One of our Pakistani guests on yesterday's programme said to me after we'd come off air, 'that was one of the saddest hours of my life'. He was referring to the number of Pakistanis who spoke or emailed to say that Salman Taseer deserved to die. That same despondency can be seen in any number of blogs and articles written by those Pakistanis who shared the former Governor of Punjab's vision for a moderate, liberal and tolerant nation. We'll bring some of them together to discuss where they go from here.
Your comments
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18:54
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David, a Teacher in Port Charlotte, Florida
What is next, should we take all references to the degradation of Jews from the Diary of Anne Frank? When we sanitize these books, we run the risk of forgetting the past and possibly repeating it. We need to keep these words to remind us of the atrocity of the past.
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18:49
109170416
Why is it necessary to protect artisitc freedom of cartoonists who denigrate religious prophets at the same time now we don’t want the N word in a literary masterpiece, double standards or hypocrisy??
Sanjay - Bahrain.
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18:48
116079807
How do you teach growth while changing the history of were you have come.
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18:48
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Dave in westlake, oh emails.
I live in a nice suburb of Cleveland, and my son read Huck Finn last year as a junior in high school. There was no negative feedback that I'm aware of, and it was the high point of the school year for my son.
They had a (according to my son) thoughtful discussion about the novel's language at the beginning of the section, and then got on with it. Teenagers are smart. They can handle it
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18:46
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Peter in the US emails...
I am appalled that this publisher would feel the need to alter what is an important historical document for America. Squeamishness on the part of some teachers or school administrators is not enough to change the past!
Very sad.
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18:45
111598717
As hurtful and offensive as those words might be, you cant and shouldnt change history. Changing literature or history is a slippery Orwellian slope. Bob-Cleve
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18:44
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As a BLACK American born and raised in Mississippi, living in Atlanta Georgia, I would rather the words stay. They lend an eye as to how things were, there was nothing genital about that time, the removal of the N word dumbs down the continuing struggle of my people.
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18:38
114548678
Huck finn should be left alone. its literature for crying out loud. what harm can it do? Alex in Chicago USA
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18:37
115318158
The liberals should go under, pakistan is a muslim country and will live by what they belief in. Am beginning to think freedom is only restricted to those who behave western.
Hamis nigeria
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18:34
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Hi. I’m a student of English. I feel only today’s literature should say what we think or feel or believe today. But of course it’s part of today’s literature to adapt Mark Twain to our times, only this makes us somewhat puritan, doesn’t it? ALIYU, Gombe Nig.
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18:23
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Shannon in Ohio
I taught Huckleberry Finn, n-word and all, for several years in America to college classes filled with adult students of all races. Some were wary at first, but all came to truly enjoy this wonderful read. The book was written a generation after slavery was abolished here in the U.S. and Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) wrote a novel that mocked the stupid everyday cruelties that people inflict on other people. In it, twelve-year-old Huckleberry Finn decides he would rather burn in Hell for eternity than turn in his friend Jim, a runaway slave. Why is the irony of this novel lost on the censors? Apparently, the dumbing down of the U.S. continues at light speed--especially among those entrusted to teach American Literature.
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18:20
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Angelo In Juba, Sudan posts on facebook.....
Pakistan issue is so complicated that it need it own people to set down and solve their differences base on what they want.... Democracy or Islamic rule( sharia) in their country
Comment sent via SMS
18:17
108513545
Is it purely coincidence that your 2 subjects today focus on intolerance and the suppression of free speach? If Mark Twain were here now, would they shoot him, or blow him up? It seems to me society everywhere needs to stop for a moment, and take stock of what kind of madness we’re leading the world into. Banks, amsterdam
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18:08
113631290
Dave in Westlake, ohio....
I listened to an interview with the so called editor of the revised Hick Finn just yesterday, and was left with a feeling of overwhelming sadness. Children and parents are upset with those words. Good, they should be. These are words that teenagers still hear with alarming frequency, often, sadly, from their parents.
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18:00
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Hamisu posts....I will advise the so called liberals to refrain. Pakistan is neither western no liberal but muslim country and that is it!
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17:59
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Bryan in Ontario, Canada says....It's the people that lead the charge towards change in government. Unfortunately, it's the people that are the problem here
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17:58
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Julie says.....Like after the murders of JFK and MLK, keep on doing the footwork for change.
