|
CENSORSHIP OUT OF CONTROL
Who Is Responsible for Confiscating Books? The
Palestinian General Security Service (PGSS, Mukhabarat) has confiscated
books at least once at the border crossing between Jordan and Palestine.
Tarek Makawy, a book seller from Nablus, complained to the PHRMG that PGSS
agents confiscated books and refused to return them, defying orders from
the Ministry of Information.
Makawy went to the Information Ministry to investigate the legality of the
confiscation. Mr. Hani Al-Masri, the responsible official, gave Makawy a
letter ordering that the confiscated books be released.
The PGSS refused to obey the instructions of the Ministry, claiming that
the books were inflammatory. They did not, however, have a list of
prohibited books.
After receiving Makawy's complaint, the Monitoring Group wrote a letter to
the Ministry of Information calling for a clarification of the procedures
for confiscating printed material.
It is our position that all books, newspapers, and other publications
should be freely available in Palestine. If the authorities wish to censor
or ban, the procedure should be specified by law and announced in advance.
It should also allow for a process of appeal. In any case, censorship
should be limited as far as possible, and used only in extreme cases.
In their reply to the PHRMG, the Ministry of Information claims its sole
authority by law in matters relating to books. The Ministry, which has
released no list of prohibited books, has promised to continue its
investigation into the matter.
|
