It is hard to tell what the fuss is all about regarding Julie Burchill’s tweets with Ash Sarkar. Some may have been removed. Those that remain as of this writing feature some rude exchanges. This was the only one I could find of any actual substance:
@AyoCaesar Can you please remind me of the age of the Prophet Mohammad's first wife? Thank you in anticipation! https://t.co/D7h4aQMuzH
— Julie Burchill (@BoozeAndFagz) December 13, 2020
Burchill is clearly speaking about Muhammad’s child bride Aisha, not his first wife, Khadija, who was fifteen years older than he was. But that’s just a detail. Commenters are raking Burchill over the coals for her supposed hypocrisy for ignoring child marriage in British history and claiming that Mary was a child when she married Joseph. None of that is on point. No one would care about Muhammad’s child marriage were his behavior not normative for Islamic law and imitated by all too many Muslims even today. So what Burchill said, aside from mixing up the order of Muhammad’s wives, was entirely based on fact.
Now, that might not be the reason for this controversy. The National fastidiously refrains from telling us what egregious thing Burchill is supposed to have said. But it is bitterly ironic that Burchill’s book on cancel culture has now been canceled for whatever it is she said. That rather proves her point, doesn’t it?
Meanwhile, Little, Brown’s statement is a repugnant stew of self-contradiction, self-righteousness, and hypocrisy: “We will no longer be publishing Julie Burchill’s book. This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We believe passionately in freedom of speech at Little, Brown and we have always published authors with controversial or challenging perspectives – and we will continue to do so.”
No, you don’t believe in the freedom of speech. Clearly there are controversial or challenging perspectives you don’t dare publish. Claiming to believe in the freedom of speech while canceling a controversial book is like claiming to be a little bit pregnant. You either believe in the freedom of speech or you don’t. And you don’t.
“While there is no legal definition of hate speech in the UK, we believe that Julie’s comments on Islam are not defensible from a moral or intellectual standpoint, that they crossed a line with regard to race and religion, and that her book has now become inextricably linked with those views.”
What race is Islam again? I keep forgetting. The charge of “hate speech” is a tool of the powerful to silence the powerless. This ugly incident shows vividly how it is used to stifle dissent. Burchill’s question should have sparked a debate about child marriage, and about Sharia and its relationship to British law. Instead, Burchill’s book is canceled, signaling that such discussions are not to be tolerated.
“Julie Burchill’s book on cancel culture pulled over Islam tweets,” by Simon Rushton, The National, December 16, 2020 (thanks to Henry):
Journalist Julie Burchill’s book on cancel culture has been scrapped by her publisher for what it said were Islamophobic comments.
Ms Burchill and Hachette confirmed the company was pulling out of the deal to publish Welcome to the Woke Trials: How #Identity Killed Progressive Politics, which was promoted as a “characteristically irreverent and entertaining” indictment of the “outrage mob”.
Cancel culture – also known as call-out culture – is a form of ostracism in which someone is excluded from professional or social circles, either on social media, in the real world, or both.
Hachette subsidiary Little, Brown and Company said Ms Burchill’s comments on Islam were “not defensible from a moral or intellectual standpoint”.
The writer previously made comments critical of Islam and on Sunday became embroiled in a Twitter spat with journalist Ash Sarkar, a Muslim.
Ms Sarkar tweeted: “Julie Burchill, who once I suppose was a well-regarded journalist, has quite openly subjected me to Islamophobia on here. I’m a big girl – it’s not going to upset me – but I do find it strange that none of her colleagues or friends in the industry seems to have a problem with it.”
Little, Brown said in a statement: “We will no longer be publishing Julie Burchill’s book. This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We believe passionately in freedom of speech at Little, Brown and we have always published authors with controversial or challenging perspectives – and we will continue to do so.
“While there is no legal definition of hate speech in the UK, we believe that Julie’s comments on Islam are not defensible from a moral or intellectual standpoint, that they crossed a line with regard to race and religion, and that her book has now become inextricably linked with those views.”…
Keith O says
Deleting someone’s views on a matter if they don’t coincide with yours is now a common theme in this day and age.
In some circles making comments about how the animals who rape women should be dealt with can be enough to have them removed from some sights. Even though nothing was stated that breaks any laws. Merely speaking or printing what you are thinking can get you exiled.
So having anything that challenges islam in any way shape or form deleted is also nothing new. As long as the power to control what people write or by extension, think is around, then the free world is in deep trouble.
