Anger in Jordan because of "Mira"... and the crisis reaches the House of Representatives: Who authorized the "ominous novel"?
The Jordanian Ministry of Culture decided to withdraw the novel “Mira” by Jordanian writer Qasim Tawfiq from the market after it was criticized.
Since yesterday, social media has witnessed widespread controversy and anger because of the novel, which many saw as "indecent."
The Acting Secretary-General of the Ministry, Director of the Family Library Program, Ahmed Rashid, said in a statement: “It was decided to withdraw the novel (Mira) by the Jordanian writer Qassem Tawfiq, which was published by a Jordanian publishing house three years ago, and it was republished within the Family Library Program for this year.”
He explained that "the novel was withdrawn from the Reading for All exhibitions in the various distribution centers in the Kingdom as a result of remarks received from some visitors to the sales centers."
And the Jordanian Parliament decided, after a session that witnessed the interventions of deputies objecting to the novel, to refer it to the Parliamentary National Steering Committee, instructing it to “investigate and make recommendations about what was stated in the novel.”
"This novel offended the Jordanian family and the moral values of the Jordanian state... Everyone who authorized the printing and circulation of that ill-fated novel called Mira and who authorized its presence in the family library project must be held accountable," MP Yanal Freihat said in his speech before the House of Representatives.
He added, "At a time when our security services are sacrificing the lives of their members in order to protect our youth from drugs, the Ministry of Culture is doing more dangerous work through drugs and moral corruption that it spreads among our children and generations."
The novelist Qasim Tawfiq (68 years) is one of the most prominent Arab novelists. He has published more than 20 books, including novels and collections of short stories, and he is the recipient of the Katara International Prize.
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