Moroccan writers and novelists announced the withdrawal of their nomination for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award and their withdrawal from some Emirati cultural institutions, denouncing the UAE's declaration of normalization with Israel.
Moroccan academic and critic Yahya Bin Al-Walid said in a post on his personal page on social media that he withdrew the nomination of his book on "Arab intellectuals" from the competition in the category "Development and State Building", and canceled another proposed and programmed participation for 2021 in the UAE, due to what he called "normalization." The horrible situation between the politicians of the UAE and the usurper Zionist entity. "
He added that his decision - which he conveyed to the concerned authorities - is a "modest measure in which I show solidarity with our Palestinian people in their just struggle to obtain their legitimate demands," noting that he devoted more than one research to Palestine, among them the "Palestine narrative", "Edward Said", and "Mahmoud Darwish".
The two novelists and translators Ahmed Al-Wwezi, Abu Yusef Taha and the novelist Al-Zahra Rmeij announced their withdrawal for the same reason from running for the award in the category of novels, while the writer Abdul Rahim Jeeran announced his resignation from the editorial board of the "Cultural Heritage" magazine of the Sharjah Institute, and his withdrawal from all activities organized by the Emirates.
Neighbors said in a blog post that "Palestine is a red line, and every normalization with the Zionist entity is unacceptable regardless of the party that adopts it. As an intellectual, I declare my bias towards Arab rights, by which I define my relationship with any cultural party."
Loyalty and faith
Fictional writer and novelist Abu Yusef Taha said that he was nominated for the Sheikh Zayed Prize who classified the novel as betting on the existence of a distance between the cultural and political spheres, which is not possible and involves self-error as he explained to me, especially after the normalization between the UAE and Israel under the auspices of America.
The owner of the "Lonely Bird's Nest" added in his post, "I have always believed in the essence of the Palestinian cause, considering the Palestinian people had been subjected to an exceptional historical injustice in which the near and distant forces of colonialism, their agents, Zionism and their arms allied themselves. That is why I announce my withdrawal from running for the award to satisfy my conscience and our solidarity with the Palestinian people." In his just cause. "
As for novelist Zahra Rmeij, her novel "The Waiting Hall" was withdrawn from the competition, and she wrote to the responsible authorities to remove her name from the list of candidates, "in fulfillment of the Palestinian cause that I have opened my eyes to since the seventies, kept up with its developments, lived its tragedies and contributed to educating generations about their justice," according to what she announced in a blog post. .
In the same way, the translator and novelist Ahmed Al-Weizi followed, and decided to withdraw the nomination of his novel "The King Dies Twice", published by the Arab Cultural Center 2019, from nomination in the novel category within the Sheikh Zayed Prize.
Al-Weizi told Al-Jazeera Net that he was comfortable with the award, as it is concerned with managing fictional affairs, supporting novelists and literary writing in general, but the decision of the state sponsoring it to normalize relations with Israel prompted him to withdraw his candidacy, as he put it.
He stressed his refusal to rush towards normalization, considering that the Palestinian issue is a red line, and it cannot be resolved without empowering the Palestinians with their rights and dignity.
Al-Weizi called on all Moroccan and free and honorable Arab intellectuals to raise their voices to confront normalization, express their jealousy and defend the Palestinian cause and the issues of the nation.
The Moroccan novelist warned that the Zionist entity is trying to penetrate the middle of the pen-bearers and sober positions in the Arab world, and break the line of honorable people who express the nation's conscience, using the arts and establishing institutions that sponsor writing and art in order to create the possibility of facilitating normalization and acceptance of the Zionist entity.
He pointed out that writers and creators who defend through their creativity the values of goodness, beauty and truth cannot witness tyranny, injustice, displacement, violence, and the reluctance to remain silent.
Expected situations
The announcement of Moroccan writers and intellectuals to withdraw from this award and from participating in future Emirati cultural events met on social media, and writers, poets and academics welcomed this step, describing it as humanity and courage.
In turn, the journalist specialized in cultural affairs, Saida Sharif, said that the positions of the Moroccan writers "are not surprising and expected, and reflect the emotional and historical relationship that unites Moroccans with Palestine."
Sharif added in a statement to Al-Jazeera Net that Moroccan intellectuals and creative people announced in many stations their support for the Palestinian people and their rejection of any normalization steps that undermine their rights and dignity, noting that the withdrawal from the Sheikh Zayed Prize and Emirati cultural institutions will be followed by other steps that will be announced by the Moroccan cultural fabric, to reject all forms of normalization. With the Zionist entity.
She pointed out that the UAE is trying to play the role of a "fake leadership" in the region after it lost its wars in Yemen and Libya and tried to intervene in the Tunisian and Moroccan affairs, but it failed, and all it has to do is pay attention to its internal home steeped in problems, "according to the expression of the Moroccan media.