KABUL (TOLOnews): Books that are opposed to Islam and the interests of the country will be collected, said officials of the Ministry of Information and Culture.
Officials said that publishers have handed thousands of such books to the Ministry of Information and Culture.
“There are still hundreds of books on the market that are written against Islam, against Islamic principles, or that promote other ideologies like secularism. And also, there are some books that lead to the immorality of youth,” said Abdulhaq Hemad, the ministry’s head of media and publication control.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Publishers and Booksellers Union said that books with such content were either imported or published in the nation during the last 20 years.
The union said that steps would be taken to stop such books from being published in the country.
“If books are published that add to national tension, political problems, and controversies that drive the nation to a crisis, we will attempt to not publish such books again,” said Sayed Ahmad Saeed, the head of the Afghanistan Publishers and Booksellers Union.
“We are ready to carry out any order that has been approved by the Publishers’ Union and the Ministry of Information and Culture. We have never published such books. Those who printed it should understand this,” Inayatullah, a publisher, told TOLOnews.
Some young people urged the Ministry of Information and Culture to focus on fostering the nation’s reading culture.
“They should promote a culture of studying in the community. There is only one library at the university that is accessible to students. There isn’t any library in this area where I can study my lessons,” said Abdul Wahab, a student.
Books against Islam, national interest will be collected: Ministry
