An Iranian bookstore’s efforts for selling the last Harry Potter book in Tehran, exactly in time with the other parts of the world, outraged the ultra-right state-run newspaper Kayhan,
One of the questionable events of this week was the sale of the last Harry Potter book in a bookstore in the north of Tehran [the wealthier part] at 2:30am, exactly in time with America and Europe. This happened in a society where there are strict rules for publication and distribution of any book. In this society, any book, either translated or authored, has to be carefully considered by a group of experts and foreign books have to be sold in very specific bookstores under strict control. Were all this considered in the sale of Harry Potter’s seventh volume? I doubt it, because until the books were presented to the crowd, no one had access to the contents of the book, except for the author and the publishing company.
The manager of the bookstore Bayan-e Salis (بيان سليس), which apparently represents Bloomsbury in Iran, has collected the books from the airport in sealed boxes. Surprisingly, the airport security has not searched the boxes and has trusted the American-British publisher which has Zionist collaborators, such as Warner Brothers.
The newspaper then goes on by describing why Harry Potter “includes destructive words and sentences which oppose to the values [of the Islamic Republic]“.Especially, the authors is angry because the first buyer of the book has been a 12-year-old juvenile and asks why the Police has let a crowd gather in front of the bookstore at the middle of the night,
The aims of the Zionist project, Harry Potter, has long been understood, even to the Western intellectuals and they have very frequently pointed out their suspicion about the book. Zionists have spent billions of dollars on this project.
Does anyone know a good psychiatrist? (Picture is decorative)
Update: The Islamic Republic was not the only body who hated Harry Potter, a bomb was found in the city of Karachi, Pakistan, outside the shopping center where the latest book was to be launched.
“This happened in a society where there are strict rules for publication and distribution of any book. In this society, any book, either translated or authored, has to be carefully considered by a group of experts and foreign books have to be sold in very specific bookstores under strict control.”
Believe it or not the same rules applied in Quebec, Canada, until the early 1960’s. I can’t remember the exact name of the rule, but it was a way for the Roman Catholic Church to further contol the French speaking people in Quebec. If the book didn’t have a literal ’seal of approval’ from the local Bishop it wasn’t to be made available in local schools or libraries, nor could it be sold in the local stores, and it was a sin to own the book.
Comment by Gabriel... — July 25, 2007 @ 6:40 pm
Curses! Our nefarious plans are revealed yet again.
Comment by Roman Kalik — July 26, 2007 @ 12:38 am
Gabriel’s comment is interesting. People forget how recently common sense arrived in the “west”. There was quite heavy censorship of books in the UK up to the 1960s, and the government had an official called the Lord Chamberlain (good medieval title) whose job was to censor all plays before they could be shown in any theatre. Jokes about the Royal Family were forbidden.
Also, up to the 1960s, people were being imprisoned for gay sex. (But as with cannabis smoking today, if they were reasonably discreet, the police left them alone.)
However, I see that the book “Tintin in the Congo” has been withdrawn by its publishers as a result of moral pressure. So there is still some unofficial censorship. I think there was a real risk that somebody might have taken the publishers to court under the Race Relations act.
“Magic” seems to upset some religious fundamentalists, both Christian and Muslim. Is this because they believe in it?
Comment by Don Cox — July 26, 2007 @ 5:43 am
So when Israel finally dissipates into the sands of Palestine, who will be blamed for the pollution of the minds of young Iranians?
Comment by Matthew — July 26, 2007 @ 10:33 am
*ahem* Mattew, we’re not planning to go anywhere. So rest assured, the Little Satan remains your loyal blame siphon.
Incidentally, have you any idea how offhandedly insulting your comment was?
Comment by Roman Kalik — July 26, 2007 @ 3:05 pm
[...] Kamangir has more. [...]
Pingback by Bloodthirsty Liberal » Hymie Portnoy and the Order of Chinese Food — July 26, 2007 @ 3:27 pm
Zionist, racist, neo-con, capitalist..does Harry have any time for magic these days?
http://playingagainstthespin.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/harry-potter-neo-conservatism/
Comment by 1.21 Jigowats — July 26, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
Roman,
The printed word obviously didn’t carry the full scope of my sarcasm. I meant no insult,
Best,
Matthew
Comment by Matthew — July 27, 2007 @ 8:50 am
No worries then, Mattew, my mistake. :)
Comment by Roman Kalik — July 27, 2007 @ 11:02 am
[...] Hat Tip: Kamangir (Archer) [...]
Pingback by Bonkers Iranian news of the week « The Bristol Blogger — July 29, 2007 @ 9:21 am