TORONTO – According to a BBC radio presenter, an author writing for Oxford University Press (OUP) was advised to avoid mentioning pork or pigs in an effort not to offend Jews or Muslims.
The Telegraph reported that BBC Today host Jim Naughtie said on air, “I’ve got a letter here which was sent out by Oxford University Press to an author doing something for young people. Among the things prohibited in the text that was commissioned by OUP was the following; ‘Pigs, plus anything else which could be perceived as pork.'”
He added: “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.”
A source from the Oxford University Press in London told Global News that media reports suggesting that the publisher was calling for an all-out ban on pigs or pork was being exaggerated: there was no company-wide change to its publishing policy.
“What we do do is we change our guidelines depending on where the books are going to be published,” the source said.
This is not uncommon practice in the publishing industry, he stressed.
“To say that there is a ban on pigs… I wouldn’t say that this is accurate.”
However, once the story was reported in the U.K., many people took to Twitter in response.
In a statement Wednesday, OUP said, “OUP’s commitment to its mission of academic and educational excellence is absolute.
“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.
“Guidelines for our educational materials differ between geographies and do not cover our academic publishing.”
The company was expected to release a press release on Thursday.
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