The Baltic Exchange was victorious in its court battle against one Christian zealot; Waterstone’s on the other hand has decided to give in to another:
A poet has been forced to launch his new collection in the street after a bookstore cancelled the event because of a campaign by Christian activists.
Patrick Jones was due to sign copies at Waterstone’s in Cardiff but the shop cancelled the event at the last moment.
Christian Voice said the book was “obscene and blasphemous” and called on the chain to remove copies from stores.
The company said it was not a censor but felt it was “prudent” to cancel the event because of its duty to customers.
Prudent in what sense though? Because Christian fundamentalist Stephen Green had already threatened violence to the art exhibit in Gateshead which our judicial system had confirmed was entirely legal? Why not just conduct the signing and call the police if he caused trouble? Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said:
“Stephen Green is becoming a real threat to artistic freedom. It seems a mere phone call from him threatening some kind of demonstration can cause a bookshop to capitulate to his demands and cancel an artistic event.
“His increasingly bullying behaviour needs to be challenged by the police. We simply cannot allow this man to dictate what can and cannot be said by artists. It is really up to the authorities to protect artists and their promoters from such intimidation.”
Considering his threatening behaviour, why hasn’t he already been arrested? I don’t understand. This is not just a business with no backbone, but a man trying to intimidate others because of their use of words. We can’t tolerate this Christian fundamentalist behaviour, any more than we would an extremist Muslim threatening to kill editors for printing cartoons. His freedom of religion does not give him the right to intimidate and harass, nor to interfere in the freedom of expression of others. It is lunacy to suggest that art could possibly cause religious offence – we live in a secular society, and it’s shameful of Waterstone’s to have given in to such immoral bullying.
Anyone who gives the concept of blasphemy even the time of day in this day and age is an idiot, and should be treated like one.
4 responses so far ↓
Michelle // November 13, 2008 at 9:06 pm |
“Imagine books and music and movies being filtered and homogenized. Certified. Approved for consumption. People will be happy to give up most of their culture for the assurance that the tiny bit that comes through is safe and clean. White noise.”
- Chuck Palahniuk
Rowan Fortune-Wood // November 14, 2008 at 9:18 am |
Brilliant blog, there’s a video on YouTube you can go to http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YDp0lNDZukM that includes a response to Waterstone’s from Cinnamon Press.
Warm Regards,
Rowan & Cinnamon Press
cosmodaddy // November 15, 2008 at 9:23 am |
A very well put together video, Rowan, and I’m grateful for the link. The open letter to Waterstone’s is very well argued, and I would hope to see a response from them. It’s entirely true that there appears to be a double standard in the company’s determination to press ahead 20 years ago in promoting the Satanic Verses, yet cancelling promotion now for a book which an unrepresentative Christian extremist had deemed blasphemous. Indeed a book seller which even subscribes to the concept of blasphemy really isn’t doing its job properly.
I wholeheartedly support the campaign to reinstate the promotion of Darkness is Where the Stars Are and would be grateful to be informed of any updates I miss.
Welsh Assembly Defeats Christian Zealot « Cosmodaddy // November 18, 2008 at 3:34 pm |
[...] 18, 2008 · No Comments Following Waterstone’s capitulation to fundamentalist Christian Stephen Green, who had vowed to protest a poetry reading at their store [...]