Khaled Hosseini, the bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has spoken out against the growing movement to ban books in the US, especially in public schools. Hosseini, who was born in Afghanistan and became a US citizen in 1980, said that banning books is a betrayal of students and their right to a good education, and a threat to democracy and diversity.
The Book Bans and Challenges
According to a report by PEN America, a nonprofit organization that defends free expression, US public schools had about 5,894 book bans from July 2021 to June 2023, with more than 40% in Florida. Often, the books that are targeted are written by or feature “frequently female, people of color, and/or LGBTQ+ individuals’ ‘, and deal with topics such as race, gender, sexuality, and religion.
Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, which tells the story of a boy growing up in Kabul during the Soviet invasion and the rise of the Taliban, was one of the most banned books in the US in the school year 2021-2022. The book, which has sold over 8 million copies worldwide and has been adapted into a film and a graphic novel, was challenged or removed from school curricula or libraries for its sexual content, violence, and criticism of Islam.
The Author’s Response and Appeal
Hosseini, who has been a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Agency since 2006, said that he was saddened and angered by the attempts to censor his book and others. He said that banning books does not protect students, but rather betrays them, by depriving them of the opportunity to learn from diverse and challenging perspectives, and to develop critical thinking and empathy skills.
Hosseini also said that banning books is a sign of fear and intolerance, and a danger to democracy and diversity. He said that books are a powerful and positive force for social change and understanding, and that they can help bridge the gaps and heal the wounds in a divided and polarized society.
Hosseini appealed to the school boards, teachers, parents, and students to resist and reject the book bans, and to support and celebrate the freedom and diversity of expression. He also thanked and praised the librarians, educators, activists, and readers who have defended and promoted his book and others, and who have stood up for the values and rights that he cherishes as an American and a human being.
