Murmures
Une nouvelle de Chinua Achebe est attaqué par une association catholique kenyane pour pornographie
septembre 2003 | | Littérature / édition | Kenya
Source : BBC
Français
L’association demande le retrait du circuit scolaire où elle était étudié, de même que deux autres nouvelles..
‘Pornographic’ book sparks Kenyan row
Chinua Achebe denies his book ‘A man of the People’ is pornographic
A book by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe has caused outrage in Kenya, where a
parents’ group has described it as pornographic.
A Roman Catholic group, the Kenya Parents Caucus, has demanded that Mr
Achebe’s book, A Man of the People, and two other texts in Kiswahili be
removed from the school syllabus.
The group particularly objects to two sections of the book – including one
in which a wealthy man boasts about his sexual prowess and displays a condom
after taking a young girl to bed.
The Kenya Parents Caucus is urging the ministry of education to remove the
texts from its syllabus.
Mr Achebe has rejected the accusation of pornography and said the Catholic
Church had previously awarded him a medal for his writing.
Eyes wide shut?
Mr Achebe has drawn support from the publishers and academics, who say the
sex scenes are central to the book and argue the purpose of literature is to
mirror life rather than set moral codes.
« Should we close our eyes and pretend that these things do not happen? » asks
the Managing Director of East African Publishers, Barrack Muluka.
« The book warns the children that this is likely to happen to happen to
them…. we are blowing the whistle in broad daylight, » he says.
University lecturer Barnabas Githiora describes the Church’s stance as
hypocritical, saying children were more corrupted by the free flow of
information from the Internet.
An influential Kenyan newspaper columnist says that the call to ban the book
could be linked to a new wave of political influence that the Catholic
Church seems to be enjoying.
Writing in the Sunday Nation, Gitau Warigi notes that President Kibaki is a
member… so too is Education Minister George Saitoti and a powerful coterie
of cabinet ministers.
He says it is absurd for anybody to imagine Chinua Achebe being a writer
with a dirty mind, adding that the Church’s moral police could utilise their
energies better crusading against the lewd publications that litter the
newsstands and which any teenager with a few pennies to spare can snap up.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3096946.stm
http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=16939
KENYA: CATHOLIC CHURCH LOBBIES TO HAVE THREE NOVELS WITHDRAWN FROM SCHOOL
Issue date: 2003-09-11
A lobby group operating under the wing of the Catholic Church in Kenya wants
three books withdrawn from the school syllabus, saying they are « morally
objectionable. » The lobby group, Parent’s Caucus, claims that sections of
Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe’s « A Man of the People » and S. A Mohammed’s
« Kiu » and « Kitumbua Kimeingia Mchanga » – all set-books for the Kenya
Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations (KCSE) – are sexually
explicit and contain pornographic material.
IFEX – News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________
ALERT – KENYA
5 September 2003
Catholic Church lobbies to have three novels withdrawn from school
curriculum
SOURCE: Network for the Defence of Independent Media in Africa (NDIMA),
Nairobi
(NDIMA/IFEX) – A lobby group operating under the wing of the Catholic Church
in Kenya wants three books withdrawn from the school syllabus, saying they
are « morally objectionable. »
The lobby group, Parent’s Caucus, claims that sections of Nigerian novelist
Chinua Achebe’s « A Man of the People » and S. A Mohammed’s « Kiu » and
« Kitumbua Kimeingia Mchanga » – all set-books for the Kenya Certificate of
Secondary Education Examinations (KCSE) – are sexually explicit and contain
pornographic material.
The lobby group has collected over 2,000 signatures from parents in the
Kenyan capital, Nairobi, and the neighbouring district of Kiambu. The
signatures are to be presented to the Ministry of Education. Parent’s
Caucus, in conjunction with the Catholic Church, is urging parents to append
signatures to a protest note entitled, « Help Kick Pornography Out of the
Classroom », to be sent to the government.
Education Minister George Saitoti said the government was not to blame and
promised a review of the books.
Achebe is a revered literary icon who is widely acknowledged as one of the
greatest writers ever to come out of Africa. His book « A Man of the People »
was published in 1966 and, until now, no objection has ever been raised on
account of any alleged sexual content.
« A Man of the People » describes a fictional post-colonial African state. It
tackles the issues of political representation in a corrupt state and the
problems of an ethnically diverse, economically stratified nation. It also
deals with the corruption, immorality, exploitation, hunger for power and
ever-present threat of political instability that define the
newly-independent African state.
The other two books targeted for alleged sexually explicit material are in
Kiswahili, the Kenyan national language. Mohammed’s works may not be as well
known as Achebe’s, but all three titles are noted principally for their
socially redeeming themes, which is why they were chosen as literary
set-books.
