Censorship is the umbrella term that covers a plethora of works that have been banned for reasons that quite often bore no relationship to the content.
As an 11 year old I remember sharing glimpses of Lady Chatterley's Lover in the school playground. D H Lawrence's work was illegal until 1960, the year in which my classmates and I caught a glimpse.
It may seem small beer in the grand scheme of things but it cost some writers dear. In fact, there are few countries in the world that haven't been guilty of imprisoning writers for their works. Currently, China, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and more have writers in jail.
A list of authors who spent time in jail includes Dostoyevsky, Marlowe, Wilde, Defoe and many more. In these days of internet, the numbers are more difficult to identify. There are so many that there is a Banned Book Week every September.
Tal Al-Mallouhi, Syria
One of the most recent is the lady pictured.
In 2009, Tal Al-Mallouhi was a 19-year-old Syrian student whose blog focused primarily on poetry and social commentary. In December, a branch of State Security summoned her with unsupported suspicions about her blog leaking information to a foreign state. That was the last any of her friends or family heard from Al-Mallouhi. For nine months she was detained with unspecified charges. The lack of evidence or charges against her did not stop the court from handing down a guilty verdict. In 2011 the State Security court sentenced Al-Mallouhi to five years in prison. A State Security report in October 2013 claimed that she was released, but alternative sources say she was only transferred to a different facility. Her current condition is unknown.
Sitting at your computer typing away in your safe world? Be aware that even in the enlightened 21st century, the ruling classes are nervous of free-thinking writers.
God Bless
No comments:
Post a Comment