Mohamed Choukri - Censorship of For Bread Alone

Censorship of For Bread Alone

For Bread Alone became an international success when published in English, but the book also caused a furor in the Arab world. When the Arabic edition emerged, it was prohibited in Morocco, on the authority of the Interior Minister, Driss Basri, following the advice of the religious authorities. It was said to have offended by its references to teenage sexual experiences and drug abuse. This censorship ended in 2000, and For Bread Alone was finally published in Morocco. In 2005, For Bread Alone was removed from the syllabus of a modern Arabic Literature course at the American University in Cairo in 2005, due to some sexually explicit passages, prompting some observers to criticize the "ban" and blame government censorship. The incident may, however, have been the result of more complex factors, with a report later saying that the problems "are compounded in many areas of campus life by intimidation from Islamist militants, which the government does little to prevent"