Borders Bypass Banning Bequiffed Belgian Bigot

Gilps · July 12, 2007

Bid to ban 'racist' Tintin book

The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) is calling on high street shop Borders to pull a Tintin adventure from its shelves completely.

Tintin in the Congo has already been moved to the adult section over complaints that its content is racist.

A spokeswoman said the book contained "words of hideous racial prejudice, where the 'savage natives' look like monkeys and talk like imbeciles".

Borders said they are committed to let their "customers make the choice".

'Racist claptrap'

The store's spokesman added: "Naturally, some of the thousands of books and music selections we carry could be considered controversial or objectionable depending on individual political views, tastes and interests."

"How and why do Borders think that it's okay to peddle such racist material?" said the CRE spokeswoman.

"The only place that it might be acceptable for this to be displayed would be in a museum, with a big sign saying 'old-fashioned, racist claptrap.'

"It's high time that they reconsidered their decision and removed this from their shelves," she added.

The Tintin adventures were written by Belgian author Herge - real name Georges Prosper Remi - from 1929 until his death in 1983.

He continued to revise his books after their publication, and admitted embarrassment over some of the views they expressed.

A scene in Tintin in the Congo in which the eponymous hero gave a geography lesson to Africans about Belgium was later changed to a maths class.

Molby · July 12, 2007

This post is not viewable to guests.

You can sign in to your account at the login page here