We are writing to complain about the recent publication of the article ¡°The case for colonialism¡± by Bruce Gilley in the journal Third World Quarterly (¡°Pro-colonialism paper outcry prompts author to ¡®request withdrawal¡¯¡±, www.timeshighereducation.com, 22 September). While we do not believe that the article should have been published in any academic journal, our complaint is in terms of the venue of publication and the editorial process behind its publication, and thus questions of academic rigour, accountability and transparency, as well as the content of the article itself.

While we find the argument and many of the claims made in the article unconvincing and offensive, we are particularly surprised to see such content published in this particular journal, without any real engagement on the part of the author with the critique of colonialism he rejects, or on the part of the journal with some form of introductory framing.

Although the journal¡¯s aims and scope state that it is ¡°not averse to publishing provocative and exploratory articles¡±, the article¡¯s argument in favour of colonialism contradicts the origins of the journal ¡°as an intellectual venue for anti-colonial thought, to build ideas against colonialism¡±, and its reputation as the ¡°home of the Third World Prize, the Edward Said Prize; the home, in other words, of values against this essay¡± (as editorial board member Vijay Prashad has stated). Arguments against publishing this particular article in this particular journal are therefore not arguments for censorship or against academic freedom, as the author has tended to argue previously. Rather, there is both a problem of venue and scientific integrity, and such arguments should be submitted elsewhere, and submitted to a process of peer review.

It seems clear that the article shouldn¡¯t have got through the process of peer review, and therefore shouldn¡¯t have been published, certainly not in this particular academic journal.

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We are signatories to the change.org petitions, and as well as seeking the paper¡¯s retraction, we are calling for the editor/s involved to apologise for further brutalising those who have suffered under colonialism. We also ask, for the sake of accountability and transparency, for the editor/s responsible for the publication of this article to justify their decision to publish, to explain the process followed in reaching that decision, and to stand down from their editorial position/s. We believe that such actions are necessary to recompense for the offence that the article has and will cause, and to ensure that such historical revisionism for what is a crime against humanity not go unchecked.

Nadia Atia, Queen Mary 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

Rahma Bavelaar, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Amsterdam

Jumana Bayeh, Macquarie 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Sydney Australia

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Christiaan De Beukelaer, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Melbourne

Lisa Blackman, Goldsmiths, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

V¨¦ronique Bontemps, CNRS, Paris

Leyla Dakhli, CNRS, Centre Marc Bloch, Berlin

Simon Dawes, Universit¨¦ de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines

Sonia Dayan-Herzbrun, Universit¨¦ Paris Diderot-Paris 7

Des Freedman, Goldsmiths, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

Claire Gallien, Universit¨¦ Paul Val¨¦ry Montpellier 3

Nadia Hakim-Fern¨¢ndez, researcher at the Future Making Space, Aarhus 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Ahreum Han, discipline of exercise and sport science, the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Sydney

Virginie Ich¨¦, Universit¨¦ Paul Val¨¦ry Montpellier 3

Umar Suleiman Jahun, School of Media, Film and Music, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Sussex

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Nicolas Jaoul, CNRS, Paris

Theodore Koulouris, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Brighton

Lila Lamrani, Centre Jean P¨¦pin

Souad Lamrani, Paris-Sorbonne 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Debora Lanzeni, Research Fellow, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

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Sara Marino, Bournemouth 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Angelo Martins Jr, Goldsmiths, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

Tom Mills, Aston 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Nelly Mok, Universit¨¦ Paul Val¨¦ry Montpellier 3

Aur¨¦lien Mondon, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bath

Aris Mousoutzanis, Principal Lecturer in Film and Screen Studies, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Brighton

Souvik Mukherjee, Presidency 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Kolkata

Patricia Prieto-Blanco, Lecturer, School of Media, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Brighton, UK

Nabila Ramdani, Journalist & Academic

Andreas Rauh Ortega, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Leeds

Chris Roberts, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Roehampton, London

Reuben Ross, Doctoral Candidate, Universidade Cat¨®lica Portuguesa

Claire Savina, Research Associate 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Maria Sakellari, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow, School of Media, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Brighton

Andrea Schmidt, Willamette 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Elisa Serafinelli, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Sheffield

Jon Solomon, Universit¨¦ Jean Moulin Lyon 3

Jacquie Tinkler, Charles Sturt 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Gavan Titley, National 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Ireland, Maynooth

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