The organisation published an interview with Jytte Klausen, the Danish author ofThe Cartoons That Shook The World, a book about the illustrations of Muhammad that caused a furore, but chose not to reproduce them in its magazine. "In refusing to publish the cartoons, Index is not only helping strengthen the culture of censorship, it is also weakening its authority to challenge that culture," fumes Kenan Malik, the author and broadcaster. Jonathan Dimbleby, the presenter of Any Questions?, who is chairman of Index, says: "The board does not readily interfere in the day-to-day editorial decisions taken by the Index on Censorship staff, but this case was different. "The board's main concern was both for individual members of the Index staff and those who worked for the other organisations which share our Free Word premises, and who would have been equally on the receiving end of any attack."Any Questions? presenter Jonathan Dimbleby in Muslim censorship row
In what must rank as one of the literary world's most unusual disputes, Index on Censorship, which campaigns for freedom of speech, stands accused of censorship.
Sunday, 20 December 2009
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