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Abu Dhabi: The number of banned books in the UAE, dealing with controversial topics, is on the decline as the country takes a more tolerant stance towards the expatriate community, bookshop owners say.
"Of course, there are still books that will not be sold here - like the ones that scold [defame] religion, those with sexual content and images and also politically-charged books. But we are noticing that fewer books are being banned," Mohammad Yousuf, store manager of Abu Dhabi's largest bookshop, Jarir Bookstore, told Gulf News.
Yousuf credits this trend to a growing number of expatriates and the UAE's growing tolerance.
"The UAE is one of the most progressive and adaptive countries that I have seen.
"No one walks around, checking your home library for banned books. No one arrests you for having a banned book. It is just a national statement that we don't support specific books. More countries need to do that," Yousuf said.
Jarir, a Saudi-owned bookstore, sells more titles and offers a lot more variety than it would do in Saudi Arabia.
"Each country has its own guidelines," Yousuf added.
A spokesperson from All Print Publishing, one of the oldest bookstores in Abu Dhabi, told Gulf News: "Even though we are told that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, we kind of have to. If a book has a cover or a graphic that's derogatory, we don't bring it in."
As Ramadan festivities go on and students return to schools, bookstores have been employing more staff members to meet increased demand. Despite the popular belief that people are resorting to reading on computers and the Internet, bookshops are seeing an increase in sales, especially during Ramadan.
The spokesperson from All Print Publishing said: "This is a very busy time for us, not only because of Ramadan, but also because schools are back in session."
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