Appeal of arbitrators and prize winners for the Arabic novel: Stop Emirati support, in opposition to normalization and political ruin

Arab intellectuals from former jury members and former members of the Board of Trustees of the "International Prize for Arabic Fiction" called on the current Board of Trustees to end the Emirati funding for the award, in opposition to the Emirati normalization with Israel.

The statement, signed by 17 Arab writers, novelists and poets, said, "We call on the current Board of Trustees to assume its historical cultural responsibility to protect the award by ending Emirati funding, in order to preserve the award's credibility and independence, and also to enable it to continue playing its role."

The statement said that the intellectual’s call comes in response to the “official normalization of the UAE with the Israeli colonial settlement entity, which represents the worst cases of military occupation in the world, and is based on uprooting the Palestinian people from their lands, striking their historical rights and practicing racism against them, with the testimony of fair international institutions.”

The statement said, "The credibility of the award is facing today, at this decisive moment in its life, a difficult test, with which we need a bold stance from the Board of Trustees. If a courageous decision is not taken in this delicate circumstance that consecrates the independence of the award, then the Board of Trustees must prepare from now for the worst scenarios that exist. May prize prize. "

'Political ruin'

The statement noted that the Emirati normalization includes culture, and considered that the invitation comes from “our adherence to the award and our keenness on the cohesion of Arab culture and intellectuals in the face of the political ruin to which some regimes descend. It also stems from the recent state of Emirati normalization, according to statements by Emirati officials, based on a strategy An alliance with "Israel" includes all fields, not excluding the cultural field.

The statement called for adherence to the independence of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, and said that since its inception it has represented a distinct addition to the Arab cultural scene, adding, "I have actively contributed to the development of the Arabic novel and to ensure Arab and international radiance for it. The first establishment of the award in London, where it was legally registered, by Arab intellectuals and publishers from various Arab and Western capitals.

The statement called on the current Board of Trustees to maintain the award, honest and independent, and to assume its responsibility to prevent its historical balance and undermine its position in the Arab cultural conscience, stressing that "the expected sinister scenarios are easy to imagine from now."

It should be noted that the Arab Prize, which is supported by the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, does not enjoy the support or support of the British Booker Prize Foundation. The Arab Prize says on its official website that "The International Prize for Arabic Fiction has nothing to do with the Man Booker Prize."

History of the award

The award has accepted financial sponsorship from the UAE since its inception in 2007 on a clear basis, namely non-interference in its management and the choices of its jury committees, according to the award statement, stating, “The successive boards of trustees maintained this independence, and they reiterated their thanks to the UAE institutions that support them on this basis. Hence, it becomes a mistake today to describe the award as an Emirati prize, as it has been popular in some media recently, as it is an independent Arab award founded by Arab and foreign intellectuals who support Arab culture financially sponsored by official Emirati institutions, unconditional sponsorship.

The statement was signed by the Palestinian writer and novelist Ibrahim Nasrallah, the first prize winner, the Lebanese writer and novelist Elias Khoury, who won several times on the short list, the Moroccan novelist and academic Bensalem Himmish, who won the short list several times, Pierre Abi Saab, a member of the jury, and the Jordanian academic Palestinian Khaled Al Hroub is a former member of the Board of Trustees, the Jordanian writer and critic Zulekha Abu Risha is a member of the jury, the Palestinian novelist Sahar Khalifa, chair of the jury, and the Jordanian researcher and writer Fakhri Saleh, a member of the jury.

It was also signed by the Syrian writer and storyteller, Fawaz Haddad, winner of the short list, and the Palestinian writer and researcher Faysal Darraj, a jury member, and the Palestinian writer and novelist Rabi 'Al-Madhoun, winner of the first prize 2016.

The Moroccan poet and novelist Mohamed Al-Ash'ari, winner of the first prize in 2011, the Moroccan poet and critic Mohamed Bennis, a member of the jury, the Palestinian writer Mahmoud Choucair, a short prize winner, the Palestinian poet and writer Mourid Barghouti, head of a jury, and the Qatari critic and novelist Hoda Al-Nuaimi, a jury member, and the Palestinian writer and novelist. Yahya succeeds a short-list winner.