Latest news with #bookban
CBC
19 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Sask. author's anti-racism book is among 596 banned by U.S. Department of Defense for use in its schools
Social Sharing A Saskatoon author is still reeling after finding out his first non-fiction book has been banned by the U.S. Department of Defense for use in its schools. Khodi Dill's Stay Up racism, resistance, and reclaiming Black freedom is a book aimed at young adults to act as a primer on anti-racism theory. It first hit the shelves in the fall of 2023, and uses Dill's experience growing up a Black kid on the Prairies to shed light on how white supremacy functions in North America and to help readers understand how racism impacts their lives. "A couple of days ago, one of my editors, Kari at Annick Press, reached out to me and told me that he hated to be the bearer of bad news," Dill said. He was informed students at 161 schools run by the U.S. Department of Defense, would not have access to his book. Dill's book is one of 596 that are banned on the department's list, which was made public earlier this month by a federal judge hearing the case of E.K. v. the Department of Defense. Twelve students currently attending Department of Defense operated schools, are suing the department for "scrubbing references to race and gender from its libraries and lessons," according to an April court document. The students are in grades ranging from pre-kindergarten to high school, within the United States and around the world, according to the document. "If you were to look at the list of banned books, which is now publicly available, you'll see that a lot of the book titles revolve around things like racism, gender, things like, you know, trying to achieve equity within our society for different groups," Dill said. "I have a feeling that those are the sorts of ideas that are a little bit more threatening to this administration that's in the U.S. right now." Dill said a number of Saskatoon teachers have used his book as a tool in the classroom. However, he has noticed further east, there tends to be a stricter "vetting process" when it comes to the books used for teaching — especially where the N-word is concerned — like in his book. "Because it examines my experiences as a Black person and examines anti-Black racism in general, it does feature the use of the N-word, " Dill said, adding that when it is used, it's in a critical way or it's documenting its use against Black people. Many schools have now implemented policies that have completely banned the use of the N-word for study, he said. "How do you authentically represent that time period and those atrocities without addressing the language that was used?" These types of policies contribute to the erasure of Black experiences, he said. "Yeah, some censorship that might be well-intentioned, but that has some pretty dire consequences in terms of reckoning with the truth and the reality of what has happened and what continues to happen to Black people here in North America." 'Those are red flags': Rutgers professor of sociology Arlene Stein, a professor of sociology from Rutgers University in New Jersey, said she has had a number of her books flagged for a potential ban by the local government. Stein has written many research books on subjects relating to gender and sexuality — including one on a campaign in the U.S. against LGBTQ+ rights organized by a Christian organization. "And in the course of that publication history … local government tried to ban my book," Stein said. Years later, she was in the process of publishing her book Unbound, which told the story of a transgender man. "The book was challenged by local library and school board in Galveston, Texas," she said. Many of the people who make the decisions about these books are doing so in a "very ill-informed way. "Often they don't even read the books," she said. "They look at titles, if race is in the title, if gender is in the title, if sexuality is in the title … those are red flags." Stein again pointed to her book Unbound — which she said was not read before it was challenged. "They didn't read it and they ended up deciding not to ban it because they didn't want to take the time to read it," she said. Stein said having access to knowledge is important and that includes the critical knowledge about race — including books like Dill's Stand Up. 'A chilling effect': PEN America Kasey Meehan, the program director for Freedom to Read at PEN America, said the organization has been tracking instances of book bans since 2021. She said books that have been overwhelmingly targeted include those about race, racism, or include characters of colour, LGBTQ+ characters or talk about sexuality and gender or sexual experience. This stems from "pressure put on school boards or state legislatures that are driving these initiatives down to the schools." And more recently the federal government is getting involved, Meehan said. "So it's exactly right that this list of nearly 600 books that have been removed from the Department of Defence schools comes in response to two executive orders that were passed by the Trump administration that restrict discussions of diversity, equity and inclusion." The impacts have started to trickle down into the literature community, Meehan said. "It certainly casts a chilling effect across the book industry and across writers and authors." Public libraries and schools have become more nervous about buying books that may end up on these lists. It also impacts the authors on these lists, she said. They begin to work under a soft censorship, thinking of how to adapt their work to fit into this atmosphere.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Hundreds of books removed from stores, libraries and universities in Afghanistan
