Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Lord Emsworth, call your office

The smell of pusillanimity is in the air.

“Oxford University Press bans sausages and pigs from children’s books in effort 'to avoid offence'” [this part’s a bit, shall we say, disingenuous: “Ban is apparently aimed at avoiding offence among Jews and Muslims” (emphasis mine – P). Show of hands: how many of you think the Oxford University Press is equally afraid of offending Jews and Muslims?]

And I’ve found yet another reason to despise Duke University:
In a new initiative to promote religious pluralism Duke University will broadcast the Muslim call to prayer every Friday on campus. The call to prayer—also known as ‘adhan’—will be chanted by the Duke Muslim Student Association.

The prayer itself is set to start this Friday at 1:00 p.m. and will be broadcast and amplified from the Chapel bell tower on campus.
Book-burning and kabob roast to follow.

6 comments:

bruce said...

I've holidayed near mosques, they like to crank up the volume till the earth shakes, and there's always a pre-dawn call around 5 am.

Soon you won't need an alarm clock Paco!

Paco said...

I can always wear my firing range ear protectors.

rinardman said...

... and will be broadcast and amplified from the Chapel bell tower on campus.

I've been there. They have a very large, impressive pipe organ. They have an organist play everyday at 12:30PM, open to the public. I was looking forward to going back, next time I visit my brother in Raleigh.

If I go on a Friday, guess I'll have to take my prayer rug.

RebeccaH said...

Well, in the interest of ecumenism, shouldn't they also blow the shofar on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur? If not, why not?

Minicapt said...

Apparently names from the Duke Donors Den called up to mention potential decreases in donations ...

Cheers

Robert of Ottawa said...

Why should a university want to promote religious pluralism? They should be promoting thought, not ideology