(IPA/IFEX) – The following is a 7 October 2004 IPA statement: STATEMENT RE. THE CHARGES AGAINST THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR OF “THE LIFE OF JESUS” The Freedom to Publish Committee (FTPC) of the International Publishers’ Association (IPA) is deeply concerned about the charges of blasphemy towards the Greek Orthodox Church and the Christian religion that […]
(IPA/IFEX) – The following is a 7 October 2004 IPA statement:
STATEMENT RE. THE CHARGES AGAINST THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR OF “THE LIFE OF JESUS”
The Freedom to Publish Committee (FTPC) of the International Publishers’ Association (IPA) is deeply concerned about the charges of blasphemy towards the Greek Orthodox Church and the Christian religion that have been levelled against a number of booksellers, the author and publisher (1) of the book entitled: “The Life of Jesus”. The IPA FTPC condemns its confiscation and therefore calls upon the acquittal of Gerhard Haderer and Oxy Publishing SA on the hearing of 18 January 2005.
While IPA opposes all forms of religious intolerance, it stands for the elimination of all prohibitions limiting freedom of expression whether imposed by governments or by religious authorities. IPA strives to protect the fundamental freedoms to write, edit, publish and read against attempts to curtail these rights under misconceived interpretations of other values, including blasphemy. Therefore, blasphemy laws are considered by the IPA as an obstacle to freedom of expression and to publish.
“The Life of Jesus” cannot be considered as a violation of the Greek law as it stands. It is a comic representation aimed at a comic market – not designed or likely to outrage the community of Christians – that should not be considered as being of a seriousness amounting to insult or a defamation of Christianity or the Greek Orthodox Church.
The author Gerhard Haderer, an Austrian national, is a renowned Austrian illustrator. “The Life of Jesus” has been published in Austria, Germany, France, Korea, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Hungary. It met a huge success in Austria, selling more than 80,000 copies. Despite public controversy, the book was not confiscated in Austria.
CONCLUSION:
While having the deepest respect towards all religious beliefs, the IPA FTPC supports its Greek colleagues in calling upon an end to the banning of the book and the acquittal of the booksellers, the author and the publisher of “The Life of Jesus”.
1. Respectively Gerhard Haderer and Oxy Publishing SA.
