<
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/19/roald-dahl-museum-acknowledges-authors-antisemitism>
"The Roald Dahl museum has acknowledged the author’s antisemitism in a
statement published on its website and to be displayed on a panel at its
entrance.
Dahl’s racism was “undeniable and indelible”, the museum in Great Missenden,
Buckinghamshire, said. Its statement comes more than two and a half years after
Dahl’s family apologised for his antisemitism.
The statement from the museum, which is a charity, said Dahl was a
“contradictory person”. There were “recorded incidents of him being very unkind
and worse, including writing and saying antisemitic things about Jewish
people”.
It condemned “all racism directed at any group or individual … Antisemitism is
a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews”.
The charity was “working to be more welcoming to all who might wish to visit in
person or online”, it said. Since 2021 it had engaged with Jewish
organisations, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish
Leadership Council, the Community Security Trust and the Antisemitism Policy
Trust. The latter had given training to staff.
It was developing teaching resources for schools that seek “to combat prejudice
by championing universal children’s rights, explored through the experiences of
characters in Roald Dahl’s stories”.
The charity said it was not repeating Dahl’s antisemitic statements publicly,
“but we do keep a record of what he wrote and said in the museum’s collection,
so it is not forgotten”.
It added: “Roald Dahl’s racism is undeniable and indelible but what we hope can
also endure is the potential of Dahl’s creative legacy to do some good.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
