that the nation that gave us Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart,reminded us that they also gave us Luther.
Why does Germany refuse to criticize the Jews? Because the guilt and shame of Nazi madness has hardly been exorcised and rightly so.
Jew, Muslim, American, German and Canadian, well not Canadian, we all have committed atrocities, its the nature of being a nation or an ideology, but to question why the instigators of the most monstrous act of genocide in human history, refrain from criticizing the remaining members of the people they sought to annihilate is not logical.
Gary
Germany is being held to an unfair standard.Japan killed just as many in China but is given a pass.The message being sent is clear if your not jewish your life has less value.The jews played a leading role in communist disorders in post ww1 germany as well as being involved in major business scandals but they don’t want to talk about that.Germany just didn’t go berserk and no i’m not condoning what was done to the jews.
What Says has a point. KA’s rabid zionism is always apparently allowed to pass, but apparently some of WS’s stuff is censored.
That said, when one talks about islam or islamists, one can only mean male chauvinist pigs. Islam, like xianty and judaism, is a male, i.e. patriarchal, ideology. They all belong in the garbage can of history. If I have offended any xian, jewish, or islamic believers, it is only what they deserve.
Actually, no, I’m the voice of reason, & you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read the threads. Listen to both sides before you take 1.
The voice of reason? Yeh right? You are a apartheid defending nut that censors posts here.
& gee, all your posts are getting thru. & no, I’m not defending apartheid here, since that happened in South Africa.
KA
I have to disagree that you can’t deport thousands.The record shows that millions of germans were deported post ww2 from eastern europe.If europe/israel don’t take firm action the high muslim birthrate will destroy them.
Back to the topic “Honor Killing Novel Cancelled for Fear of Muslim Retaliation”.
The marketing campaign for that book is over (sooner as I expected). Mrs Brinkmann “found” another publisher. He will be pleased to publish the unabridged edition.
I am sorry but I didn’t find any English article on this “happy ending”, only this one, http://www.netzeitung.de/kultur/1492579.html, in German.
The timing of the campaign was perfect. All happened during the Frankfurt book fair. Max publicity guarantied.
Islamobogeyman-based marketing. I expect it will work for another 3 or 4 years and then serve as an embarrassment to those that used the tactic.
Congratulations to her for finding another publisher who is not afraid of Islamic retaliation.
What is this obsession with testicle growth? It sounds like something Ralphie would say after a “double dog dare”. I do hope you come up with a new insult soon. This one is getting tedious.
I was not limiting KA’s choices to testicles only. In an earlier post this week I made it clear that I meant testicles or ovaries.
I see that “what” is still being his obnoxious self…
Where’s that ignore button at…
Moderating a private forum or blog is not censorship, because there is NO expectation of free speech here because there are rules that govern what we can and cannot say here.
If you don’t like the rules and you want to run your clap-trap without being moderated… then go somewhere with no rules. As long as you stay here you will either abide by the rules or be moderated.
As much nonsense and stupidity that you go on about and as much trouble that you cause for everyone here and for the administrators, I’m surprised you haven’t been banned. I’m not sure if I should be applauding that type of patience or shedding a tear over it.
Blair
This is a public forum. A person can post here as easily (more easily actually) than they can get on a soapbox in their town square. What AA has done in creating this blog is analogous to placing a soapbox, courtesy of AA, in the town square. That soapbox is public and nobody should be censored there. Until the day that AA picks up its soapbox and takes it home where only a select few can speak from it then moderating and excluding posts is censorship. You should be ashamed.
BTW Blair. Putting aside, for the moment, the argument I made for free speech in my last post I would like to ask you: What are these “rules” that you speak of? Where are these rules that you speak of? They don’t exist and should not exist.
Also how dare you refer to to my arguments as “clap-trap”. I have one quest here. To argue for fair treatment of all religions as useless and wasteful as they all are. AA is presently being played, and relishing it, by xians and jews in their crusade against islam. Don’t do the theists dirty work for them.
“Also how dare you refer to to my arguments as “clap-trap”.
It’s easy, really. I just type, “Your arguments are clap-trap.” I’m sorry, are you insulted by my use of that word? Too bad.
“To argue for fair treatment of all religions as useless and wasteful as they all are.”
No argument from me there. Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Wicca, Buddhism, Shamanism, Zoroastrianism, Paganism, etc… all useless. Find one board member of American Atheists that would label any religion useful.
I have stated over and over again about your stupid obsession with Jews (versus Judaism) to find me an article. I monitor every news agency there is and over the past two years I have only come across two news articles where Judaism was the violator of the Separation of Church and State. I have only found three articles where practitioners of Judaism killed or harmed someone in the name of Judaism. I found one article about a Rabbi that embezzled from his synagogue. I posted every single one of those articles on the Facebook feed and they were also included on the AA News feed on the front page.
What people like you send me is rants and raves against Jews or Israel. While I have my personal opinion about Israeli foreign and domestic policy, it is separate from my issue with Judaism.
If you want to rant politics about Israel then find a politics forum. If you want to rant against all religions, then this is the place to do it.
So I’ll give you the challenge again: send me articles that are directly related to Judaism and I will post them. My email is bscott@atheists.org.
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