The Cambridge academic Mary Beard posted a photograph of herself in tears on Twitter, after she was accused of being a ‘colonialist’ on the social media platform, after she aired controversial views on the Oxfam aid workers scandal.
Beard, 63, posted on Friday that she believed that disaster zones made it difficult to sustain ‘civilised’ behaviour.
She wrote: ‘Of course one can’t condone the (alleged) behaviour of Oxfam staff in Haiti and elsewhere.
‘But I do wonder how hard it must be to sustain “civilised” values in a disaster zone.’
The academic, recently announced as the presenter of new television arts programme Front Row, added that in spite of the accusations against some aid workers, she still respected those who ‘go in to help out, where most of us wd [sic] not tread.’
Academic Mary Beard, 63, announced she is taking a break from Twitter after her views on the recent Oxfam aid workers scandal drew vitriolic abuse from some on the social media platform
Her comments were met with vitriol from some quarters, which she said had left her feeling ‘assaulted’. A photo of her in tears has since been deleted from the account.
Many had branded Beard a ‘colonialist’, something she said she didn’t define herself as.
While many of the responses were expletive-laden, others debated Beard’s comments with her, including @sarisataka, who wrote: ‘Sorry, but I believe that type of abuse arises simply because people with those desires feel they can get away with it.’
A peer of Beard’s, Cambridge academic Priyamvada Gopal, clearly disagreed with the original comments, saying: ‘this kind of thing is the *progressive* end of the institutional culture I have to survive day in day out’ and adding that ‘Cambridge desperately needs a Breaking the Silence on racism. About time and beyond.’
Another, @VivHayes, simply penned: ‘I’m so disappointed by this tweet…’
A more detailed explanation of her views failed to quell the tide of discontent and she was left ‘in tears’ by some of the comments.
She wrote: ‘PS: If you actually want to know, I am sitting here crying. I am not really not the nasty colonialist you say I am. I speak from the heart (and of cource [sic] I may be wrong). But the crap I get in response just isn’t on; really it isn’t. Back soon.’
Earlier, she had tweeted that she was grateful ‘for support and cogent opposition’ but said she needed to take a break ‘for a day or so’ from her Twitter account.
She continued: ‘Frankly, I’m 63, I don’t self define as a colonialist. I think I’m on the same side as many critics. Yet I have felt assaulted by some comments. See you soon.’
The Cambridge intellectual was branded a ‘colonialist’ on Twitter for her suggestion that a disaster zone may see people not adhere to ‘civilised’ behaviour
Earlier this month, senior aid workers for Oxfam, one of Britain’s biggest charities were accused of paying survivors of the Haiti earthquake for sex.
Three Oxfam employees were allowed to resign and four were sacked for gross misconduct after an internal investigation found some workers had used prostitutes in the war-torn region.
The former director in the country was also accused of inviting prostitutes to his flat rented by Oxfam, according to a leaked report seen by the Times.
Oxfam was also accused of covering up evidence as the Charity Commission said it had never been shown the specific allegations of sexual abuse mentioned in the 2011 investigation report.