Is your local library as free as this library in Tehran?

TehranLibrary.jpg


While the hopelessly compromised American Library Association cravenly capitulates to the foes of free speech, at least one library in Tehran is more hospitable to free thought and a genuine exchange of ideas.

Last Monday evening I spoke at the University of California Irvine, at an event organized by an Iranian ex-Muslim who read my book Islam Unveiled after finding it in a library in Tehran. A printout of some of the listings from that library is above; you can see my books Islam Unveiled and Onward Muslim Soldiers, along with other Islamorealistic books.

When I asked my host how my books could have possibly gotten there, he told me that there were millions of Islamoskeptics and secret apostates in Iran, and they could have gotten the books into the library system there. He also told me that he and other apostates felt quite isolated and threatened in Iran (understandably so) and drew hope from Jihad Watch and other freedom sites, seeing from them that they were not alone.

So while the American Library Association marches on in politically correct lockstep, not daring to entertain any genuine dissent even as they celebrate "Banned Books Week," the truth is more welcome -- quietly, cautiously, but unmistakably -- in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

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this is great!!! I am reading the farsi portion of the hand writing as well. Very interesting. JW readers/bloggers should know that only 1 1/2% of all Iranians go to the mosque!!!!!
M

I've always had a soft spot for Iranians when it comes to Islam. The regime under which they live is horrible, but I've talked to so many young Iranians who desperately want a change.

If any Islamic country deserves the benefit of an Arab Spring and the freedom the participants claimed to want, it was Iran. But the Obama Administration dropped the ball there, maybe intentionally or maybe just ignorantly. I am so ashamed our current Administration refused to help the oppressed Iranian protesters, but then turned around and paved a path for Islamic hardliners in Egypt and Libya.

Pleased to report that the NOBLE (North of Boston Library Exchange) carries most of Robert's books as well as other Islamorealistic titles.

The Islamist on Iran and elsewhere will do all they are able to cover up the truth. That is one thing that they don't want to people of the differnt countiies to get hold of. Getting back to the subject of cruel and heinous Islamic regime of Iran. Ayatollah Khamenei and also the mullahs who are in power in the country. They are best described in the Bible in Pslam 73:6-9. Which reads "Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know know limits. They scoff and speak with malice; in the arrogance the threaten oppression. Their mounth lay claim to heaven, and their tonques take possession of the earth." [NIV]

I am no fan of Obama. that said I was there this past July visiting my mom and my family in Tehran. The sanctions have brought the Islamic Republic to its knees which in turn have made life miserable for Iranians which in turn it means it is the Iranian people who will bring this despicable government down. factories all closing down in record numbers because the can not get raw material, government workers are not getting paid, they just cut 20% off of their military spending. There are reports of discontent withing the workers in oil industries. Trust me they are doomed. the day the blood thirty Assad and his cronies fall from Syria that is the day you ought to play the lotto. Once Assad is gone the iranian government will be spiraling down. this one is a sure bet.
M

Well done to Iranians for not remaining obedient to their crazy government. Lessons could be learned from them, especially by the blinkered Western Leftists.
I do believe that Iran as a regime will be responsible for the next major war and the casualty toll will be enormous, but I also believe that once the mad mullahs, the army, the faithful and all the other Islamic loons have been butchered, the remaining apostate Iranian people will be left to rebuild the war-damaged nation and usher in a new era of Persian prosperity.
I have heard good things about Iranian ex-Muslims especially those who have converted to Christianity. They are renowned for their outspokenness and courage. They would certainly know how to stand up to our American and European Liberal doubters!

... he told me that there were millions of Islamoskeptics and secret apostates in Iran ...

And they got the same short shrift from Barry Hussein in 2009 that the Malian musicians, the Syrian Christians, and the Copts of Egypt are getting now. But let Muslims get on the wrong end of violence, as in Burma, and he will leap to their defense.

A printout of some of the listings from that library is above; you can see my books Islam Unveiled and Onward Muslim Soldiers, along with other Islamorealistic books...
.......................

Well, *this* is a surprise. I'm very glad to see it.

Meanwhile, this is the sort of stupidity going on at some American libraries:

"Library Propagandizes Children for Occupy Oakland"

http://safelibraries.blogspot.com/2011/11/library-propagandizes-children-for.html

At the end of this article you can find these lines:

"What's really galling is that while the ALA invites the 'occupy' librarian, it blocks people it opposes, like Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch. The ALA censors Robert Spencer, but the 'occupy' librarian is invited to speak."

SafeLibraries links to this article:

"ALA is Duplicitous and Fraudulent, Censors Whomever It Wants, Suppresses Intellectual Freedom, and Joins the Jihad"

http://safelibraries.blogspot.com/2009/10/ala-is-duplicitous-and-fraudulent.html

And that article links directly to—among other articles—Robert Spencer's own experiences with the ALA from three years ago:

"The American Library Association joins the jihad"

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2009/10/the-american-library-association-joins-the-jihad.html

Incidentally, I was the city of Oakland volunteer of the year back in the mid '90s for work I did with the Oakland Library's adult literacy program.

In many ways I love the library—what I *don't* love is this sickening "politically correct" politicization, which is rife in many American libraries at this point.

I hope you are right. I would love to see a free Iran. I have no doubt the people of Iran are ready to revolt (again). I just hope they receive the support they need to succeed. And I hope any successful revolt won't become a failure as it did in Egypt.

Whoever checked out Roberts books can be tracked by security agents, arrested and charged with possession of anti-Islamic materials...

no only it will not be egypy there is going to be revenge and pay back they will kill all of the islamists right from the top. there will cleansing like you never seen before. this is a revolt not against islamists or the government it is going to be a revolt against islam.
m

Islam is a religion of lies, deceit, intimidation threats, etc, etc,......

truth is Islam's foremost enemy. Let the truth about Islam ring and it lead to its demise!!

