Persepolis
by Marjane Satrapi
Censorship Status
Banned in Iran, Various US schools
Reason: Political content, cultural criticism
A graphic memoir that makes revolution personal—and therefore dangerous. Satrapi's black-and-white illustrations chronicle her childhood during Iran's Islamic Revolution, showing how political upheaval shatters individual lives. Banned in Iran and challenged in American schools, it commits the unforgivable sin of humanizing 'the enemy.' Through a child's eyes, we see how theocracy suffocates freedom, how war traumatizes the innocent, and how families are torn apart by ideology. The Iranian regime banned it for showing their revolution's human cost, while American schools challenged it for depicting a complex Middle East that doesn't fit convenient stereotypes. Its simple drawings deliver complex truths about the price of political extremism.
Why Persepolis Was Banned
Censorship Concerns
This book challenged government authority and political systems, making it a target for censorship by authoritarian regimes worldwide.
Specifically, Persepolis was targeted for: Political content, cultural criticism. The book's themes and content were deemed threatening to the social, political, or religious order in multiple countries.
Why Read Persepolis Today?
- ✓ Historical Significance: Understand why this book was considered dangerous enough to ban.
- ✓ Intellectual Freedom: Support the right to read diverse perspectives and challenging ideas.
- ✓ Critical Thinking: Engage with ideas that authorities didn't want people to consider.
- ✓ Cultural Understanding: Gain insight into the fears and concerns of different societies and eras.
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Gender Queer
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1984
by George Orwell
They banned it because it hits too close to home. Orwell's masterpiece reveals how governments manipulate truth, rewrite history, and control minds through surveillance and propaganda. Written in 1949, this 'fiction' predicted our reality with terrifying accuracy—from omnipresent cameras to the Ministry of Truth's doublespeak. No wonder authoritarian regimes from Stalin's USSR to modern China have tried to silence this book. It doesn't just entertain; it arms readers with the tools to recognize tyranny before it's too late. Every banned copy proves Orwell's point about those who fear an informed populace.
Don't Let This Story Be Silenced
Support intellectual freedom by reading the books that challenged the powerful. Get your copy of Persepolis today and discover why it's still being banned.
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