Borders Bans 'Free Inquiry' Magazine Over Muhammad Cartoons

[Mark E. Smith]

From The BIDINOTTO BLOG 3/30

An Open Letter to Borders Books

Borders Customer Care
100 Phoenix Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108-2202

March 30, 2006

Dear Borders Representatives:

I have been a loyal borders customer -- now a Borders Rewards customer -- for quite a few years. i spend many hundreds of dollars annually in your store.

However, I have just learned that Borders and its affiliated Waldenbooks have banned the next issue of a publication, Free Inquiry, from your magazine shelves, because that publication is reprinting the controversial Danish cartoons of Muhammad on inside pages. The reason given by Borders is alleged fear of violence from radical Muslims, and desire to "protect" customers and employees.

Your company's craven policy of capitulation in the face of the mere hypothetical threat of terrorism is absolutely appalling -- a complete moral abdication that only encourages those threatening our rights and liberties.

By its public declaration of pre-emptive surrender, Borders has given the bullies of our age a clear message: Your intimidation works. Your bullying works. Your coercion works. Your terrorist threats work.

Borders has set a morally irresponsible and frighteningly dangerous precedent. It has told fanatics everywhere that all they need to do in order to obliterate First Amendment rights is growl menacingly -- at which point a leading bookstore chain in America will clear its shelves of anything that could possibly offend the thug of the moment.

Having now encouraged the use of violence and intimidation, which magazine or book are you next prepared to expunge from your stores? Will you remove books about abortion, for fear of provoking some "right to life" fanatic? will you eliminate Jewish magazines or black publications, for fear of upsetting neo-Nazis and skinheads? Scientology has been known to intimidate critics; are you about to bow to their demands for "proper" treatment in magazines and books, by eliminating all critical material? Or if some investigative journalist probes organized crime, will you hide his work in the back room, for fear of retaliation from the Mob?

You have given a sorry example of where such capitulation begins. But where does it end?

More ...

http://bidinotto.journalspace.com/?entryid=366

Free Inquiry:

http://www.secularhumanism.org/fi/

[Ian David]

1. If you think Borders is cowardly not to sell this magazine, then...

1) Contact Free Inquiry Magazine
[e-mail]

2) Ask them to send you 20 copies of their magazine

3) Set-up a booth on the sidewalk in front of Borders and sell it yourself.

If we ridicule Republican Chickenhawks for supporting the war but refusing to fight it, then if you want to fight the war of free speech... you should go fight it yourself.

What would be the free-speech version of a Chickenhawk? Chickenmouth?

Why should you criticize Borders for not putting their employees in danger unless you're willing to accept that danger yourself?

[derby378]

4. Sounds like a game of "kill the messenger"

It's Borders' job to sell magazines, not partition out information for public consumption because someone might get a little miffed.

Just remember that every Borders has a section dedicated to pornographic novels. And I have yet to see the Family Research Council organizing boycotts and protests to get those books removed from the shelves.

[insane_cratic_gal]

5. But in defense of Borders they are in MI

has the largest muslim community in the US..

Can you blame them for not wanting to stir up controversy and rerun what has already a proved to be a nightmare?

I worked for them before so I am biased. They are one of the best companies I have ever worked for!

They upped my hrs to full time so I could have health insurance when I found out I was pregnant (one of those pre-existing conditions to most insurance companies) they never said a word about it.



You can say whatever you want, they treated me better then any company I have ever worked for since.

[Ian David]

7. FRC hasn't sparked riots that killed anyone lately

That we know of, anyway.

[Zenlitened]

2. Excellent letter. I'm surprised -- sort of -- that Borders would do this.

:(

[Ian David]

3. Then I presume you'll be personally distributing copies yourself?

Chickenmouths are just as bad as Chickenhawks.

Fighting for free speech right down to the last Borders employee.

[Zenlitened]

9. Uh, yeah. That's how it works.

:eyes:

[ima_sinnic]

6. so if they chose not to stock a magazine by, say, KKK with cartoons

ridiculing black people would that also not be all right?
If I owned a bookstore I wouldn't stock these Free Inquiry mags, simply because IMO the cartoons have no socially redeeming value and only promote hatred.
so flame me, what the fuck do I care.

[Ian David]

11. I wouldn't do it because they put the safety of my employees at risk n/t

[derby378]

8. If the debate was about music, how would you feel?

What if Borders refused to carry a CD compilation of IRA rebel songs?

Or Italian Mafia folksongs?

Or Ku Klux Klan hymns from a hundred years ago?

[Ian David]

13. Have the anti-Klan, anti-Mafia or anti-IRA people rioted lately?

Have they burned embassies and killed people in the streets lately?

Hey, I'm all in favor of someone publishing or selling the cartoons if they want to.

But if I Borders, I wouldn't sleep well wondering if an angry mob was going to run into my store and kill my employees because I ordered them to sell something that has already driven people to riot and murder.

If anyone wants to stand out on the sidewalk and sell it themselves, I'll try to make the arrangements for them.

[Terran1212]

10. That magazine IS viciously anti-religious

It might not be a bad move just for a while. I'm not trying to suppress freedom of speech, but if you know anything about Free Inquiry, you know it might be a good move.

[Ian David]

14. I have a subscription, and it is not "viciously anti-religious"

It is militantly anti-theocracy.

[Mark E. Smith]

15. Thank you.

Very well put.

[AngryAmish]

12. dhimmis