I appreciate the balance that Aran has supplied, but do Tom's comments
also mean we should ban left-wing views as well? Any discussion will
usually raise extremes and opposites, but surely we are mature enough to
discuss issues without resorting to censorship, apart from those areas
which are clearly illegal, or incitements to various forms of
persecution and hatred?
Donald
>----------
>From: French, Tom[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: 25 June 2001 12:27
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: More Books Confiscated
>
>Aran
>
>This is excellent news. I for one have before now queried the legitimacy of
>what is obviously a right-wing propaganda group. Perhaps our lis-link
>administrator will now agree to stop Mr Kent from posting his monthly
>splurge on lis-link?
>
>Tom French
>Head of Modern British Collections
>The British Library
>96 Euston Road
>London
>NW1 2DB
>England
>
>Tel: 020 7412 7623
>Fax: 020 7412 7557
>Email: [log in to unmask]
>
>Web: www.bl.uk/collections/mbc
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Lewis,Aran M [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: 25 June 2001 10:23
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: More Books Confiscated
>
>
>Some background information on R Kent and the self-styled "Friends of Cuban
>Libraries" can be found at -
>
>http://libr.org/Juice/issues/vol4/LJ_4.9.sup.html
>
>Aran Lewis
>
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: [log in to unmask] [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2001 2:29 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: More Books Confiscated
>>
>> News Bulletin
>> Date: June 21, 2001
>>
>> MORE BOOKS CONFISCATED
>>
>> Two shipments of books sent to independent libraries in Cuba have been
>> confiscated in recent days, according to a report by Alida Viso Bello in
>> the
>> June 20 issue of CubaNet (www.cubanet.org). As reported by Havana
>> librarian
>> Ricardo Gonzalez, a package of books sent to the Jorge Manach Library from
>> Italy was recently intercepted by Cuban customs agents, who confiscated
>> some
>> of the books after declaring them to be "counterrevolutionary" and
>> "against
>> the interests of the nation." Mr. Gonzalez denounced this act as a
>> violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
>> which
>> grants everyone the right to "seek, receive and impart information and
>> ideas
>> through any media and regardless of frontiers."
>>
>> A similar complaint has been made in recent days by Jose Miguel
>> Martinez,
>> director of the independent Juan Bruno Zayas Library, located at #2719
>> 28th
>> Street, between 27th and 29th Streets, Quivican, Havana Province. He
>> complains that customs agents have also seized some books sent to his
>> library
>> from abroad. Mr. Martinez intends to file a formal complaint to protest
>> the
>> book seizure, which he denounces as an "arbitrary act by the government,
>> which is trying to suffocate the libraries free of its control."
>>
>> In recent weeks, to the annoyance of Cuban officials, the independent
>> library movement has been the focus of increased attention on the part of
>> the
>> international press. For further details, please refer to the June 6
>> issue
>> of the New York Times ("In Book-Starved Cuba, Little Feasts for the
>> Hungry")
>> and the June 8 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education ("Independent
>> Libraries in Cuba Boldly Defy Government's Lock on Information"). More
>> than
>> 90 independent libraries, with the avowed goal of offering uncensored
>> books
>> to the Cuban people, now exist in the Caribbean nation. Supporters of the
>> Cuban government have denounced the independent librarians as dangerous
>> subversives and "crypto-fascists." Reports documenting the Cuban
>> government's repression of the independent librarians have been issued by
>> Amnesty International and the International Federation of Library
>> Associations.
>>
>> Comments regarding the confiscation of library books may be sent to
>> Mr.
>> Eliades Acosta, a Cuban official who denies that the independent
>> librarians
>> are being subjected to repression. His e-mail address is:
>> ([log in to unmask]). Please forward any responses to the Friends of
>> Cuban Libraries.
>>
>> The Friends of Cuban Libraries
>>
>> BACKGROUND: The Friends of Cuban Libraries, founded in June, 1999, is
>> an
>> independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit support group for the independent
>> librarians. We oppose censorship and all other violations of intellectual
>> freedom, as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
>> regardless
>> of whatever government may be in office in Cuba. We are funded entirely
>> by
>> our members and do not seek or accept funds from other sources. For more
>> information, please send e-mail to: ([log in to unmask]). Telephone: (USA)
>> 718-340-8494. Mailing address: 4-74 48th Avenue, Apt. 3-C, Long Island
>> City,
>> NY 11109 USA.
>> ###
>
>
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