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Indonesia and Malaysia have boycotted the Frankfurt Book Fair following the'shutdown' of Palestinian Voices

Indonesia and Malaysia boycott Frankfurt Book Fair due to Israel controversy and award cancellation.
on Oct 20, 2023

Writers from Indonesia and Malaysia have backed their countries' decision to withdraw from Frankfurt's major international book show in response to the organizer's outspoken support for Israel.

When an awards ceremony honouring Palestinian writer Adania Shibli was cancelled last week, both countries were ready to participate in the expo, which began on Wednesday. Shibli was set to get the prestigious LiBeraturpreis for her work "Minor Detail," which portrays the true event of an Israeli soldier raping and murdering a Palestinian child in 1949.

The cancellation of the award presentation coincided with Israel's ongoing bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which began on Oct. 7 after the Gaza-based militant group Hamas attacked Israel.

The Frankfurt Book Fair's director, Juergen Boos, issued a statement describing preparations to "make Jewish and Israeli voices especially visible" during the literary festival, expressing "complete solidarity on Israel's side."

According to the Indonesian Publishers Association, the stance was "like reading only one book to feel like you understand the whole world," as it rejected "the Frankfurt Book Fair's stance of supporting and giving a larger stage to Israel at this year's exhibition while denying the Palestinian people's right to independence."

Following suit, Malaysia's Education Ministry stated that it will "not compromise on Israeli violence in Palestine."

The decisions were widely supported in literary circles.

Malaysian writer Faisal Tehrani told Arab News that he was disappointed by the book fair's choice to exclude Shibli, who he feels "will get the Nobel one day."

It would be "unthinkable" to participate in the Frankfurt fair with Malaysia's support for Palestine, he said, adding that its organisers' approach completely ignored the situation in Gaza, where 3,400 people, mostly women and children, had been killed since the beginning of the Israeli onslaught.

"FBF brings together literary figures and authors." "Humanity is the subject of literature," Tehrani stated. "What FBF did is baffling truly."

Laksmi Pamuntjak, an Indonesian novelist who received the LiBeraturpreis in 2016, delivered a statement in support of her country's decision to withdraw.

The decision of the Frankfurt Book Fair to side with Israel "shows that this book fair no longer represents the voice of the world, where all nations and countries have the right and deserve a platform to voice their own truths," she said, adding that organisers should have set the stage for Palestinian writers as well, rather than "shutting down their voices."

After the organisers stated their stance, Indonesian writer Andina Dwifatma withdrew an invitation to speak at a literary event linked with the Frankfurt Book Fair.

"I've been watching the news with a heavy heart." "And after seeing what FBF posted... I told them that I won't be able to attend the festival now that they've made it clear that they stand in complete solidarity with Israel," she told Arab News.

"I believe that everyone should do something within their means... This is not a bilateral issue between Israel and Palestine; it is a genocide and a humanitarian catastrophe. So, as a writer, declining that invitation is the least I can do."

According to novelist Okky Madasari, Indonesia's decision not to participate in the fair was justified because it was critical for writers, publishers, and intellectuals to remind the world "that such support disregarding context and history can provide Israel with justification to kill more people and do more violence."

She told Arab News that many people regard events like the Frankfurt Book Fair as a wonderful platform for furthering human knowledge and understanding.

"Imagine how much weight it gives to Israel to do anything they want to do," she went on to say.

"By boycotting the book fair, we can tell them that their unconditional support for Israel is not only seriously wrong but also very dangerous and deadly for the Palestinians."