Sisters In Islam has published a good deal of valuable information about the plight of women under Sharia. And now they have won an important free speech case. The Dutch persecutors prosecutors of Geert Wilders should take note. “Malaysian Court Ends Ban on Book,” by Liz Gooch in the New York Times, January 25 (thanks to Not Yet):
KUALA LUMPUR — Free speech advocates were rejoicing Monday after a Malaysian court quashed a government ban on a book about the challenges facing Muslim women.
In a country where human rights organizations say that government censorship pervades many parts of public life, the decision was hailed as a victory for freedom of expression.
“We were hoping, we were praying that this would mark a good day for all Malaysians,” said Professor Norani Othman, the editor of the banned book, “Muslim Women and the Challenges of Islamic Extremism,” a collection of essays by international scholars. “It’s a good day for academic freedom.”
In July 2008, the Ministry of Home Affairs banned the book, published in 2005 by Sisters in Islam, a Malaysian nongovernmental organization, on the grounds that it was “prejudicial to public order” and that it could confuse Muslims, particularly Muslim women.
The Printing Presses and Publications Act states that anyone who prints, publishes or distributes a banned publication can be fined up to 20,000 ringgit, or $5,900, jailed for up to three years, or both. Anyone found in possession of a banned publication without lawful excuse can be fined up to 5,000 ringgit….