19 July 2006
18 BOOKS ON ISLAM AND RELIGION BANNED
Since mid-June, Malaysian authorities have banned 18 books on Islam and religion on the grounds that they could "disrupt peace and harmony," report the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) and ARTICLE 19. The Ministry of Internal Security has now banned more than 45 books since 2003.
The books, six of which are in Malay and the rest in English, include works by noted scholars of Islam, such as John Esposito's "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam" and Karen Armstrong's "The Battle for God: Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam." The ban is in accordance with the Printing Presses and Publication Act of 1984, which many observers consider "an oppressive tool used to curb freedom of expression and create a climate of fear, resulting in self-censorship amongst Malaysian media, writers and artists," says ARTICLE 19.
Sisters-in-Islam, a Kuala Lumpur-based women's rights group, is protesting the ban, notes SEAPA. "The space for discourse is narrowing and Malaysian readers are being deprived of ideas and debates by renowned scholars and writers," Sisters-in-Islam said in an appeal to the ministry.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is "walking a tightrope between ensuring open discussions about liberalism and pluralism in Islam, and maintaining a strong political base among Muslim conservatives," says SEAPA. Earlier this year, the government revoked some local newspapers' publishing licenses for running articles about the controversial Danish cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammad or for reprinting the cartoons.
Visit these links:
- SEAPA: http://seapa.wordpress.com/2006/07/04/malaysia-bans-18-books-on-religion/
- ARTICLE 19: http://www.article19.org/pdfs/press/malaysia-18-books-banned.pdf
- Freedom House, Malaysia Country Report: http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=16&year=2005&country=6783
- International Press Institute, World Press Freedom Review:
http://service.cms.apa.at/cms/ipi/freedom_detail.html?country=/KW0001/KW0005/KW0123/
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