What's so controversal about this book?

Mycroft

High Priest of Ed
Mycroft
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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20817548-16947,00.html

Islamic fears kill off children's thriller

A LEADING children's publisher has dumped a novel because of political sensitivity over Islamic issues.

Scholastic Australia pulled the plug on the Army of the Pure after booksellers and librarians said they would not stock the adventure thriller for younger readers because the "baddie" was a Muslim terrorist.
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It doesn't seem to be fear of Islamic anger but just political correctness that is killing this book.

Is it just me, or are there aspects of the media that seem to be extremely reluctant to reflect certain truths in the world?
 
Mycroft said:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20817548-16947,00.html



It doesn't seem to be fear of Islamic anger but just political correctness that is killing this book.

Is it just me, or are there aspects of the media that seem to be extremely reluctant to reflect certain truths in the world?
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No, I think you nailed it.

It's like when Tom Clancy changed the villains who nuke Baltimore in the film version of The Sum of All Fears from Islamic terrorists to neo-Nazis (a nice safe - meaning white and Western - bad guy) after 9/11.
 
Polaris said:
No, I think you nailed it.

It's like when Tom Clancy changed the villains who nuke Baltimore in the film version of The Sum of All Fears from Islamic terrorists to neo-Nazis (a nice safe - meaning white and Western - bad guy) after 9/11.
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I'm skeptical that Tom Clancy made the change. He was neither the screenwriter, nor the director for the movie.
 
Mycroft said:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20817548-16947,00.html



It doesn't seem to be fear of Islamic anger but just political correctness that is killing this book.

Is it just me, or are there aspects of the media that seem to be extremely reluctant to reflect certain truths in the world?
Click to expand...
We don't know the actual contents of the book or why specifically it was canned. It is possible that the portrayal of Islam is offensive in more than just a "the bad guys are Muslims" way. The story in the OP is the only mention of this book I've been able to find after several Google searches. Anyone else manage to find anything?
 
Children's books with terrorists in them?

And people object to Harry Potter? At least no kid walks away from a Harry Potter book fearing attack by dark wizards. I thought part of the magic of childhood was being insulated somewhat from the nastiness of the world. You know, at least in their entertainment.
 
TragicMonkey said:
Children's books with terrorists in them?

And people object to Harry Potter? At least no kid walks away from a Harry Potter book fearing attack by dark wizards. I thought part of the magic of childhood was being insulated somewhat from the nastiness of the world. You know, at least in their entertainment.
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That's what I thought until I read Thomas the Derailed Tank Engine. Those poor bastages...
 
delphi_ote said:
That wasn't nearly as bad as those Bob the Gas Chamber Builder books. What is wrong with these people?
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I think it all started when they released Dora the Explorer meets the INS. It wasn't so bad at the time, but it set a precedent.
 
bob_kark said:
That's what I thought until I read Thomas the Derailed Tank Engine. Those poor bastages...
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He was trapped, injured down off the side of the railroad and no one could find him. He had to drink his own water tank water and eat his own coal. After awhile he had to eat the wood that was in reach. Soon, even that ran out. F***ing sick, man. :mad:

And the culprit who put the penny on the track? White male abortion clinic bomber.
 
oh snap, next thing you know someone will write a book where a black person listens to rap music!!! teh horror!


or omg, a mexican legally immigrates to america!
 
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ZirconBlue said:
I'm skeptical that Tom Clancy made the change. He was neither the screenwriter, nor the director for the movie.
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The wikipedia entry for the movie doesn´t say who did it, but it says the reasons had nothing to do with 9/11.
 
Mycroft said:
It doesn't seem to be fear of Islamic anger but just political correctness that is killing this book.
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Why couldn't it be both? Separation of religion and politics are a fairly recent development and not everyone has accepted the concept, including a few conservative pundits I can think of.
 
Is it just me, or are there aspects of the media that seem to be extremely reluctant to reflect certain truths in the world?
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I don't necesarily disagree with you, but I'm not sure what you mean exactly. Which media outlets are extremely reluctant to reflect which truths? I'm curious to hear specific examples.
 
^^I think mostly the entertainment industry. The news media doesnt seem to mind trotting out stereotypical stories...
 
Mycroft said:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20817548-16947,00.html



It doesn't seem to be fear of Islamic anger but just political correctness that is killing this book.

Is it just me, or are there aspects of the media that seem to be extremely reluctant to reflect certain truths in the world?
Click to expand...

Why yes, yes there are. And many of them attack Steve G. because when he is upset he does not make the statement after every knock on Sharia "law" or example of Muslim evil/terrorism that "of course most Muslims are peaceful and peace loving human beings who just want to get along with all their neighbors". And I less often get the same silliness when I argue that you go after and kill terrorists and if their own civilians hide them, allow them to hide in their living areas, etc. then those civilians have no complaint when they are hit because someone is targeting the terrorists. The best and indeed only argument I can see on that is "But they are afraid of being killed themselves by the terrorists" - well, dead is dead -and I suspect if the terrorists did that (killed their own civilians for not helping/hiding them) their support would dry up. Could be wrong on that, if so do not care. The attacked (Israel in the prime case) have the rights - their attackers have only the rights to stop attacking or die (slowly I hope.):mad:
 
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jimtron said:
Any specific examples come to mind?
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its hard to show that they didnt say something because they were reluctant to offend, because most of the time things dont go all the way through and then get banned like the OP. I just get the feeling from tv shows that no one wants to portray anyone offensivley, because they get in a lot of **** for doing so. Like the soprano's did when the italian american anti defamation leauge went after them......
 
nails said:
its hard to show that they didnt say something because they were reluctant to offend, because most of the time things dont go all the way through and then get banned like the OP. I just get the feeling from tv shows that no one wants to portray anyone offensivley, because they get in a lot of **** for doing so. Like the soprano's did when the italian american anti defamation leauge went after them......
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I think TV networks are more concerned with profits than political correctness. They don't want to offend their advertisers or keep any eyeballs away, so they often seem to go for the lowest common denominator.

Just like the "anti-Christmas" shopping centers that O'Reilly loathes for using "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"--I think it's about revenue more than politics. Retailers don't want to alienate any potential customers.

eta: Also, I think some are afraid of offending violent radical groups out of fear for their lives--they don't want a fatwa put out for them. I'm against censoring writers, and censorship in general. But I wonder if the publisher isn't concerned with violent "revenge."
 
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