"JW readers/bloggers should know that only 1 1/2% of all Iranians go to the mosque!!!!!"

Do you have evidence substantiating that remarkable claim?

You evidently haven't seen the evidence marshalled by Diana West (and others) showing otherwise.

"Well done to Iranians for not remaining obedient to their crazy government."

One library in Tehran doesn't establish anything useful -- much less your extravagant extrapolation -- about "Iranians" in general.

This Iranophilia among so many in the Counter Jihad is baffling; but more importantly, reckless.

"he told me that there were millions of Islamoskeptics and secret apostates in Iran"

Natural given how obviously bogus Islam is. Probably also true in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic lands.

Don't let any lying Muslim brag that his religion has 1.5 billions adherents. A very large number are Muslims in name only because of the monstrous Islamic kill the apostate law which is needed to keep such bragging possible and the mullahs in power.

miriam rove wrote:

no only it will not be egypy there is going to be revenge and pay back they will kill all of the islamists right from the top. there will cleansing like you never seen before. this is a revolt not against islamists or the government it is going to be a revolt against islam.
...............................

miriam, I have always had the greatest respect for you as a brave apostate from Islam.

But regarding your scenario—fantasy, really—of Muslims tossing over Islam en mass—when has this *ever* happened?

The fact is that most parts of the Muslim world are further Islamizing, *not* jettisoning Islam.

One of these places is post "Arab Spring" Egypt, where a majority of Muslims just overthrew the comparatively secular Mubarak and voted in the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists.

And Iran has been one of the most appalling outposts of Dar-al-Islam imaginable.

I have no doubt that there are liberals and apostates-in-all-but-name in both places—but the idea that they make up any sort of majority in either place is—again, with respect—nothing more than wishful thinking.

Are your books on the shelves of American libraries? A quick check with Worldcat says yes.

Quit complaining about this panel, Robert. If only you have been excluded from the panel, then it would have been censorship. The ALA defends your books against people who want them taken off the shelves. Perhaps you should be thanking them, instead of vilifying them.

I wonder if, in the Iranian library (or system) in question, they also included a warning with the information for any of Robert's books, which as I recall, for at least one of the books, cautions the prospective reader about the content. Wasn't that disclaimer written by Carl Ernst (the anti-Western, pro-Islamic demagogue who was praised by the Iranian regime)?

OT: Watch Rock Center on NBC tonight. A segment on two NFL brothers named Abdullah who take a break from their careers to explore their religion.

I wonder if they go on the Hajj or do a bit of Jihad overseas???

p.s., Alright, I just checked my old university's library system and cannot now find the disclaimer/warning*--which was there several years ago--for any of Robert's books which they list.

*This warning to scare off the reader was presented, as I recall, in the form of a review. It was not displayed in the context of an open review format. Rather, it was presented as an authoritative review/summary of the book that you would see when you looked at the additional descriptive details for the book, and it was the only review/summary presented with the book (not just on my university's system but across North America).

Give me doughnuts:

You say: "The ALA defends your books against people who want them taken off the shelves."

When did they ever do that? I never heard of such a thing. Please give info.

Cordially
Robert Spencer

I have not met an Iranian I didn't like. Of course I haven't met the 1.5% who attend the mosques. It is these ones I wish to avoid as they are most likely the brainwashed mob we see on the streets showing support for the savages.

Iran needs a revolution like civilization needs to rid itself of the backward vermin who run the country. I hope the CIA and every other civilized nation are funneling weapons of "mass Ayotollah destruction" to the opposition in Iran.

Bring it on and rid yourself of these deluded 7th century savages.

Why in hell does Australia and other western countries take in Muslims who soon wish to erode our lifestyle, when Iranians mostly think as we do and definitely don't want any more bloody religion jammed down their throats.
I say, screw the boat people arriving in Australia and fly in first class the Iranians who wish to escape from the savages.

t would appear the library system in Tehran is more tolerant tham my local libray system in Torbay in the United Kingdom. I donated a number of books to the libary. The Quran and Sirat Rasul Allah were accepted because they are recognised Islamic texts. Other books of an anti-Islam nature were rejected because the library does not accept books which have controversial content. They are apparently unaware that the Quran is extremely conroversial. The Bible is also of course controvesial.

Gratitude wrote:

I have not met an Iranian I didn't like. Of course I haven't met the 1.5% who attend the mosques. It is these ones I wish to avoid as they are most likely the brainwashed mob we see on the streets showing support for the savages...
...........................

Please don't assume that all Iranians in the West are as civilized as miriam rove, Gratitude.

Here's my experience with pious art-destroying Iranian Muslims, long before I knew much about Islam:

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2006/09/islamic-group-threatens-to-physically-resist-music-classes-at-punjab-university.html#comment-183429

LL, if someone like Dr Amir Ali Farman-Farma restorded the Quajar dynansty in Iran, and pushed the ayotollahs back to Mecca, Iranophilia may have a firm bedrock.

I'd bet dollars to doughnuts, that commenter Spencer addressed has no evidence for his claim.

I unearthed a nicely cynical comment by Hugh Fitzgerald about Iranians (also scroll down for some amazingly detailed useful additional information supplied by the JW reader Infidel Pride, who always impresses me with the breadth of his knowledge of central Asian history):

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2007/01/iran-zoroastrian-mp-denounces-rights-violations.html#comment-426103

That's interesting, and the point reminds me that my local library blocks access to Shariah Finance Watch blog. I wonder if it's accessible in Iran.

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