What now for Pakistan's liberals?
| Thursday, 1 Jan. 2011 | 17:56 - 17:56 GMT
One of our Pakistani guests on yesterday's programme said to me after we'd come off air, 'that was one of the saddest hours of my life'. He was referring to the number of Pakistanis who spoke or emailed to say that Salman Taseer deserved to die. That same despondency can be seen in any number of blogs and articles written by those Pakistanis who shared the former Governor of Punjab's vision for a moderate, liberal and tolerant nation.
We'll bring some of them together to discuss where they go from here.
Your comments
Comment sent via YOURSAY
David, a Teacher in Port Charlotte, Florida What is next, should we take all references to the degradation of Jews from the Diary of Anne Frank? When we sanitize these books, we run the risk of forgetting the past and possibly repeating it. We need to keep these words to remind us of the atrocity of the past.
Comment sent via SMS
Why is it necessary to protect artisitc freedom of cartoonists who denigrate religious prophets at the same time now we don’t want the N word in a literary masterpiece, double standards or hypocrisy?? Sanjay - Bahrain.
Comment sent via SMS
How do you teach growth while changing the history of were you have come.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Dave in westlake, oh emails. I live in a nice suburb of Cleveland, and my son read Huck Finn last year as a junior in high school. There was no negative feedback that I'm aware of, and it was the high point of the school year for my son. They had a (according to my son) thoughtful discussion about the novel's language at the beginning of the section, and then got on with it. Teenagers are smart. They can handle it
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Peter in the US emails... I am appalled that this publisher would feel the need to alter what is an important historical document for America. Squeamishness on the part of some teachers or school administrators is not enough to change the past! Very sad.
Comment sent via SMS
As hurtful and offensive as those words might be, you cant and shouldnt change history. Changing literature or history is a slippery Orwellian slope. Bob-Cleve
Comment sent via YOURSAY
As a BLACK American born and raised in Mississippi, living in Atlanta Georgia, I would rather the words stay. They lend an eye as to how things were, there was nothing genital about that time, the removal of the N word dumbs down the continuing struggle of my people.
Comment sent via SMS
Huck finn should be left alone. its literature for crying out loud. what harm can it do? Alex in Chicago USA
Comment sent via SMS
The liberals should go under, pakistan is a muslim country and will live by what they belief in. Am beginning to think freedom is only restricted to those who behave western. Hamis nigeria
Comment sent via Feed
Hi. I’m a student of English. I feel only today’s literature should say what we think or feel or believe today. But of course it’s part of today’s literature to adapt Mark Twain to our times, only this makes us somewhat puritan, doesn’t it? ALIYU, Gombe Nig.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Shannon in Ohio I taught Huckleberry Finn, n-word and all, for several years in America to college classes filled with adult students of all races. Some were wary at first, but all came to truly enjoy this wonderful read. The book was written a generation after slavery was abolished here in the U.S. and Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) wrote a novel that mocked the stupid everyday cruelties that people inflict on other people. In it, twelve-year-old Huckleberry Finn decides he would rather burn in Hell for eternity than turn in his friend Jim, a runaway slave. Why is the irony of this novel lost on the censors? Apparently, the dumbing down of the U.S. continues at light speed--especially among those entrusted to teach American Literature.
Comment sent via Facebook
Angelo In Juba, Sudan posts on facebook..... Pakistan issue is so complicated that it need it own people to set down and solve their differences base on what they want.... Democracy or Islamic rule( sharia) in their country
Comment sent via SMS
Is it purely coincidence that your 2 subjects today focus on intolerance and the suppression of free speach? If Mark Twain were here now, would they shoot him, or blow him up? It seems to me society everywhere needs to stop for a moment, and take stock of what kind of madness we’re leading the world into. Banks, amsterdam
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Dave in Westlake, ohio.... I listened to an interview with the so called editor of the revised Hick Finn just yesterday, and was left with a feeling of overwhelming sadness. Children and parents are upset with those words. Good, they should be. These are words that teenagers still hear with alarming frequency, often, sadly, from their parents.
Comment sent via Facebook
Hamisu posts....I will advise the so called liberals to refrain. Pakistan is neither western no liberal but muslim country and that is it!
Comment sent via Facebook
Bryan in Ontario, Canada says....It's the people that lead the charge towards change in government. Unfortunately, it's the people that are the problem here
Comment sent via Facebook
Julie says.....Like after the murders of JFK and MLK, keep on doing the footwork for change.