U.S. book bans contradict proclaimed values of freedom of speech: Al Jazeera columnist

DOHA, April 24 (Xinhua) -- American schools have enforced a series of bans on the content of books, which goes against the claimed values of freedom of thought and expression, according to an opinion piece published on the English news website of Al Jazeera on Sunday.

"A prominent feature of the assault on freedom of thought and expression in the U.S. is the race to ban books," Al Jazeera columnist Belen Fernandez wrote.

As per PEN America, an organization that advocates for literary and free expression, from July 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, 1,586 book bans were enforced in school libraries and classrooms in 26 U.S. states. Texas had the highest number of bans with 713, followed by Pennsylvania with 456, Florida with 204, and Oklahoma with 43.