Open-minded Interpretation

All is Forgiven

Readers of The Economist in Singapore found a blank page in the latest 17 Jan edition. Lianhe Zaobao reported that 22nd page of an article on Terror and Islam ("After the atrocities") was left with nothing but two words "Page Missing" .

According to the Economist, print copies of the magazine that are sold in parts of Southeast Asia should read: "In most of our editions this page included a picture showing the current cover of "Charlie Hebdo". Our Singapore printers declined to print it." The message also directed readers to where they could view the image on The Economist website if they wished to.

Times Printers Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Singapore's Times Publishing Group, claims the Economist had asked them about concerns running an image of the Prophet in tears holding a "Je Suis Charlie" placard under the headline in French "All is Forgiven." "We consulted and registered our concerns with The Economist magazine. After deliberation, The Economist ... sent out a replacement page to us which we have printed accordingly." Quite obviously, even the replacement page has been censored.

The Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (NPPA) which came about in 1974 requires that no newspapers are to be printed or published without a permit which is granted, refused or revoked upon the Minister’s discretion. No prizes for guessing who the printers might have consulted. The Singapore Information Minister said on his Facebook page he appreciated the printers' decision as the image would not have been authorised for publication.

Perhaps Yaacob Ibrahim missed the article by Fareed Zakaria ("No mention of 'blasphemy' in the Koran", ST Tue 13 Jan 2015), the part which states the idea that Islam requires that insults against the Prophet Muhammad be met with violence is a creation of politicians and clerics to serve a political agenda. Nor, the writer adds, does the Quran anywhere forbid creating images of Muhammad.

We know from Wikileaks that Yaacob Ibrahim once told U.S. embassy officials that he "has a more open-minded interpretation of the Koran" and that his Puerto Rican wife converted to Islam "to satisfy the conservative standards of Singapore." Not exactly cleric material, which means the politician is very much in play.

Isaiah’s vision of Jesus riding a donkey and Muhammad riding a camel,
al-Biruni, al-Athar al-Baqiyya ‘an al-Qurun al-Khaliyya (Chronology of
Ancient Nations), Tabriz, Iran, 1307-8. Edinburgh University Library.
(Thanks, anon@1/19/2015 3:51 AM)