Wiesenthal Centre's Annual Monitoring Report to Frankfurt Book Fair Director: Recidivist Hatemongering Publishers Should be Excluded from 2008 Fair

October 12, 2007

SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTRE
66 rue Laugier - 75017 Paris - Tel. +33147237637 - Fax: +33147208401
e-mail: csweurope@gmail.com

Wiesenthal Centre's Annual Monitoring Report to Frankfurt Book Fair Director: “Recidivist Hatemongering Publishers Should be Excluded from 2008 Fair”

In a report to Frankfurt Book Fair Director, Jürgen Boos, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr Shimon Samuels, noted "our 2005 understanding that the Simon Wiesenthal Centre would continue its annual monitoring of texts that incite to hate and violence displayed by exhibitors – but henceforth with the cooperation of the Frankfurt Book Fair authorities."

Samuels drew the Book Fair Director's attention to the following publications:

I. "Israeli Nuclear Capabilities – Between Paradox and Terror" by D.Mustafa Yusef Alladawi [author of "The Zionist Terror" which was displayed at last year's Book Fair].
Published by Dar al Hadi, Beirut 2005, and exhibited on Stand 5.0.A923-925 Dar al Hadi Publications/ Syndicate of Publishers Union in Lebanon, Beirut

II. "Messianic Zionism from the Inside – America: A Dance to the Rhythm of Superstition." by Khader A'Warqah.
Same publisher, Beirut 2007, Stand 5.0.A932 Arab Publisher Association - Arab Rights Centre, Beirut

The Centre's report noted that "both books are variants of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, updating this antisemitic classic to attribute contemporary evils to a Jewish conspiracy for world domination."

III. The Iranian Publishers Cooperatives Union/ Cultural Association of Children and Young Adult Books Publishers, Tehran, on Stand 3.0.L375-377, presents shelves of over thirty infants' readers that glorify war and martyrdom in Iraq and Palestine.
Also available on the Behnashr Publisher's CD-Rom, the English language abstracts are frighteningly disarming, stating for example:

"The writer describes the importance and function of nameplates in battlefields. The book has a suitable atmosphere with its proper margins, concise expressions and pictures having strong visual description. It is very attractive, pleasant and instructive for children and adolescents", or "...being inspired by Palestine [sic!] revolution (...) artistic pictures and waves of sensation and affection has created an influential effect that could open a child's mind to parts of pure and honest moments of battlefields..."

IV. The Tamer Institute for Community Education in Ramallah, Palestinian Territories, on Stand 5.0.D931, displays several children's books that glorify violence and conflict. Most striking is the seemingly innocent title, "My First Book", about a little girl. In one picture, her brother faces a computer screen. He is excitedly calling to his sister to see a masked Palestinian terrorist shooting into unidentified bodies on the ground.

V. At the Comic-Zentrum der Frankfurter Buchmesse, Stand 3.0.J807, Titanic displays posters showing a smiling Führer with the caption, "Schrecklicher Verdacht: War Hitler Antisemit?" (A terrible suspicion: Was Hitler an Antisemite?). Another has Goebbels stating, "Jede Wahrheit braucht einen Mutigen, der sie ausspricht" (Each truths needs a brave man to be expressed).

The Centre's report added, "These are, at best, sick humour in a bad taste that offends the memory of all victims of Nazism and brings no honour to the Fair."

The Centre urged the Fair authorities "to warn the above exhibitors that they are in contravention of their contract with the Frankfurt Book Fair which clearly sets a code of good practise. This is the third consecutive year that the Arab Publishers Association and Dar al Hadi of Lebanon, and the second year that the Tamer Institute of the Palestinian Territories, are in such violation. Recidivism cannot be tolerated. These hatemongering publishers should be excluded from the 2008 Fair."

"We look forward to receiving your comments on these findings," concluded Samuels.

For further information, please contact Shimon Samuels at +33.609.77.01.58
Photos enclosed.

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