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| Mahmoud Muna (l.) and Ahmad Muna | |
Publisher Saqi Books has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support the Educational Bookshop in Jerusalem, which was raided recently by Israeli police, who arrested the owners and confiscated books from their store, the Bookseller reported.
Mahmoud Muna and his nephew Ahmad Muna, who are Palestinian, were released under house arrest on February 11, two days after their arrest. They were initially charged with "inciting and supporting terrorism" and then for "disturbing the public order" during the interrogation.
The crowdfunding campaign has already exceeded its goal, raising almost £30,000 (about $37,740). The money will go toward replacing the books that were seized during the arrest; fixing material damages done to the bookshop; and payment to interim booksellers until Mahmoud Muna and Ahmad Muna are allowed to return to work, which could take a minimum of 20 days.
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Last Friday, police in Indian-controlled Kashmir began raiding bookstores "and seized hundreds of books linked to a major Islamic organization in the disputed region, where strict controls on the press have escalated in recent years," the Associated Press reported.
In a post on social media, the police said they acted "based on credible intelligence regarding the clandestine sale and distribution of literature promoting the ideology of a banned organization" in seizing 668 books.
Booksellers said the works were primarily published by Markazi Maktaba Islami Publishers in New Delhi, "which is affiliated with the Indian branch of one of the largest Islamic and political organizations in the Indian subcontinent, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind," the AP noted.
Several Jamaat leaders called the seizure of these books "unjust, unconstitutional and a violation of fundamental rights." In a statement, they said the seized books were legally published in New Delhi and lawfully distributed to bookstores across the region.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a resistance leader in Kashmir, observed: "Policing thought by seizing books is absurd to say the least, in the time of access to all information on virtual highways."
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In Singapore, Books Kinokuniya's flagship store in Takashimaya Shopping Centre on Orchard Road is downsizing after rental negotiations with landlord Toshin Development, the Straits Times reported, adding that it was "unclear at the moment what percentage of the 38,000 sq ft store will be returned to the landlord."
In a statement, the company said that "challenges are ever present for book retailers. Our Singapore main store continues to evolve while remaining true to our core values, offering an extensive collection of quality titles housed in a pleasant ambience."
Toshin Development noted that Books Kinokuniya will "refine its book collection while incorporating a lifestyle element." The changes will include a new cafe not tied to the bookstore chain. --Robert Gray