If it succeeds, the campaign to strike the three novels off the school’s
reading lists could throw next month’s national secondary school
examinations into disarray.
The call by the lobby group and the church for the banning of the set-books
has met with stiff opposition from literary critics and thespians. They have
been quick to point out that two of the books have been taught in secondary
schools before, and students were not negatively affected. « A Man of the
People » was taught in the 1970s without protest, as was « Kiu » in the
mid-1980s. A top thespian, Albert Wandago, said the call by the Catholic
Church has no basis. In a statement, Wandago said such a move sets a
dangerous precedent, arguing the books were used in secular institutions. He
added that unlike the Islamic « madrassas », where only religions material was
allowed, secular schools cannot avoid such literature.
Emmanuel Ngugi, of the Holy Family Basilica-Nairobi, where the appeal for
signatures was made in the presence of Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and the
education minister on 31 August 2003, says the church is « the conscience of
society and must stand up to be counted. » He objects to the language used in
the books, saying it is obscene and immoral. « There is nothing morally
redeeming in the female characters in the book, who are merely portrayed as
sex objects, » he says of « A Man of the People ».
Those pushing for the ban on the books have selected excerpts from « A Man of
the People » that they say are clearly explicit and are likely to excite the
students’ imaginations and stir their sexual desires. One parent said, « It
is astounding the kind of literature we are exposing our children to in
classrooms. In fact, it is quite demeaning to women for a man to think that
they can only be recognised or are at their best only in a sexual
relationship. »
Educators, on the other hand, take the opposite view and are accusing the
church of overstepping its mandate. Professor Henry Indangasi, a senior
lecturer from the University of Nairobi’s Literature Department, said he is
convinced that the critics of Achebe’s book are wrong and are deliberately
misinterpreting certain sections in the book to suit their position. « Achebe
is not telling his readers to behave like the characters, but wants them to
learn from the book. People who treat women as sexual objects and then gloat
about it exist in society. It is the failure to teach girls that such men
exist, and that they should be on the lookout for them, that is the
problem, » he said.
An author who sought anonymity said the church has no business trying to
comment on issues that should be left to academia. « The view that the books
are pornographic just because they mention sex is myopic and totally
uninformed. There are very many passages in the Bible mentioning and
describing sex, yet the church has never advocated for those sections to be
removed, or for the Bible to be banned, » he said.
For further information, contact Sam Mbure or Emily Nyanjugu Njuguna at
NDIMA, P.O. Box 70147 – 00400, Nairobi, Kenya, tel: +254 665 1118, fax: +254
665 0836, e-mail: [email protected], Internet: http://www.ndima.org
Chinua Achebe denies his book ‘A man of the People’ is pornographic
A book by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe has caused outrage in Kenya, where a
parents’ group has described it as pornographic.
A Roman Catholic group, the Kenya Parents Caucus, has demanded that Mr
Achebe’s book, A Man of the People, and two other texts in Kiswahili be
removed from the school syllabus.
The group particularly objects to two sections of the book – including one
in which a wealthy man boasts about his sexual prowess and displays a condom
after taking a young girl to bed.
The Kenya Parents Caucus is urging the ministry of education to remove the
texts from its syllabus.
Mr Achebe has rejected the accusation of pornography and said the Catholic
Church had previously awarded him a medal for his writing.
Eyes wide shut?
Mr Achebe has drawn support from the publishers and academics, who say the
sex scenes are central to the book and argue the purpose of literature is to
mirror life rather than set moral codes.
« Should we close our eyes and pretend that these things do not happen? » asks
the Managing Director of East African Publishers, Barrack Muluka.
« The book warns the children that this is likely to happen to happen to
them…. we are blowing the whistle in broad daylight, » he says.
University lecturer Barnabas Githiora describes the Church’s stance as
hypocritical, saying children were more corrupted by the free flow of
information from the Internet.
An influential Kenyan newspaper columnist says that the call to ban the book
could be linked to a new wave of political influence that the Catholic
Church seems to be enjoying.
Writing in the Sunday Nation, Gitau Warigi notes that President Kibaki is a
member… so too is Education Minister George Saitoti and a powerful coterie
of cabinet ministers.
He says it is absurd for anybody to imagine Chinua Achebe being a writer
with a dirty mind, adding that the Church’s moral police could utilise their
energies better crusading against the lewd publications that litter the
newsstands and which any teenager with a few pennies to spare can snap up.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3096946.stm
http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=16939
KENYA: CATHOLIC CHURCH LOBBIES TO HAVE THREE NOVELS WITHDRAWN FROM SCHOOL
Issue date: 2003-09-11
A lobby group operating under the wing of the Catholic Church in Kenya wants
three books withdrawn from the school syllabus, saying they are « morally
objectionable. » The lobby group, Parent’s Caucus, claims that sections of
Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe’s « A Man of the People » and S. A Mohammed’s
« Kiu » and « Kitumbua Kimeingia Mchanga » – all set-books for the Kenya
Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations (KCSE) – are sexually
explicit and contain pornographic material.
