The Free Press Journal

Saudi pulls ‘indecent’ novel from stalls

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Saudi authoritie­s have pulled a novel by an award-winning author from bookstores after readers denounced some passages as pornograph­ic, sparking controvers­y in the ultra-conservati­ve kingdom, reports AFP.

"Thursday's Visitors" is an Arabic fiction novel by well-known columnist and writer Badriyah al-Bishr, who often focuses on the daily struggles of women in Saudi Arabia.

"The ministry of culture and informatio­n has withdrawn the book 'Thursday's Visitors'... and opened an investigat­ion into the matter," said a spokesman for the ministry on Friday.

The book chronicles one young woman's journey of self- discovery through Thursday get-togethers where women share their life's joys and sorrows.

But some of the content was deemed as sexually graphic.

"How can a book with this content be sold in the children's books section?" one Saudi reader wrote on Twitter to Jarir, a prominent bookstore chain.

"I did not check the content of the book before buying it, but your mistake is worse."

In its response to the tweet, Jarir tweeted: "We agree with you. The copies have been withdrawn. We thank you for your observatio­n."

There was no immediate response from Bishr.

"Why are you all being so dramatic? Just skip the (sexually explicit) page and move on," said a Saudi on Twitter in response to a conservati­ve backlash against the author.

Books, magazines and journals are often censored in Saudi Arabia for content considered un-Islamic.

Sex, religion and politics are typically considered red lines in the conservati­ve kingdom, which has some of the world's tightest restrictio­ns on women.

The book by Badriyah al-Bishr was pulled out from bookstores after readers denounced some passages as ‘pornograph­ic’

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