Category Archives: Censorship

Shappi Khorsandi: Censorship was a huge thing in my family. Photograph: Murdo Macleod/Murdo Macleod

Comedian Shappi Khorsandi is to host Index on Censorships freedom of expression awards on 18 March.

It is an apt choice because her father, the Iranian writer and satirist Hadi Khorsandi, fled to Britain in 1979 with his family, including six-year-old Shappi, after criticising the regime that emerged in the wake of Irans Islamic revolution.

Even in the UK, Khorsandi continued to receive death threats. During the 1979 revolution against the Shah, there were crowds calling for my fathers execution because of his satirical writings, says Shappi.

The only way to stay in Iran was to toe the party line. He chose exile, a profound experience for a writer.

They have to leave their home country to be able to express themselves freely in their native language. Censorship was a huge thing in my family.

Once in Britain, Hadi Khorsandi continued writing and also published a satirical newspaper: Because of this there was a plot to assassinate him in 1984, says his daughter.

There were always Index on Censorship logos in our house because of my fathers work. Its quite an honour to have been asked to host the awards, one I accepted on my fathers behalf.

Many of those shortlisted for Indexs latest freedom of expression awards have experienced similar attempts to silence them. Lirio Abbate, an Italian journalist who faces constant threat of attack because of his investigations into the mafia, has 24-hour police protection.

Others, like Angolan journalist Rafael Marques de Morais, Moroccan rapper El Haqed and Ecuadorian cartoonist Bonil are repeatedly threatened with jail for challenging government and business interests.

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Shappi Khorsandi to host Index on Censorship awards ceremony

The author has posted comments on this articlePriyanka Kachhava, TNN | Feb 19, 2015, 03.23PM IST

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This kind of censorship and more will be discussed at an upcoming conference in the city. With the theme "Damn the Book, Gag the Voice: Literature and Censorship", the 14th international conference of MELOW, the society for the study of the multi-ethnic literatures of the world will be held in the city from February 20 to 22. The academic gathering will see around 150 delegates from all over the country and abroad gather at Hotel Parkview.

The uneasy relationship between literature and censorship has always been the subject of animated discussion between writers, critics, scholars, those who wield authority and those who suffer it. Underlying the banning and censorship of literature there is the undeniable logic of hate and fear, the politics of power, xenophobia, insecurity or simply the desire to dominate. Although the so-called civilized nations claim to uphold the freedom of expression, they invariably clamp down when sensitive issues are given a public voice. Censorship operates in different guises, some obvious others subtle, some socially or politically or even emotionally motivated. MELOW 2015 will explore the various issues connected with literature and censorship.

There will be approximately 80 paper-presentations spread over sessions, over a span of three days.

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Academics to debate literary censorship from Feb 20-22

Response to the Naked Truth on CENSORSHIP | #NakedTruth
In this video I respond to Trisha Hershberger #39;s Naked Truth on CENSORSHIP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U46RdCaQKA4 Link to the Expose: https://reverepost...

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The Global Fight Against Internet Censorship
From Japan to Canada to the US, there is a worldwide legislative battle taking place to clamp down on the internet and stifle alternative journalism. James t...

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The Global Fight Against Internet Censorship - Video

Facebook censorship? American arrested in UAE for complaining about employer
A Florida man could spend up to five years in Emirati prison for complaining about his employer on Facebook and posting anti-Arab slurs, reports the Tampa Tr...

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One Chinese government agency is so proud of how well they censor the Internet that they put their feelings to music.

One Chinese government agency is so proud of how well they censor the Internet that they put their feelings to music.

by Sisi Wei and Yue Qiu ProPublica, Feb. 12, 2015, 4:31 p.m.

ProPublica investigates the threats to privacy in an era of cellphones, data mining and cyberwar.

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Chinas Internet censorship agency now has its own choral anthem, a song titled The Mind and Spirit of Cyberspace Security. The New York Times reported Thursday that the lyrics to the song whichpraises the agencys commitment to the global village, evolving it into its most beautiful form were written by Wang Pingjiu, who also wrote the lyrics for the opening song to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

ProPublica watched, translated and subtitled the video.

Although the Times reported that copies of the video are being deleted quickly, ProPublica found copies easily via the popular Chinese social media site Sina Weibo.

In the song, employees proudly declare not only loyalty to their work, but that it is transforming the world into a better place. Lyrics include:

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Internet Censorship in China: Well Sing it for You

BEIRUT, LEBANON

State censorship has long played a role in guiding the arts in Lebanon, where a permissive culture and a delicate sectarian balance come head to head.

In the face of what they complain are arbitrary clampdowns, though, some activists and playwrights are taking the fight for free speech to the courts. MARCH is a civil rights organization that works with playwrights whose scripts, it says, failed to make it through governments required approval process.

