Editors quit in Holocaust row
Tuesday 3rd March 2009
By Fran Bardsley,
A spoof publication by
The editors of Cherwell resigned after being ordered to stand down by publishers Oxford Student Publications Ltd following the leak of a spoof of Cherwell called Lecher, which was originally circulated to editorial staff.
It included a faked image of a former editor dressed in a Ku Klux Klan uniform, and suggested bagpipes were used to torture Jewish children with ‘musical terrorism’ during the Holocaust.
Oxford University Student Union president Lewis Iwu said: “Even if it was meant for internal dissemination, the very fact they thought it was funny to use extreme jokes based on race and the like is still unacceptable.”
Rabbi Eli Brackman, from the Oxford Jewish Community, said: “I think it is insensitive.
“I believe in freedom of expression but if things offend people then it is insensitive.”
Michael Bennett and Sian Cox-Brooker took over as joint editors in the January term. The publication was understood to have been produced and handed out to about 50 people at a social event in November.
They said in a statement: “The tone and content of Lecher was clearly intended to be satirical and was received as such by its intended recipients.
“We were not responsible for the compilation of Lecher before it was printed last year. We understand that satire can be misconstrued. As this term’s editors of Cherwell we apologise for any offence which might have been caused and have now resigned.”