Yale University Press (YUP) is preparing to publish Jytte Klausen‘s book The Cartoons that Shook the World, about the controversy sparked in February 2006 by twelve cartoons depicting Mohammed that were published in the Danish newspaper Jylland-Posten in September 2005. YUP has chosen to censor the subject twelve cartoons and other illustrations of Mohammed from the upcoming book.
In response, the American Association of University Professors issued a strong statement condemning YUP. The first line sums up their opinion of what Yale‘s actions say about its commitment to academic freedom: “We do not negotiate with terrorists. We just accede to their anticipated demands.”
Winfield Myers of Campus Watch responded to a subsequent statement released by Yale University, saying: "[The Yale] statement smells of cowardice and compromise. We wanted to do the right thing, it claims, and publish the illustrations which, after all, are the subject of the book. But after we spoke to these experts [on Islam] (and you can’t just ignore the advice of experts), we figured we’d skip out on our obligations to our author and readers and hide behind their advice, which we appreciate an awful lot.”