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Nothing to see here. Move along. Nobody here but us technical errors. "Publisher says 'technical error' led to omission of part of book critical of Islam," from Helsingin Sanomat, with thanks to Fjordman:
The Finnish translation of a controversial book by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born member of the Dutch Parliament, has a passage missing, in which the writer sharply criticises the founder of Islam - the Prophet Mohammed.The book is a collection of essays and interviews. The missing passage is from an interview with the Dutch newspaper Trouw, published on December 25th, 2003. The interview was part of the newspaper’s series on the Ten Commandments.
Hirsi Ali said that the Finnish publisher of the book, Otava Publishers, had asked for permission to omit the passage, because it might be found to be offensive by Muslims.
However, she did not give permission for any such omission.
At Otava, Tero Norkola, head of publishing at the company’s non-fiction department, was unaware of the missing passage when Helsingin Sanomat contacted him. He said that he is certain that Otava did not deliberately order the cut.Norkola was asked why he thought that the missing passage happened to be the one that has raised so much international controversy.
"It is interesting. Mysterious", he admits. However, he insists that no decision was made to cut the passage, and that its omission must have been a "technical error"....
For safety reasons Otava omitted the name of the Finnish translator from the book. Translators’ names have been left out of other versions as well....In addition, the Finnish version contains Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s script for the short film Submission, which was directed by Theo van Gogh, who was later murdered by a Moroccan-born radical Muslim.
Hirsi Ali’s Paris-based agent did not know that the Finnish version did not contain the book’s most widely-quoted passage, in which she said that by Western standards, Mohammed was a "pervert and a tyrant" who opposed freedom of speech. She also says that Mohammed is the model for all Muslim men to follow, and suggests that this may be the reason why many Muslim men are violent.
Posted by Robert at September 19, 2005 9:20 AM
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How coincidental! How very coincidental!
Posted by: Mark![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at September 19, 2005 9:36 AM
How can we judge if the Missing Material is offensive if we haven't been able to read it? Surely this case cries out for World Organized Journalism to demand that the offended text -- not the offensive text, because we can't judge that as yet -- be translated from Dutch into Finnish, French, Italian, English, German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, and so on, so that the world's non-Muslims, and Muslims, can judge for themselves.
Then, solemnly, Solomon-like, we can have what simpering talk-show hosts of the NPR persuasion like to call a "national conversation" (I think this "conversation" business started with Clinton and that Ogletreeish "National Conversation About Race,", when Clinton was merely President and not yet head of the modestly-titled Clinton Global Initiative) about the whole matter. Yes, let's have a "national conversation" about that missing not-yet-offending text.
Posted by: Hugh at September 19, 2005 9:55 AM
Well, SUPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE! How in the world could this have happened? I'm sure Mr. Norkola is right on the case and will get to the bottom of it with all deliberate speed.
Posted by: sbrst at September 19, 2005 10:07 AM
Anteeksi, olen Englantilainen ja en puhue paljon Suomea....
Is this the first book of "historical note" to be "re-defined" by technical errors & tactical omissions in Finland? - judging by the EU lovin' wet blankets & Islamo-sops that pass for leadership in Finland these days it won't be the last.
Quite surprising for a country that has lead the world literacy tables for over a decade.
You may all be able to read extremely well, but can you trust what you are reading, minun hyva hystavaa?
Hook, line & sinker - the once noble & independent Finns have swallowed the EU BS & surrendered their great nation to the fadist doctrine & mantra of EU multiculturalism. This is not a racist comment before anyone jumps me - its a statement of fact.
I guess it takes 2nd / 3rd generation immigrant suicide bombers committing mass murder in what are supposed to be their own cities before people actually begin to question the validity of mass immigration leading to multicultural utopia's - or independent tribal enclaves all vying for preferential treatment, depending on your view.
Finland. Valiantly & independently held out against their Communist neighbour & once even kicked their ass most valiantly - still an amazing feat by any standards of David & Goliath conflict, has been humbled & laid low by the EUrabian conspiracy, succeeding where many, many Soviet dictators failed.
at September 19, 2005 11:20 AM
This is scary. What other books will be "edited" in such a way? Is true freedom of speech allowed in this Brave New World?
Posted by: Carolyn2 at September 19, 2005 11:55 AM
Seventeen cases are enough to endure -- and now this.
Posted by: Hugh at September 19, 2005 12:15 PM
I have some swampland in Florida available for anyone stupid enough to believe this tale. They left out the parts Muhammad for fear of offending Muslims which would lead to violence against their printing facilities, employees, and perhaps themselves.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali as been silenced in the normal way that Muslims silence their critics: through intimidation and fear of violence.
Posted by: epg at September 19, 2005 1:22 PM
Of course I assuming Finnish Contract law is similar to US law. But if I was there I would insist on a refund from the book (perhaps a class action) due to delivery of non-conforming goods, and therefore a breach of the purchase contract. Remedies would include damages (refund) or Performance (reprinting and delivery of original book).
Posted by: Trupolitik at September 19, 2005 4:38 PM
Have you tried reading the U.C.C. in Finnish? You will never need seconal again.
Posted by: Hugh at September 20, 2005 10:58 AM
I once spent an evening in Tampere watching Night Caller with Finnish subtitles and a game show called Las Vegas Up.
Beautiful lakes and friendly people however.
at September 20, 2005 4:32 PM
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