Check Burry says
Its because little brown are a bit concerned that they may get blown up, or gunned down ala charlie ebdo.
Check Burry says
Plus de-platforming, a tool of the left.
william carr says
I wish everyone would stop calling it ‘cancel culture’ it is not culture and in fact is anti culture
Jon Sobieski says
Amazon does cancel culture as well. Tommy Robinson’s Koran book was banned from their website. There are others of course. Cancel culture, Visa/MC does it too. Not for pornography or death threats, nope. For mocking someone or something or criticizing someone or something. it’s nazi and 1984 combined.. Cancel Culture is a good word for it.
mgoldberg says
“…No one would care about Muhammad’s child marriage were his behavior not normative for Islamic law and imitated by all too many Muslims even today.” And for the obvious fact that actually discussing the issues is verboten and considered blashemy yielding murder of infidels for engaging their critical faculties. That is the important issue. hell, you could say Moses and aaron were arsonists and you’d get merely an astonished look, you could say Jesus was a transvestite, and you’d get some outrage but certainly nothing more.
Why…?
Because that is the effect of 3000 yrs of western civilization on freedom to think to debate, to argue and to affrim. Except of course, in the religion of pieces- as in blowing up anyone who disagrees and now, the book peddlers hem and haw and pretend they’re actually really really for freedom of speech except of course, when they’re not….
revereridesagain says
Publishers can ditch their devotion to freedom of speech/expression in a heartbeat depending on who leans on them hard enough. That is the voice of experience talking.
As for this example, where is Monty Python when we need them? Better yet, The Goon Show.
gravenimage says
Sadly, Monty Python has bowed to fear of criticizing Islam, as well.
“You can’t parody Islam, says Palin”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2530920/You-parody-Islam-says-Palin-Monty-Python-star-believes-religious-sensitivities-increased-impossible-make-Life-Brian-today.html
Michael Palin said there is one comedy taboo he is too scared to break- Islam
‘We all saw what happened to Salman Rushdie – none of us want all that’
gravenimage says
UK: Publisher Little, Brown cancels book decrying cancel culture because the author criticized Islam
………….,..
So her concerns about Islamic *child rape* mean she herself is “canceled”? Is Little, Brown irony-proof?
Really, just appalling.
gravenimage says
UK: Publisher Little, Brown cancels book decrying cancel culture because the author criticized Islam
………….,..
So her concerns about Islamic *child rape* mean she herself is “canceled”? Is Little, Brown irony-proof?
Really, just disgusting.
Infidel says
Ash Sarkar – if she’s musim, she’s undoubtedly from Bangladesh. Which begs the question: what is it about England today that has them groveling before vagrant migrants from 4th world tinpot countries that are best known for poverty than anything else?
Check Burry says
She says she is a communist,
Infidel says
That’s more like it. Comes from the one place in the world that voluntarily elected communists 40 years in a row, and which has one of the worst work ethics anywhere. Left Bengal!
Eleanor says
Infidel, UK and especially England will become an Islamic Republic within the next 80 years, maybe sooner, I predict. If I was young and lived there, I’d be making plans to leave before I got too old. Trouble is there are not many Western countries who are NOT pandering to this dangerous cult. You can forget Canada and NZ; Australia and USA perhaps, but don’t hold your breath, as they too will succumb to the evil; it may just take a little longer. This is what our future generations have to look forward to. I’m sure they will all look back and wonder how “we” let this happen to our beautiful first world countries.
Infidel says
Eleanor, I have hopes, but I think you are right
James Lincoln says
Eleanor says,
“I’m sure they will all look back and wonder how “we” let this happen to our beautiful first world countries.”
In countries like the UK, all that will be left – if carefully protected – will be the pre-1970 British Pathé Newreels…
Jayell says
Little, Brown & Co.’s Mission Statement:-
‘To be the #1 destination for authors, agents, customers, client publishers, and employees.
To be a respected publisher that values diversity, nurtures talent, rewards success, and honors its responsibilities.
To be market focused in all we do, and to lead change in popular culture.
To anticipate change, foster creativity, and encourage risk-taking and innovation.’
No mention of ‘honesty’ and ‘integrity’, I notice!
m says
Julie Burchill and her critics obviously have the slimmest knowledge of Islam, but they all know that any criticism of Islam is ‘VERBOTEN’.
Why is it VERBOTEN to discuss Mohammed’s varied sex life? Leftists discuss the sex life of other historic figures in great detail.