The Tanzanian government has banned several children's books on sex education from schools, accusing them of contravening the "cultural and moral norms" of this East African country where homosexuality is criminalized. "We are banning these books from schools and other educational structures because they are contrary to cultural and moral norms," Education Minister Adolf Mkenda told reporters Monday, February 13, from the capital, Dodoma. .
In particular, the various volumes of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diary by Greg Heffley, a series of American illustrated books that have sold millions of copies worldwide, are immediately banned. The government did not specify why it was targeting the "newspaper" featuring a teenager, but said inspections were being carried out at public and private school libraries to ensure that it had been targeted. took of. The Minister also included in this first list of "unacceptable" works a textbook on sexuality education and books mentioning LGBTQ people.
Last week, the head of state, Samia Suluhu Hassan, called on student leaders to be wary of "imported cultures". "If you are Tanzanian, live according to our culture," she told them. In Tanzania, homosexuality is punishable by a minimum sentence of thirty years in prison, which can go as far as life imprisonment.
