Oxford University Press (OUP) has reportedly warned its authors not to mention pigs or pork in their work to avoid offending Muslims and Jews.
The largest university press in the world and the second oldest, OUP said its books must be considerate of all cultures and therefore avoid mentioning pigs or “anything else which could be perceived as pork,” according to the BBC’s Radio 4.
The warning has been re-reported by leading international media across the world after Muslim extremists attacked French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which had repeatedly published images depicting the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him).
Jim Naughtie, presenter of the BBC Radio 4’s Today show, told his audience he had a copy of a letter sent from OUP to an author who it had commissioned to write a book for young people.
“Among the things prohibited in the text that was commissioned by OUP was the following: Pigs plus sausages, or anything else which could be perceived as pork,” Naughtie said.
“Now, if a respectable publisher, tied to an academic institution, is saying you’ve got to write a book in which you cannot mention pigs because some people might be offended, it’s just ludicrous. It is just a joke.”
Muslim Labour MP Khalid Mahmood also criticised the letter, according to The International Business Times.
“That’s ludicrous,” Mahmood was quoted as saying. “That’s absolute, utter nonsense and when people go too far that actually brings the whole discussion into disrepute.”
OUP defended the move by saying it needed to ensure its books were available to the “widest possible audience”.
“Many of the educational materials we publish in the UK are sold in more than 150 countries, and as such they need to consider a range of cultural differences and sensitivities,” a spokesman told the Daily Mail.
“Our editorial guidelines are intended to help ensure that the resources that we produce can be disseminated to the widest possible audience.”
In a statement later, the company said its commitment to “academic and educational excellence” is “absolute”, the London Evening Standard reported.
“Our materials are sold in nearly 200 countries, and as such, and without compromising our commitment in any way, we encourage some authors of educational materials respectfully to consider cultural differences and sensitivities,” the statement said.
“Guidelines for our educational materials differ between geographies and do not cover our academic publishing.”
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