Aboriginal children's book pulled over illustrator's Bondi attack comments
Several writers have cut ties with the University of Queensland Press for cancelling the book.
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Aboriginal children's book pulled over illustrator's Bondi attack comments 1 hour ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Koh Ewe An Australian publisher has scrapped a children's book over comments made by the book's illustrator on the Bondi beach shooting, which the publisher says violates its policy on antisemitism. The move has prompted several prominent Australian writers to cut ties with The University of Queensland Press and sparked allegations of political censorship. Thousands of copies had already been printed for Bila, A River Cycle - an Indigenous children's book, written by poet Jazz Money and illustrated by Matt Chun. In January, Chun wrote and published an essay on his public Substack newsletter critiquing some of the public's responses to the Bondi shooting. Fifteen people were killed after two gunmen opened fire at a Jewish festival held at the beach on 14 December. The victims included Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who led the local Chabad mission, an international Hasidic Jewish group that organised the event. In his essay Chun accused the "Australian left" of trying to "perform respectability and avoid accusations of 'anti-semitism'" in the wake of the shooting, while also criticising media coverage of the incident. He also criticised Chabad and Schlanger because they had supported Israel's military actions and illegal settlements in Palestinian territories. The University of Queensland said in a statement to the BBC that Chun's comments were "abhorrent and hateful to the innocent victims of the attack". "The University cannot overlook or condone them and cannot proceed in a way that suggests endorsement or association," it said. It also said that they regretted the impact their decision has had on Money, "for whom we have enormous respect". "We would welcome the opportunity to work with Jazz again in the future," it said. The university added that copies of the books are in storage while they consider "recycling options". Separately, the New South Wale...
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