Taliban supreme leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued a directive ordering the removal of "deviant" books from all institutions across Afghanistan. A committee involving four Taliban ministries has been formed to review books and refer any "suspicious content" to clerics for further scrutiny. Hundreds of titles, including classic literature, historical works, and books on women's rights or secular governance, have already been pulled from circulation. The Taliban justify the ban by claiming these books are "against national interests," "anti-Islam," or aim to "mislead and corrupt society," conflicting with Islamic and traditional Afghan values. Publishers report that the censorship process is often arbitrary, leading to a collapse in the publishing industry and restrictions on book imports.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
From ‘Sapiens' to ‘The Book of Mormon': The banned books the Taliban deems ‘deviant' and ‘un-Islamic'
Taliban supreme leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued a directive ordering authorities across Afghanistan to identify and remove 'deviant' books from bookstores, school libraries, universities, and public and private institutions. Books including Dante's 14th century allegory The Divine Comedy, Joseph Smith's The Book of Mormon, Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet, and Yuval Noah Hariri's bestselling Sapiens – a wide-reaching history of humankind – have been pulled from circulation. The works of several well-known Islamic scholars and theologians, as well as Iranian intellectuals and Afghan writers, have also been blacklisted. Independent Persian spoke to publishers and school librarians in Herat and Kabul who confirmed that books on women's rights, United Nations edicts, the biographies of Taliban critics, secular government structures, and even those about the former Afghan Republic have been labelled 'deviant' and are now banned from sale, distribution or public access. Four Taliban ministries including the Ministry of Guidance, Hajj and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Information and Culture, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Higher Education held a meeting on Sunday 13 July to reaffirm enforcement of this directive. During this meeting, the Ministry of Religious Affairs announced that, under an order from Taliban leader Akhundzada, a committee has been formed with representatives from all four ministries. This committee is tasked with reviewing books across the country and referring any 'suspicious content' to clerics for further scrutiny. Noor Mohammad Saqib, the Taliban's Minister for Religious Affairs, referencing what he called a 'special decree' from Akhundzada, stated that books written in recent years with the aim of 'misleading and corrupting society' and distributed in libraries, educational institutions, and public spaces will now be collected and removed. He added that guidelines are being developed for religious teachers and clerics so that they can educate the public about such books 'in light of Sharia principles'. Saqib claimed that Afghanistan has not only suffered from military intervention in recent decades but also from what he called 'cultural attacks'. He alleged that many foreign cultural institutions operating in Afghanistan aimed to 'undermine Islamic and traditional Afghan values'. Addressing Taliban officials, he said: 'It is now our duty to protect and fully introduce this [Islamic] culture to the Mujahid nation [of Afghanistan]'. Criticising books published under the previous Republic, Saqib said they conflicted with Afghanistan's Islamic and traditional values and 'diverted young people from their true goals'. He emphasised that now, under Taliban control, authorities have the opportunity to remove such works and replace them with content that is 'pure, Islamic and aligned with Afghan values'. According to the Taliban leader's decree, any books identified as 'suspicious' or 'deviant' will be handed over to a group of clerics who will evaluate their content and determine whether they should be banned. Previously, Taliban agents from the Ministries of Information and Culture, and Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, had already confiscated hundreds of book titles they labelled 'against national interests' or 'anti-Islam' from libraries and banned their publication and sale. Other Taliban institutions, including the Ministries of Education and Higher Education, have also restricted access to certain books in schools and universities. A banned book list issued by the Taliban's Ministry of Information and Culture and sent to publishers and booksellers last winter prohibited texts that they considered 'against national interests, anti-Islam, in opposition to the Islamic Emirate, containing false beliefs, promoting ideas contrary to Islam' as well as works on women's rights and human rights. Publishers were also given a clear warning that selling these books is completely prohibited, and violators will face punishment. Publishing professionals in Kabul say there is no clear or standardised process for reviewing books under Taliban rule. Any Taliban member, particularly officers from the Promotion of Virtue ministry, can enter a bookstore or library and ban any book they personally deem anti-Islamic or harmful to national interests. A Kabul-based publisher, who asked to remain anonymous, told Independent Persian: 'Since the Taliban returned to power, not only has Afghanistan's once-growing publishing industry collapsed, but even book imports from Iran have been restricted. Taliban border agents now inspect all books, cross out images of living beings and deny entry to many titles.' The publisher added that the Taliban's Ministry of Information and Culture has created a publishing committee made up mostly of clerics and individuals without higher education. 