YUP pulls images of Muhammad

Yale University Press has banned images of Muhammad in a new book, according to a story in the New York Times by Patricia Cohen. Wouldn't it be a pleasant world if our academic reservations and colonies were so discreet and careful about observing the sensitivities of the other children of Abraham, the Jews and Christians?

"The book’s author, Jytte Klausen, a Danish-born professor of politics at Brandeis University, in Waltham, Mass., reluctantly accepted Yale University Press’s decision not to publish the cartoons. But she was disturbed by the withdrawal of the other representations of Muhammad. All of those images are widely available, Ms. Klausen said by telephone, adding that “Muslim friends, leaders and activists thought that the incident was misunderstood, so the cartoons needed to be reprinted so we could have a discussion about it.” The book is due out in November."

But then, I haven't seen many NYT reporters or owners or editors beheaded by Christians or Jews recently, either. Fear, even third or fourth hand, can help in making many decisions about life or death, advertising, editorial content, profit etc.