Tintin books moved from children's section over racism charges

Following their British counterparts, Borders bookstores in the United States are moving “Tintin in the Congo,” The Associated Press reported. Published in 1931 as the second in a series of 23 adventures of the intrepid Belgian boy reporter Tintin and his dog, Snowy, the book is being reissued in the United States in September to commemorate the centenary of its creator, Hergé (Georges Remi). David Enright, a London-based human-rights lawyer, told The Associated Press, “The material suggests that Africans are subhumans, they are imbeciles, that they’re half-savage.” A statement on the Little, Brown Web site, www.hachettebookgroupusa.com, says that the story “may be considered somewhat controversial, as it reflects the colonial attitudes of the time it was created.” Last week Borders stores in London shifted the book to the graphic-novels shelves from the children’s section. Borders in the United States said on Monday that it would follow suit because the book “could be considered offensive by some of our customers.”