Iran bans The Da Vinci Code

Iran has banned the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code after receiving a protest letter from Christians, Iranian newspapers reported on Wednesday. 8216;8216;After receiving the letter of protest from religious Christians, the culture ministry decided to cancel the authority given for publication of this book,8217;8217; Mohammad Reza Vasfi, a ministry official, told the daily Etemad.

According to the newspaper, some 30,000 copies of the book have already been distributed in the country and the book was in its eighth edition before the decision to ban it. Iranians, however, can still buy videos or DVDs of the film version on the black market, the usual way in which western films circulate in the country.