Using content from articles, blog posts and TV shows already online and uncensored, it submitted four plays that tackled some of the most taboo topics in Lebanon: politics, the countrys civil war, Zionism, religion and homosexuality.

Lea Baroudi, co-founder of MARCH, said the plays never made it past the censors. Now the group is launching a court appeal, and is campaigning to ensure that any decisions to ban or censor content are formalized.

A lot of people think there is no censorship in Lebanon, or that the laws are pretty correct, she said. What we wanted to show and prove is that the laws on censorship are completely arbitrary. All they do is oppress arts and culture in Lebanon, as the only people who suffer are the artists and play directors.

"The censorship is not even efficient, as the content we used could be found elsewhere. So if you are trying to protect communities, it is not working, said Baroudi. Danger of offending The deadly attack on staff at French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, thought to have been a response to depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, sparked widespread debate about the limits of free speech.

In Lebanon, more than a hundred gathered in central Beirut's Samir Kassir square - named after a Lebanese journalist killed by a car bomb in 2005 - in an act of solidarity and support for free speech.

However, others defend the role of censorship, insisting that free speech can go too far, given Lebanon's sectarian diversity and, especially, at a time of regional upheaval.

Baroudi argued the very concept of censorship, however, is often a misplaced one. Art is very cathartic and in our point of view this strategy of making everything taboo in order to please and appease every group and community is not making things better. Its making them worse and its building up the tensions.

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Lebanese Artists Battle State Censorship

Published February 20, 2015

Zimbabweans going to the movies will have to watch a tame version of "Fifty Shades of Grey" after censors ordered an edit of the film adaption of the bestselling erotic novel.

The censors demanded that erotic scenes from the R-rated drama be deleted before it is shown in the southern African country.

"There are scenes in the film that are just too indecent to be shown to the public," said Isaac Chiranganyika, the Board of Censors secretary, said on Friday. The film based on EL James' book of the same name, explores themes of bondage and domination.

Movie theatres in Zimbabwe will only be allowed to show a censored version of the film. While most theatres have agreed to run the chopped-up version, one theater in the capital Harare said it won't screen "Fifty Shades of Grey" at all, because heavy censorship would remove too much.

"It was felt that heavy censorship would compromise the integrity of the film," the Sam Levy Village shopping center, site of the movie theater, said on its Facebook page.

Zimbabwean artists and filmmakers have regularly criticized the board's decisions to censor works that were seen as too erotic, violent or political. The board's chairman, Heya Malaba, 95, has been uncompromising about erotic movie scenes in the past.

For those who want to watch the whole film, pirated copies should soon be available on city street corners.

"I just have to wait a week or so and I will be buying 'Fifty Shades of Grey' for $1 from the vendors," said Harare resident Stam Zengeni. "So no problem."

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Zimbabwe censors '50 Shades of Grey' scenes

Two men and a baby ... an advertisement aired on Australian television claims marriage equality forces kids to miss out on a mother or father. Picture: YouTube Source: Supplied

AN ADVERTISEMENT critical of same-sex marriage was pulled by SBS management ahead of their telecast of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on Sunday night, the ads sponsors say.

The Australian Marriage Forum said in a statement that the ad was booked and scheduled for broadcast during a Sunday night Mardi Gras special.

Dr van Gend says the ad was booked and paid for before he received an email on Friday to inform him it had been pulled from the Sunday night schedule. Ive unfortunately been instructed to advise you that we choose not to run this TVC for the Marriage Forum during the Mardi Gras telecast, the email from SBS sales manager for Queensland, Nick Belof, said.

SHOW TIME: Stars flash flesh for Sydney Mardi Gras celebrations

We hear about marriage equality a lot, but what about equality for kids? the ad asks.

It shows Dr David van Gend, president of the Australian Marriage Forum and a family doctor, stating: Children have an equal right wherever possible to both a mum and a dad. So-called marriage equality forces kids to miss out on a mother or a father. Thats not equality for the kids who miss out. Thats not marriage.

Thats not marriage ... Dr David van Gend appears as a spokesman against marriage equality in the new advertisement. Picture: YouTube Source: Supplied

The national director of Australian Marriage Equality, Rodney Croome, told SameSame.com the ads timing would only highlight how out of place anti-gay prejudice is in our increasingly inclusive and respectful society.

If this campaign has any impact at all, its obvious prejudice and fearmongering will actually increase support for marriage equality, he added.

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SBS under fire for anti-family censorship

Naked Truth On Censorship #NakedTruth #NakedArmy
This is a response video to Trisha Hershberguer #39;s The Naked Truth vlog on her youtube channel! 🙂 Trisha #39;s video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U46RdCaQKA4...

By: Ruben Gomes

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Naked Truth On Censorship #NakedTruth #NakedArmy - Video