'These people review content, and if a book doesn't match their beliefs, they label it anti-Islamic or against national interests and block its publication'. A source in Herat, who works as a literacy advocate, shared three separate lists of banned books from libraries in Herat with Independent Persian. These lists suggest that Taliban censorship is far more extensive than officially acknowledged. Together, the three lists contain 620 banned titles compiled by the Library Oversight Committee of Herat Schools. Members of this committee have already removed these books from shelves. The listed books are flagged with terms such as 'Shi'ism, praise of traitors, promotion of secularism, democracy, Western freedoms, defence of women, communism, praise of Iran, superstition, anti-Taliban views, UN laws, descriptions of the Republic, praise of music and undesirable content.' Banned authors include both Afghan writers and prominent figures from the wider Islamic world. For example, the Taliban have banned works like Kitab al-Tawhid by Mohammed ibn Abd al-Wahhab; Four Reforms in the Qur'an by Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi; Social Justice in Islam by Sayyid Qutb; biographies and writings of Jamal al-Din al-Afghani; books by Abdullah Azzam; and numerous Iranian intellectuals like Ali Shariati, Morteza Motahari, and Ramin Jahanbegloo. Books by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, including his well-known The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam, are also on the list. Many are marked as containing 'false beliefs, Shi'ite ideology, or heresy'. Currently, the Taliban have no formal procedure for reviewing or censoring books. According to reports, decisions about a book's acceptability are often made arbitrarily and based on personal biases. However, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has said it plans to develop guidelines that will be distributed to imams and teachers so that they can identify 'deviant books' and inform the public about them.
CBS News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Harford County school's decision to ban book has parents, teachers voicing concerns
Harford County parents and teachers spoke out against the school board's decision to ban an award-winning illustrated novel from its libraries. The book, "Flamer," by Mike Curato, was previously approved by district committees. However, parents said the school board voted to ban the book during a closed-door session in late June, after public appeals. The controversial novel is about a teenage boy who, as he "navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance," according to the author. On Monday, dozens of people stood in front of the school board to show either support or displeasure with the book ban. "This was the first formal appeal under the newly finalized book review procedure—a process nearly two years in the making, developed with input from staff, Board members, and members of the public," School Board President Aaron Poynton said in a statement. "The decision we made will likely set a precedent for future challenges, and we recognize the importance of clarity." Members of the advocacy group "Together We Will" led a protest before the Harford County School Board meeting on Monday. In a statement, the group said the decision and process to ban the book "threatens student rights." "In the school system, parents can opt out of any book that they want for their child. There is already plenty of support or protection for any parent who doesn't want their child to read a book," added Delane Lewis, president of "Together We Will." "What we have is the Board of Education stepping in front of parents and telling them what they should or shouldn't have their children read." Some parents at Monday's school board meeting feel the banned book, "Flamer," is not appropriate for children. "It's sexually explicit, and it has tons of vulgar language in it," said Suzie Scott, from the group Moms for Liberty. "It's just not the kind of thing that is appropriate for your average middle school or high school student." Harford County Board of Education President Aaron Poynton defended the board's decision to ban Flamer from the schools in the district, saying the book is filled with "pervasively vulgar language." If I were to read excerpts aloud during a Board meeting, I would be fined by the FCC," Poynton said. "This language is not suitable for younger children in schools." Poynton continued to argue that the book would receive an "R" rating if it were in the movie theaters, and it is not appropriate for designated grade levels of high school and middle school. "The Board ultimately voted to remove the book, citing clear violations of HCPS's selection procedure, which prohibits materials with obscene language, sexually explicit content, or depictions of illegal or violent acts inappropriate for the age group served," Poynton said. "This was not about censorship. It was about age-appropriate access and upholding our duty of care. While the Board supports intellectual freedom, we also acknowledge our professional responsibility to safeguard student well-being and respect parents' rights."
Washington Post
19-07-2025
- General
- Washington Post
‘Little House on the Prairie,' beloved and troubling, gets a reappraisal
I used to love Laura Ingalls Wilder's 'Little House on the Prairie' series, but in recent years it has fallen out of favor. And for good reason. The phrase 'the only good Indian is a dead Indian,' for instance, is uttered by multiple characters. In 1998, an 8-year-old girl on the Upper Sioux Reservation was so understandably upset by this remark that her mother petitioned the school district to ban the book from its curriculum. The mother's petition was unsuccessful, but the little girl's distress is a cautionary tale. Twenty years later, the American Library Association took Wilder's name off the medal the group had created in her honor in 1954, declaring, 'Wilder's legacy … includes expressions of stereotypical attitudes inconsistent with [the association's] core values of inclusiveness, integrity and respect, and responsiveness.'
