18 More BOOKS (6 in Malay) BANNED in MALAYSIA; can “disrupt PEACE & SECURITY”; NO Reproduction or Distribution” or 3 years JAIL and/or RM20K Fine.

The Malaysian Internal Security Ministry has quietly issued a “prohibition citation” on June 08 2006 that 18 more BOOKS are banned (six in Malay others in English). The banned list is getting longer and longer. Many are unaware of the banned list and the consequences of having a copy. And many would have read some of the books as one especially “The Battle of God ......", highlighted in Malaysiakini see below) was first published in 2000. The act of banning these books would heighten the awareness and curiosity of these books. Banning books is a common practice and even in the States, books they considered unsuitable are removed from Libraries.

In early April 2003, the Malaysian Home Ministry (KDN) banned 35 books that they considered detrimental to public peace. Twelve of these were Christian books, eleven of them in Malay. The twelfth is a tranlation of the Bible in Iban, the language of the Iban people of sarawak which has been fairly available in he country for over five years.

The statement issued by the KDN stated that the “printing, import, production,
reproduction, sale, circulation, distribution and possession of books listed under
the schedule are banned in the country”.  A jail sentence of up to three years and/or a
maximum fine of 20,000 Malaysian ringgits (approx. £3,340) will be given to anyone
found guilty of breaking this ban.  Thus, the Iban Christians of Sarawak could face such
consequences sdimply for possessing an Iban Bible.

In University Science Malaysia books which are banned or considered prejudicial by the Government are kept under lock and key. Academic staff and students who wish to read these books must obtain a letter from the Dean of the School stating that the books concerned are required material in connection with a course of study or relevant to a piece of research.

The following are the titles and authors of the 18 newly banned books:-

1. The Bargaining for Israel: In the Shadow of Armageddon authored by Mona
Johulan and published by Bridge-Logos Publishers, United States (USA).
2. Islam (Mathew S Gordon, Oxford University Press (OUP))
3. Lifting the Veil (Trudie Crawford, Apple of Gold, United States)
4. A Fundamental Fear of Eurocentrism and the Emergence of Islamism (Bobby S
Sayyid, Zed Books Ltd, United Kingdom (UK))
5. Islam Revealed - A Christian Arab's View of Islam (Dr Anis A Shorrosh,
Thomas Nelson Publishers, USA)
6. What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam (John L Esposito, OUP)
7. Mini Skirts Mothers & Muslims (Christine Mallouhi, publisher not available)
8. The Battle for God Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
(Karen Armstron, Harper Collins, UK)
9. Kundalini For Beginners (Ravindra Kuma, Health Harmony, B Jain Publishers (P) Ltd, Indisa
10. Sacred Books of the East (Epiphanius Wilso, J-Jeiley Asian Educational Services, India)
11. Sharing Your Faith with A Muslim (Akbidayah Akbar Abdul-Haqq, Bethany House Publishers, USA)
12. Cults, World Religions and The Occult (Kenneth Bon, Chariot Victor Publishings, UK)
13. Petua dan Doa Pendinding, Penawar, Penyembuh Penyakit (Awang Mohd Yahya,
Unsie Publisher, Kuala Lumpur)
14. Hakikat & Hikmah 7 Hari Dalam Seminggu (Abu Nashr Al-Hamdanly, Pustaka Ilmi, Batu Caves, Selangor)
15. Pemuda Bani Tamim Perintis Jalan Imam Mahdi (Abu Muhammad, Penerbit Giliran Timor)
16. Kontroversi Hukum Hudud (Kassim Ahmad, Forum Iqra Berhad, Penang)
17. Risalah No.2 Dilema Umat Islam-Antara Hadis dan Quran (Kassim Ahmad, Forum Iqra Berhad, Penang)
18. Siri 7 Amalan-Amalan Bid'ah Pada Bulan Syaban (Ustaz Rasul bin Dahri, Percetakan Putrajaya Sdn Bhd) -- BERNAMA

The following is an excerpt of the Malaysiakini report, the full text is available from http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/52588

Renowned author Karen Armstrong's book 'The Battle for God: Fundamentalismin Judaism, Christianity and Islam' has been slapped with a ban by the government.

The book was a New York Times bestseller and published in 2000 ostensibly to promote better understanding of the three major world's religions.

The book focuses on the fundamentalist strains in the United States, Israel, Iran and Egypt.

Armstrong has since become a prolific, acclaimed, and controversial writer on subjects touching on all of the three major monotheistic religions.

In 1999, the Islamic Center of Southern California honored Armstrong, for "promoting understanding among faiths."

It is not the first time that government has issued a ban on her book. Two of her earlier books - 'A History of God' and 'Muhammad A Biography of the Prophet' - were also blacklisted last year.

Armstrong's 'A History of God' was also a bestseller which attracted rave reviews and was sold in the local bookstores since it was first published in 1993 before it was prohibited.