IFEX – News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________
ALERT – KENYA
5 September 2003
Catholic Church lobbies to have three novels withdrawn from school
curriculum
SOURCE: Network for the Defence of Independent Media in Africa (NDIMA),
Nairobi
(NDIMA/IFEX) – A lobby group operating under the wing of the Catholic Church
in Kenya wants three books withdrawn from the school syllabus, saying they
are « morally objectionable. »
The lobby group, Parent’s Caucus, claims that sections of Nigerian novelist
Chinua Achebe’s « A Man of the People » and S. A Mohammed’s « Kiu » and
« Kitumbua Kimeingia Mchanga » – all set-books for the Kenya Certificate of
Secondary Education Examinations (KCSE) – are sexually explicit and contain
pornographic material.
The lobby group has collected over 2,000 signatures from parents in the
Kenyan capital, Nairobi, and the neighbouring district of Kiambu. The
signatures are to be presented to the Ministry of Education. Parent’s
Caucus, in conjunction with the Catholic Church, is urging parents to append
signatures to a protest note entitled, « Help Kick Pornography Out of the
Classroom », to be sent to the government.
Education Minister George Saitoti said the government was not to blame and
promised a review of the books.
Achebe is a revered literary icon who is widely acknowledged as one of the
greatest writers ever to come out of Africa. His book « A Man of the People »
was published in 1966 and, until now, no objection has ever been raised on
account of any alleged sexual content.
« A Man of the People » describes a fictional post-colonial African state. It
tackles the issues of political representation in a corrupt state and the
problems of an ethnically diverse, economically stratified nation. It also
deals with the corruption, immorality, exploitation, hunger for power and
ever-present threat of political instability that define the
newly-independent African state.
The other two books targeted for alleged sexually explicit material are in
Kiswahili, the Kenyan national language. Mohammed’s works may not be as well
known as Achebe’s, but all three titles are noted principally for their
socially redeeming themes, which is why they were chosen as literary
set-books.
If it succeeds, the campaign to strike the three novels off the school’s
reading lists could throw next month’s national secondary school
examinations into disarray.
The call by the lobby group and the church for the banning of the set-books
has met with stiff opposition from literary critics and thespians. They have
been quick to point out that two of the books have been taught in secondary
schools before, and students were not negatively affected. « A Man of the
People » was taught in the 1970s without protest, as was « Kiu » in the
mid-1980s. A top thespian, Albert Wandago, said the call by the Catholic
Church has no basis. In a statement, Wandago said such a move sets a
dangerous precedent, arguing the books were used in secular institutions. He
added that unlike the Islamic « madrassas », where only religions material was
allowed, secular schools cannot avoid such literature.
Emmanuel Ngugi, of the Holy Family Basilica-Nairobi, where the appeal for
signatures was made in the presence of Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and the
education minister on 31 August 2003, says the church is « the conscience of
society and must stand up to be counted. » He objects to the language used in
the books, saying it is obscene and immoral. « There is nothing morally
redeeming in the female characters in the book, who are merely portrayed as
sex objects, » he says of « A Man of the People ».
Those pushing for the ban on the books have selected excerpts from « A Man of
the People » that they say are clearly explicit and are likely to excite the
students’ imaginations and stir their sexual desires. One parent said, « It
is astounding the kind of literature we are exposing our children to in
classrooms. In fact, it is quite demeaning to women for a man to think that
they can only be recognised or are at their best only in a sexual
relationship. »
Educators, on the other hand, take the opposite view and are accusing the
church of overstepping its mandate. Professor Henry Indangasi, a senior
lecturer from the University of Nairobi’s Literature Department, said he is
convinced that the critics of Achebe’s book are wrong and are deliberately
misinterpreting certain sections in the book to suit their position. « Achebe
is not telling his readers to behave like the characters, but wants them to
learn from the book. People who treat women as sexual objects and then gloat
about it exist in society. It is the failure to teach girls that such men
exist, and that they should be on the lookout for them, that is the
problem, » he said.
An author who sought anonymity said the church has no business trying to
comment on issues that should be left to academia. « The view that the books
are pornographic just because they mention sex is myopic and totally
uninformed. There are very many passages in the Bible mentioning and
describing sex, yet the church has never advocated for those sections to be
removed, or for the Bible to be banned, » he said.
For further information, contact Sam Mbure or Emily Nyanjugu Njuguna at
NDIMA, P.O. Box 70147 – 00400, Nairobi, Kenya, tel: +254 665 1118, fax: +254
665 0836, e-mail: [email protected], Internet: http://www.ndima.org
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