Challenges to Canadian Publications Abroad

Outside Canada, would-be censors challenge and ban the works of Canadian authors. Here are just a few examples.

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The Handmaid’s Tale

Censorship Details

In March 2006, the superintendent of Judson Independent School District in Texas removed The Handmaid’s Tale after a parent complained that it was sexually explicit and offensive to Christians.

In October 2021, a Republican state lawmaker in Texas sent a letter to the Texas Education Agency urging the removal of 850 books from schools because they might make students feel “discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress.”

Among the list of targeted works was The Handmaid’s Tale.

In November 2021, the Goddard school district in Kansas removed 29 books from school library shelves because the titles were controversial in other states. The Handmaid’s Tale was among these challenged works.

In 2022, parents in Georgia complained that the book was “garbage” in a hearing for Senate Bill 226, a proposal that would allow school principals and teachers to remove books without the consultation of school librarians. The motion was ultimately dismissed, and The Handmaid’s Tale stayed on school shelves.

View additional challenges to the work in the United States here.

The book has also faced censorship and bowdlerization outside the United States. As writer Sima Sharifi notes in The Globe and Mail, a Persian translation of the book published in Iran omitted content about feminist activism and featured alterations to the original text.

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SCARS

Censorship Details

In October 2021, a Republican state lawmaker in Texas sent a letter to the Texas Education Agency urging the removal of 850 books from schools because they might make students feel “discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress.”

Among the list of targeted works was Scars, which explores sexual abuse, self-harm and dissociation.
In June 2022, during a meeting of Florida’s Clay County School Board, a parent and president of the Florida chapter of the right-wing group No Left Turn in Education urged the school district to remove multiple books. The parent called out Scars by name, suggesting that the book encouraged young people to self-harm as a coping mechanism. In August 2022, a writer reported that the school board had adopted a new policy allowing parents to challenge books that they deemed inappropriate.

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Milk and Honey

Censorship Details

In August 2022, Alpine School District, Utah’s largest school district, removed 52 books from school shelves and flagged an additional 32 titles for review. Milk and Honey was included among the 52 removed titles.

A spokesperson for the school district stated that the books had been temporarily removed and that the district was drafting a policy to formally review each book. The spokesperson did not set a timeline for this process.

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Censorship Details

In October 2021, a Republican state lawmaker in Texas sent a letter to the Texas Education Agency urging the removal of 850 books from schools because they might make students feel “discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress.”

Among the list of targeted works were three titles by Robin Stevenson: the juvenile non-fiction book Pride: Celebrating Diversity and Community and the young-adult novels Big Guy and Under Threat, which explore topics such as LGBTQ+ relationships, violence and abortion.

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This One Summer

Censorship Details

In 2014, This One Summer, became the first graphic novel to land on the shortlist for the Caldecott Medal. The Caldecott Medal is awarded to picture books for children published in the United States.

According to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, “The Caldecott Medal and Honor are given to illustrators whose work is suitable for children up to 14 years of age. An examination of past Caldecott winners and honorees reveals that most of the recipients created books for the younger end of the age range. In the last ten years alone, about 82% of Caldecott winners have been aimed at audiences age 8 and younger. As a result, many people have the expectation that Caldecott winners and honorees are meant for the youngest readers.”

In May 2016, a school library in Henning, Minnesota decided to remove This One Summer. The Superintendent of the school found the topics in the novel to be “inappropriate for inclusion in the library.” The graphic novel was also removed from library shelves at three different school libraries in Florida in February of 2016.

In August 2022, Alpine School District, Utah’s largest school district, removed 52 books from school shelves and flagged an additional 32 titles for review. This One Summer was included among the 52 removed titles.

A spokesperson for the school district stated that the books had been temporarily removed and that the district was drafting a policy to formally review each book. The spokesperson did not set a timeline for this process.

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Allah, Liberty and Love: The Courage to Reconcile Faith and Freedom

Censorship Details

In 2012, Manji toured Southeast Asia to promote her book. In Indonesia, she encountered threats of violence and actual violence. In Malaysia, a Muslim government banned Allah, Liberty and Love.

On May 4, Manji arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia. Police cut short her first appearance — at a cultural centre — when members of the Islamic Defenders Front massed outside the building and threatened violence. A few days later, security threats prompted Gadjah Mada University to cancel a scheduled event.

On May 9, while still in Indonesia, angry Muslims attacked a book chat with shouts of “Where is Manji?” Some people shielded Manji from the attackers, but a colleague — Emily Rees — was struck on the arm by a metal bar and rushed to hospital. Two other people suffered head injuries.

Later in May, Manji visited Malaysia to promote Allah, Liberty and Love. In Kuala Lumpur, government officials raided bookstores to confiscate copies of the book. Then, on May 24, after receiving a report from the Department of Islamic Development, Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs banned Manji’s books. The report declared that Manji’s ideas are contrary to Islamic teachings.

“The Malaysian government’s ban of Allah, Liberty and Love is not just a disappointment; it is an insult to a new generation of Malaysians,” said Manji in a statement. “Censorship treats citizens like children. Censorship denies human beings their free will to think for themselves.”

After Manji left Malaysia, a few Malaysians were arrested for selling or possessing copies of the book. Manji’s Malaysian publisher, ZI Publications, received permission from a court to appeal the ban.

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Such a Long Journey

Censorship Details

In September 2010, Indian students demonstrated at the gates of the University of Mumbai. Most belonged to the youth wing of a political party called Shiv Sena. They burned copies of Such a Long Journey.

The students also pressed the university to stop teaching the book. Within 24 hours of receiving the demand, Vice-Chancellor Rajan Welukar dropped the novel from the syllabus. Welukar later said that he was following the instructions of the university’s board of studies.

Aditya Thackeray, the leader of the students, demanded the ban because he objected to the “obscene and vulgar language” in the novel. He also objected to a negative reference to his grandfather, who founded Shiv Sena.

The ban provoked a debate in India about censorship. Some politicians supported the ban, but writers, liberals and intellectuals condemned it. On October 19, 2010, Mistry himself criticized the censorship of his novel. His statement appeared in Indian newspapers such as The Hindu and on YouTube.

But the University of Mumbai’s ban on Such a Long Journey stayed in force.