"Saudi otaku" doesn't understand why anime/manga is banned there

Here's a little item from Anime News Network written to their Q&A specialist from late July 2009, from someone who can't comprehend why his country doesn't have any serious manga/anime to enjoy. Note that the correspondent's writing is a tad erratic:

dear answerman,

let me start off by saying that i am an arab otaku. yes, we do exist, albeit not so much in the open like our american brethren. and to be more specific, i am a saudi otaku *pause for applause* now my question is this:

WHY CAN'T I FIND ANY MANGA/ANIME TO BUY!!!!!

now that that little outburst is out of the way, let me further clarify my question. my country is very conservative. very, very conservative. black out women's knees in magazines conservative. that isn't to say we can't live a little, we have every form of media imaginable, most of it completely uncensored. but no anime/manga, what the F, man?!

do i stage riots in the street , denouncing the government and it's customs policy? or, do i write a really nasty letter to Viz, for not giving me my naruto fix?

anime here does great dubbed in arabic but all the shows are for kids! conan, HxH, beyblade . all in crappy vhs with crappy dubbing.

i want real anime! in boxsets with reversible covers, clean openings and endings, crappy trailers and the original jap audio track, just like you yanks get! and i'm tired of reading manga online being constantly interrupted by pop ups, begging allah all mighty for a single volume of Ranma ½ to drop out of the sky. and don't get me started on the pirates! selling fan subs off the web for 5 bucks an episode! it makes me feel like a thief every time i go online.

hell, not even the pleasure capital of the world : Dubai in the united arab emirates has decent stuff. the only place there that sells anime is the virgin mega store. you know what was by far the best, most recent, most ground breaking, most box set-y title the had? speed grapher. don't get me wrong , it grew on me in the end but it ain't no wolf's rain. as for manga they only had flame of recca (ick!)

now honestly, i don't think it's my government's fault. since many anime/manga titles don't offend muslim beliefs and many can be tolerated in the light of fiction. they did it to harry potter so why can't naruto get some love? and adding more to my argument is the fact that some (very few) legitimate anime boxests does exist in my country, be it from a local distributor.

i beleive the problems lay with the license holders, since they probably don't see the middle east as a viable source of income. i've given you my opinion, lord knows i have. what's your take on it? what can i do to help? can i even help at all?

yours truly,
the saudi otaku

Here's the site contributor's reply, though it doesn't really answer much of anything:

Wow, and I thought *I* had a rant going earlier. Saudi Otaku, you just out-ranted me in every way you can out-rant someone.

So. Ahem. Well, like you yourself said, the Japanese license-holders aren't particularly keen on the Middle East. And by that I mean they're not really concerned with how well their titles perform there, or if they perform there at all. By and large, when it comes to most products being marketed "globally," they're only really concerned with three continents: North America, Europe, and Asia. And hell, most folks from Europe have the same complaints about the availability of anime as you have. Not to mention Australia, South America, India, the list goes on. Which goes to show you how seriously these companies take the word "globally."

I think a good way to start in rectifying this situation is something you've already done - tell people about it! Tell people how crummy it is and that you and, preferably, a large group of like-minded individuals would appreciate a bit more diversity and care in the anime you're able to purchase, and that it could definitely be worth some enterprising anime company's while to embark upon such a venture.

The only other piece of advice I can offer is something that you're already doing, it seems; support anime done right, when you see it. Whenever you come across a DVD or a manga that's even remotely similar to what you're looking for, purchase that sucker. Reward the companies that are earnestly trying to some degree. Beyond that, who knows? Get loud, make some noise, maybe even start your own company and try to get things going yourself, whatever! And what's wrong with Flame of Recca, seriously. It's better than nothing, by far.

And now, for my simple response and explanation: the person who wrote that awkward letter may not realize it, but it IS the Saudi government's and the Religion of Peace's fault - they censor what they don't like, and that can include female imagery, romance, and even the most minor references to Israel (Full Metal Panic has 2 or 3), and even references to Christianity. And thus, contrary to what the writer said, the sad reality is that some manga books and anime productions, whether for children or adults, CAN offend Muslim "beliefs", specifically, if they've got beautiful women in bikinis, for example, and it doesn't matter whether it's tasteful or not, even nudity can be banned there. They could even find karate choppers like Jun the Swan in Science Ninja Team Gatchaman offensive, simply because of the example it sets of a girl who can handle danger.

And if the Saudis are going to ban marketing of specific items for the reasons I cited above, that's exactly why many Japanese licensors aren't too keen on selling them there, because they won't be able to anyway. And that's the sad reality of the situation in a country run as severely by Islam as the House of Saud is.

Too bad the writer to ANN may never be able to understand that.