Prime says book has bad smell [Archives:2002/22/Local News]

The press and publication prosecution has completed interrogative the novelist Wajjdi Al-Ahadal. The culture ministry has accused him of insulting conventions and religion in his novel Qwarib Jaballiah or Mountainous Boats.
The ministry already ordered the confiscation of the novel and closure of the Ubadi publication center. It was accused of using obscene sexual language.
The publication center owner, Nabeel Ubadi was interrogated by the prosecution last Saturday for publishing the book.
Prime minister Abdulqader Bajamal lashed out against the novel and its writer. He said it was anti-morality, tradition and artistic creation. A bad smell comes out the book, he said.
Al-Ahadal protested the charge and said there were sectarian motives behind it.
It was because of using Sanaa as a setting for the novel. He pointed out that they misinterpreted his book.
The Yemeni writers union (YWU) strongly condemned the harassment of Al-Ahadal and publisher. In a statement last week they called for an end of harassment of creative people.
The statement denied that the novel insults conventions or religion, as it is a creative work that cannot be subject to specific interpretation.
Moreover, the Deputy Minister of Culture, Mr. Hashim Ali Bin Ali, is still out of his office. Bin Ali refused to sign the decision of confiscating the novel and closing down the publication center. The minister gave him two choices, either to sign the decision or stay at home and not attend the ministry.
Bin Ali, who is himself an outstanding man of letters, decided to stand by creation and preferred to stay at home.
In addition to this, a good number of intellectuals appealed in a letter to president Ali Saleh and PM Bajamal to dismiss the Culture Minister, Abdulwahab al-Rawhani. They accused the minister of working against creative people and talents, and misusing his power to gag intellectuals.
They said there was no legal reason to confiscate the book and close down the publishing center.
Al-Ahadal said that Riyadh Al-Rais, an outstanding Lebanese publisher, offered to print and publish the book when he heard about the ongoing controversy. He added that the book is already in Lebanon to be printed and distributed all over Arab countries.


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