独ブックフェア、イスラエル支持表明　イスラム教国が参加取りやめ

【フランクフルトＡＦＰ＝時事】ドイツのフランクフルトで１８日から始まる世界最大の書籍見本市「フランクフルト・ブックフェア」がイスラエルを支持表明したことを受け、複数のイスラム教国の出版団体が参加を取りやめる事態となっている。主催者はこれらの国の不参加は「大きな不幸」だと述べた。（写真は資料写真）
　今月７日のパレスチナ自治区ガザ地区を実効支配するイスラム組織ハマスによるイスラエル急襲について、ブックフェアの主催者は「野蛮な」攻撃だと即座に非難。予定を変更し、イスラエルの本に焦点を当てると表明した。
　だが、これを受け、イスラム教徒が多数を占める国の出版団体が参加を相次いで取りやめた。
　インドネシア出版協会は、一方だけに味方し、イスラエルに主張の場を与えるという決定は「相互理解を築くための対話と努力という理念の土台を壊した」と指摘。「イスラエルの肩を持ちつつ、パレスチナ人の苦難を無視するというのは、本を１冊だけ読んで世界の全てを分かった気になるようなものだ」と非難した。
　インドネシアは世界で最もイスラム教徒が多い国で、イスラエルと国交がない。
　マレーシア教育省も、主催者の「親イスラエル的姿勢」を理由に参加を取りやめると発表した。
　アラブ首長国連邦（ＵＡＥ）の出版当局と出版協会も参加を取りやめた。さらに、ＵＡＥに拠点を置く「ナショナル」紙は、エジプトの出版協会も参加しない決定を下したとと報じた。
　ブックフェアのディレクター、ユルゲン・ボース氏は記者会見で、一部の団体が「地政学的な理由で」参加を見合わせたことは「非常に残念だ」と述べた。
　「われわれ、そして私個人にとっても、大いなる不幸だ。皆ここに来て（率直に）対話し、物議を醸すとしても議論をしてほしい」
　■パレスチナ人作家の授賞延期
　ドイツの出版協会リトプロムが、パレスチナ人女性作家アダニア・シブリ氏による、１９４９年に起きたイスラエル兵によるレイプ事件を題材にした小説「Ａ　Ｍｉｎｏｒ　Ｄｅｔａｉｌ（英題）」への文学賞授賞式を、「ハマスが始めた戦争」を理由に延期すると発表したことも物議を醸している。
　リトプロムは授賞式を後日行うだけで、受賞は変わらないと説明している。また、フランクフルト・ブックフェアは、賞自体には関与していない。
　だが、１６日には授賞式の延期は「パレスチナ人の声を締め出す」ことだと非難する公開書簡が出された。
　書簡には、ノーベル文学賞を受賞したアブドゥルラザク・グルナとオルガ・トカルチュク両氏を含む著名作家、出版社など６００以上の個人と団体が署名している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/10/18-15:57）

The world's biggest book fair in Frankfurt lamented a disaster Tuesday after publishing groups from several predominantly Muslim countries withdrew in protest at organisers' support for Israel following Hamas's massive attack.
Organisations that pulled out -- including from the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia -- were also angered at a decision to postpone an award ceremony for a Palestinian author following the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war.
The Frankfurt Book Fair official begins Wednesday against the backdrop of the escalating conflict that began after Palestinian militants burst through the heavily fortified Gaza border on October 7 and launched the deadliest attack in Israel's history.
Book fair organisers swiftly denounced the barbaric assault and rushed to reorganise the schedule, pledging Israeli voices would feature prominently.
But, highlighting the bitter divisions unleashed by the conflict, the world's biggest publishing trade event has since faced withdrawals by organisations in mostly Muslim countries.
Among them was the Indonesian Publishers Association, which said organisers' decision to take sides and give Israel a platform has undermined the ideals of dialogue and efforts to build mutual understanding.
Siding with Israel while forgetting the suffering of the Palestinian people is like reading only one book to feel like you understand the whole world.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, and does not have diplomatic ties with Israel. The publishing association had been due to take part in activities promoting Indonesian culture at the fair.
The education ministry in Malaysia said it was pulling out, citing organisers pro-Israel stance.
The Sharjah Book Authority, in the United Arab Emirates, and the Emirates Publishers Association have also withdrawn, while the UAE-based National newspaper reported the Arab Publishers' Association in Egypt had pulled out.
Asked about the withdrawals, fair director Juergen Boos told a press conference he was very disappointed some participants had chosen not to come because of geopolitics.
That's a complete for disaster for us, for myself. I want people to be here, to have a (frank) discourse, to have discussions even if it might be controversial.
- Anger at award delay -
There has also been anger at a decision to postpone an award ceremony for Palestinian author Adania Shibli.
She was due to receive the LiBeraturpreis, a German award, for her book A Minor Detail, based on the real events of a 1949 rape and murder by Israeli soldiers.
It is organised by Litprom, which gives out the honour each year at the fair, but the group decided not to go ahead with the ceremony due to the war started by Hamas.
The group says it will hold the event later, and insisted that awarding the prize to Shibli was never in question.
However in an open letter released Monday, over 600 signatories including high-profile authors, publishers and literary agents, condemned the move.
Postponing the award amounted to closing out the space for a Palestinian voice, said the letter, whose signatories included Abdulrazak Gurnah and Olga Tokarczuk, both winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Other writers who signed included Pankaj Mishra, William Dalrymple, Colm Toibin and Naomi Klein.
Asked about the controversy Tuesday, a book fair spokesman said Litprom decided to delay the ceremony to a later date when it would be more possible to have a more dignified exchange about literature.
The book fair does not organise the award.
Elsewhere at the fair, one of the most anticipated authors featuring this year will be Salman Rushdie, who has appeared only rarely in public since a stabbing attack last year that nearly killed him.
Rushdie, who has faced death threats since his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses was declared blasphemous by Iran's supreme leader, lost sight in one eye in the attack in the small American town of Chautauqua.
The Frankfurt Book Fair, in its 75th edition this year, runs from Wednesday to Sunday.