Outcry forces Hamas to rescind book ban

Outcry forces Hamas to rescind book ban

Sun Mar 11, 6:57 AM ET

RAMALLAH, West Bank - The Hamas-run Education Ministry on Saturday rescinded its
decision to pull an anthology of Palestinian folk tales from school libraries and destroy
copies, reportedly over mild sexual innuendo, following a widespread public outcry.

Education Minister Nasser Shaer, of Hamas, told The Associated Press in a telephone
interview that he had not been informed of this week's decision to ban the book,
"Speak Bird, Speak Again." Some 1,500 copies of the book were destroyed — the
most direct attempt by the militant Muslim group to impose its beliefs on Palestinian
society.

"I have decided to correct the illegal measures that were taken regarding disposing
the book," Shaer said.

The reversal came shortly before dozens of writers, academics and other intellectuals
marched to protest the ministry's decision to pull the anthology.

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