London: In an apparent bid to avoid offending Jews and Muslims, the Oxford University Press has warned its writers not to mention pigs, sausages or pork-related words in children’s books.
The OUP’s clampdown was revealed by Jim Naughtie, a presenter on BBC Radio 4, on Wednesday during a discussion about censorship following the Charlie Hebdo massacre.
Oxford wants authors to consider ‘cultural differences and sensitivities’ and hence took the step. However, it has been branded ‘a joke’ and ‘utter nonsense’ by critics – including Muslims and Jews.
“I absolutely agree. That’s absolute utter nonsense. And when people go too far, that brings the whole discussion into disrepute,†Muslim Labour MP Khalid Mahmood said.
 “Jewish law prohibits eating pork, not the mention of the word, or the animal from which it derives,†Jewish Leadership Council spokesman said.
Among the things prohibited in the text that was commissioned by OUP was Pigs plus sausages, or anything else which could be perceived as pork.
The OUP said in a statement that their ‘commitment to academic and educational excellence is absolute’.
It added: “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.â€
“Guidelines for our educational materials differ between geographies and do not cover our academic publishing.”
Oxford University Press, a department of the University of Oxford, is the world’s largest university press, publishing more than 6,000 titles a year in more than 40 languages and selling 110 million units annually.