AI Analytics

Voidly · Verboten · Iran

Banned and restricted books in Iran

52 titles have been banned or restricted in Iran, recorded across 56 dated, source-cited events, most often for immorality.

Titles
52
Ban events
56
Top reason
Immorality
Decades active
6

Most-restricted titles

TitleAuthorYearEvents
The Blind OwlSadeq Hedayat19372
Women Without MenShahrnush Parsipur19892
Touba and the Meaning of NightShahrnush Parsipur19892
The Da Vinci CodeDan Brown20032
The Satanic VersesSalman Rushdie19881
23 Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of MohammadAli Dashti19741
LajjaTaslima Nasrin19931
On IslamAhmad Kasravi19441
RebornForough Farrokhzad19641
Haji AghaSadegh Hedayat19451
Reading Lolita in TehranAzar Nafisi20031
Satan's StonesMoniru Ravanipur19901
The ColonelMahmoud Dowlatabadi20091
My Uncle NapoleonIraj Pezeshkzad19731
Zemestan (Winter)Mehdi Akhavan-Sales19561
PersepolisMarjane Satrapi20001
The Handmaid's TaleMargaret Atwood19851
A Collection of Poems of Ahmad ShamluAhmad Shamlu—1
A Girl with a Silver StringJamal Mirsadeqi—1
Memories of My Melancholy Whores (Persian translation)Gabriel García Márquez20041
Scorpion on the Railroad Stairways of AndimeshkHossein Mortezaeian Abkenar—1
The Ceremonies of ImpatienceYaghub Yadali—1
Social History of IranMorteza Ravandi—1
Gay Relations in Persian LiteratureSirus Shamisa—1
The Veiled Women and the Armoured EliteFatemeh Marnisi—1
The ZahirPaulo Coelho20051
The Year ZeroArdalan Sarafraz—1
The Shout of No ShoutVida Hajebi—1
Poverty and AdulteryMasood Dehnamaki—1
OpiumShiva Arastooi—1

Stated reasons

Immorality
42
Political content
12
Religious / blasphemy
7
Sexual content
6

By decade

1950s1
1970s38
1980s3
1990s4
2000s5
2010s1

Documented bans

A sample of 50 of 56 recorded events, most severe and most recent first. Each links to its source where available.

Khosrow and Shirin2011
Bannedgovernment· Immoralitysource →
Zhuan Falun2008
Bannedgovernment· Religious / blasphemysource →
The Blind Owl2006
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Da Vinci Code2004
Bannedgovernment· Religious / blasphemysource →
Reading Lolita in Tehran2003
Bannedgovernment· Immorality, Political contentsource →
Persepolis2000
Bannedgovernment· Political contentsource →
Lajja1994
Bannedgovernment· Religious / blasphemysource →
Women Without Men1992
Bannedgovernment· Immorality, Sexual contentsource →
Touba and the Meaning of Night1992
Bannedgovernment· Political content, Sexual contentsource →
Satan's Stones1990
Bannedgovernment· Political content, Sexual contentsource →
The Satanic Verses1988
Bannedgovernment· Religious / blasphemysource →
The Handmaid's Tale1985
Bannedgovernment· Political content, Sexual contentsource →
The Colonel1983
Bannedgovernment· Political contentsource →
23 Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammad1979
Bannedgovernment· Religious / blasphemysource →
The Blind Owl1979
Bannedgovernment· Immorality, Sexual contentsource →
On Islam1979
Bannedgovernment· Political content, Religious / blasphemysource →
Reborn1979
Bannedgovernment· Immorality, Political content, Sexual contentsource →
Haji Agha1979
Bannedgovernment· Political content, Religious / blasphemysource →
My Uncle Napoleon1979
Bannedgovernment· Immorality, Political contentsource →
A Collection of Poems of Ahmad Shamlu1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
A Girl with a Silver String1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Memories of My Melancholy Whores (Persian translation)1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Scorpion on the Railroad Stairways of Andimeshk1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Ceremonies of Impatience1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Social History of Iran1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Gay Relations in Persian Literature1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Veiled Women and the Armoured Elite1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Zahir1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Year Zero1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Shout of No Shout1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Poverty and Adultery1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Opium1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Book of Genies1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
He Learned from Satan and Burnt It1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Book of Sadegh Hedayat1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Last Temptation of Christ (Persian translation)1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Cockcrow1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Gods Laugh on Mondays1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Monkey Whose Owner Had Died1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Towards Destiny1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Patient Stone1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Mourners of Bayal1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Night of Fear1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Dandyl1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Fear and Trembling1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
The Ball1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Censoring an Iranian Love Story1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Her Eyes1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
A Tombstone on a Grave1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
Mourning for Qasem1979
Bannedgovernment· historical· Immoralitysource →
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Source: Verboten, built on the banned-books.org Open Censorship Core (CC BY 4.0). Verboten compilation CC BY 4.0.