Riyadh International Book Fair: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

Line 173:

The late Palestinian poet [[Mahmoud Darwish]]'s books were confiscated during the fair, after the stall was surrounded by protesters. There were also complaints from religious police and allegations that the poems contained blasphemous passages.<ref name=protest>{{cite news |last1=Flood |first1=Alison |title=Saudi book fair bans 'blasphemous' Mahmoud Darwish works after protest |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/14/saudi-book-fair-bans-mahmoud-darwish-blasphemy |work=The Guardian |date=14 March 2014}}</ref> Similar actions were taken against works by well-known poets [[Badr Shaker al-Sayyab]], [[Abdul Wahab al-Bayati]], and [[Muin Bseiso]].<ref name=widerange /><ref name=2014_bans/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/robert-sharp/no-ambassador-its-not-med_b_7602740.html|archive-url=https://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2015/06/18/no-ambassador-its-not-meddling-to-call-for-free-speech-in-saudi-arabia/|archive-date=18 June 2015|title=No, Ambassador: It's Not 'Meddling' to Call for Free Speech in Saudi Arabia|website=HuffPost UK}}</ref>

The Arab Network for Research and Publishing, arriving at the former location of their stall on the Friday morning of the 2014 fair, found that their booksit had been dismantled overnight, with their books confiscated, their materials scattered on the floor just outside, and the signage on their stall replaced by signage naming another publisher.<ref name=rocket /><ref name=booted>{{cite news |title=Saudi Publisher Booted From Riyadh International Book Fair |url=https://arablit.org/2014/03/12/saudi-publisher-booted-from-riyadh-international-book-fair/ |work=& Arablit |date=12 March 2014 |language=en}}</ref> The group's publishing focusses on nonfiction<ref name=booted /> about Saudi Arabia and political Islam. The books had been pre-approved, and most were sold in previous years; the reversal of the decision was attributed to the tenser political situation. The publisher was reportedly permanently banned from the fair.<ref name=rocket /><ref name=al-monitor>{{cite news |last1=Al-Rasheed |first1=Madawi |title=Saudi officials shut down display at book fair |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/03/saudi-book-display-shut-down.html |work=Al-Monitor |date=13 March 2014 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=booted />

[[Azmi Bishara]]'s books were also banned amid escalating tensions with Qatar.<ref name=widerange>{{cite news |title=Saudi bans books at fair in wide-ranging crackdown |url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/96807/World/Region/Saudi-bans-books-at-fair-in-wideranging-crackdown.aspx |work=Ahram Online |agency=[[Agence France-Presse]]|date=16 March 2014 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=2014_bans /> Other banned books included ''[[Revolution 2.0]]'', by [[Wael Ghonim]], ''[[When will the Saudi Woman Drive a Car?]]'' by [[Abdullah Al Alami]],<ref name=crackdown>{{cite news |title=Saudi bans books at fair in crackdown |url=https://www.emirates247.com/news/region/saudi-bans-books-at-fair-in-crackdown-2014-03-16-1.541790 |work=www.emirates247.com |language=en}}</ref> and ''[[Al Estbdad]]'' ("The Tyranny"), by [[Ahmed bin Hamad al-Khalili]], the [[Grand Mufti]] of [[Oman]].<ref name=Oman>{{cite news |title=Riyadh fair bans Oman writer's book |url=https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/oman/riyadh-fair-bans-oman-writers-book-1.1297227 |work=gulfnews.com |language=en}}</ref> The titles ''[[The History of Hijab]]'' and ''[[Feminism in Islam (book)|Feminism in Islam]]'' were also banned.<ref name=crackdown/>