An Egyptian Perspective on American Book Banning
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 6:15 am
Guest Blog:
Guest post by Hassan Said.
Hassan Said is a third-year law student at Santa Clara University School of Law. Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, Hassan is currently interning at the Internet Archive for the spring semester.
I was fourteen years old when I watched the Egyptian revolution unfold before my eyes. One of the main things people protested against was the degree of censorship everyone was subjected to. Book bans in particular were popular for many decades leading up to the revolution.
Interestingly, eleven years after the revolution, I am seeing the same arguments the Egyptian government made in Egypt for book bans made here in America by local school boards and politicians. My experience phone number library has taught me that, regardless of content, book banning is harmful because it weakens the democratic process and works against making societies cohesive.
The Egyptian government extensively banned books during the latter half of the 20th century. Those in power argued for the need for more parental and educational control. They also made arguments focused on the effect certain books have on polarizing the public on race, politics, religion, or sex and the importance of maintaining social order and decorum. Books discussing political and religious themes were banned with the most frequency, including a novel by Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz.
Guest post by Hassan Said.
Hassan Said is a third-year law student at Santa Clara University School of Law. Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, Hassan is currently interning at the Internet Archive for the spring semester.
I was fourteen years old when I watched the Egyptian revolution unfold before my eyes. One of the main things people protested against was the degree of censorship everyone was subjected to. Book bans in particular were popular for many decades leading up to the revolution.
Interestingly, eleven years after the revolution, I am seeing the same arguments the Egyptian government made in Egypt for book bans made here in America by local school boards and politicians. My experience phone number library has taught me that, regardless of content, book banning is harmful because it weakens the democratic process and works against making societies cohesive.
The Egyptian government extensively banned books during the latter half of the 20th century. Those in power argued for the need for more parental and educational control. They also made arguments focused on the effect certain books have on polarizing the public on race, politics, religion, or sex and the importance of maintaining social order and decorum. Books discussing political and religious themes were banned with the most frequency, including a novel by Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz.