Censorship in South Asia can apply to books, movies the Internet and other media. Censorship occurs on religious, moral and political grounds, which is controversial in itself as the latter especially is seen as contrary to the tenets of democracy, in terms of freedom of speech and the right to freely criticise the government. A public demonstration Freedom of speech is often regarded as an integral concept in modern liberal democracies, where it is understood to outlaw censorship. ...

Bangladesh

Several books of Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin have been banned in Bangladesh and West Bengal [1]. Taslima Nasrin (Bangla: তসলিমা নাসরিন), also known as Taslima Nasreen, (born 25 August 1962 in Mymensingh, Bangladesh) is a writer. ... West Bengal (পশ্চিম বঙ্গ, Pościm Bôngo) is a state in the eastern region of India. ...

India

Several books critical of Islam have been banned in India or in parts of India. India was the first country in the world to ban the Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie. The book Understanding Islam through Hadits by Ram Swarup was also banned. The term Satanic Verses was coined by the historian Sir William Muir to refer to several verses alleged to have been part of an early version of the Quran and later expunged. ... Salman Rushdie Salman Rushdie (born Ahmed Salman Rushdie on June 19, 1947, in Bombay, India) is an Indian-born British essayist and author of fiction, most of which is set on the Indian subcontinent. ... Ram Swarup (राम स्‍वरूप) (1920 - December 26, 1998) was perhaps the most influential Hindu thinker in the second half of the 20th century. ...

There have also been claims that the history of the Islamic invasion of India is being systematically whitewashed and censored in Indian school-books and in other media (e.g. Shourie 1998).

Pakistan

The Pakistani government has banned the import of Indian films, leaving piracy as the only way to distribute them.

Sri Lanka

Literature

• Goel, Sita Ram. The Calcutta Quran Petition. [2]
• Elst, Koenraad. Negationism in India: Concealing the record of Islam. [3]
• Shourie, Arun: Eminent Historians: Their Technology, Their Line, Their Fraud. New Delhi, 1998.

Sita Ram Goel (सीता राम गोयल) (1921 - 2003), author and publisher, is an important figure amongst late 20th century Hindu thinkers. ... Dr. Koenraad Elst was born in Leuven, Belgium, on 7 August 1959, into a Flemish Catholic family. ... Arun Shourie at a press conference Arun Shourie (born 1941) is among Indias best known and controversial commentators on current and political affairs. ...

External links

Bangladesh

India

• Book banning in India
• Arun Shourie on "Eminent historians"

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

See also

• Censorship
• Banned books
• Banned films
• Salman Rushdie
• Media bias in South Asia
• International Freedom of Expression Exchange