Syria book fair opens flood of previously banned titles after decades of censorship

Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from Omar Sanadiki and Bassem Mroue at The Associated Press is the basis of this artificial intelligence-assisted article.

Syria’s first International Damascus Book Fair since the fall of former President Bashar Assad’s government marked a dramatic shift toward freedom of expression, drawing massive crowds and featuring books and languages previously banned under decades of authoritarian rule.

Some key facts:

• The 2025 Damascus Book Fair, which wrapped up recently, was the first held since Assad was ousted in December 2024.

• State media reported 250,000 people attended on opening day, Feb. 6, with about 500 publishing companies from 35 countries participating.

• Publishers previously faced strict security screenings and book bans under Assad; one publisher said he received his permit the same day he applied, with no questions asked.

• Kurdish-language books were displayed at the Damascus fair for the first time in decades, following long-standing discrimination against Kurds under the Assad regime.

• Books by Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyya, whose teachings influence Sunni jihadi groups, were sold openly after being banned for decades.

• The only book reportedly banned this year contained audio addresses by al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, removed at Iraq’s request for inciting hatred against Shiite Muslims.

• The fair’s new openness sparked anxiety among religious minorities amid ongoing sectarian violence in Syria.

• Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa recently issued a decree restoring Kurdish citizenship rights, making Kurdish an official language, and recognizing the Newroz holiday.

READ MORE: The Damascus book fair draws crowds, with censorship eased in post-Assad Syria