Die Vereinten Nationen sind eine Organisation, in der Rassisten Rassismus bekämpfen und jene verurteilt werden, die dem Spuk fernbleiben, ein Verein, dessen Generalsekretär folgerichtig nichts dabei findet, mit einem mittels Internationalem Haftbefehl gesuchten Völkermörder an einem Tisch zu sitzen.
Was liegt da näher, die Hauptstadt eines Staates, in dem zur politisch-„kulturellen“ Elite gehört, wer gemeinsam mit einem antisemitischen Kindermörder von Photographen abgelichtet wird, zur „Welthauptstadt des Buchs“ zu erklären, um ihm die „Einhaltung der Prinzipien der Freiheit der Meinungsäußerung und der Veröffentlichung“ zu bescheinigen?
„A professor at the American University here [in Beirut] recently ordered copies of ‚The Diary of Anne Frank‘ for his classes, only to learn that the book is banned. Inquiring further, he discovered a long list of prohibited books, films and music. [..]
Even a partial list of books banned in Lebanon gives pause: William Styron’s ‚Sophie’s Choice‘; Thomas Keneally’s ‚Schindler’s List‘; Thomas Friedman’s ‚From Beirut to Jerusalem‘; books by Philip Roth, Saul Bellow and Isaac Bashevis Singer. In fact, all books that portray Jews, Israel or Zionism favorably are banned.
Writers in Arabic are not exempt. Abdo Wazen’s ‚The Garden of the Senses‘ and Layla Baalbaki’s ‚Hana’s Voyage to the Moon‘ were taken to court. Syria’s Sadiq Jalal al-Azm was prosecuted for his ‚Critique of Religious Thinking.‘
Censorship is carried out by the Sûreté General, which combines the functions of the FBI, CIA, and Homeland Security. It does not post a list of banned works, much less answer questions. However a major book importer, in an email, provided a list of banned films and the reasons given by the Sûreté. Here are some: ‚A Voice From Heaven‘ (verses of Koran recited during dance scenes); ‚Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert‘ (homosexuality); ‚Barfly‘ (blacklisted company Canon); and ‚Daniel Deronda‘ (shot in Israel).
All of Jane Fonda’s films are banned, since she visited Israel in 1982 to court votes for Tom Hayden’s Senate run. ‚Torn Curtain‘ is banned: Paul Newman starred in ‚Exodus.‘ And the television series ‚The Nanny‘ is banned because of Fran Drescher.“