Wiesenthal Centre 11th Annual Report from the Frankfurt Book Fair 2013

SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTRE - EUROPE
Tel. +33-147237637 - Fax: +33-147208401
E-mail: csweurope@gmail.com

Wiesenthal Centre 11^th Annual Report from the Frankfurt Book Fair
by Dr. Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations, Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Paris

- 'Worst Offender 2013' Goes to Egypt, and especially Al Ahram Publishers for Continued Display of Conspiracy Theories.
- 'Runner-Up' Goes to Iran - last year's 'Worst Offender' - for Childrens' Literature Glorifying Martyrdom and Jihad.
- 'Hate-Free' Commendation to Turkey for second consecutive year.

Frankfurt, 14 October 2013

For the eleventh year, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre is the only non-governmental organization to monitor incitement to hate andviolence on the display stands of the Frankfurt Book Fair.

With over 7,400 exhibitors from 100 countries and more than 300,000 visitors, this is the largest annual international gathering ofthe publishing industry.

The Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, had acknowledged to the Fair's President, Juergen Boos, thatthe reports of German intervention - based on our Centre's reports - had impacted on the heavily antisemitic literature displayed on Turkish stands and those of Malaysia, the “WorstOffender” of two years ago.

As a result,the Turkish Publishers’ Association maintains its silver-sticker policy to vet the display materials. Hence Turkey's 56stands remain hate-free, as were the 19 Malaysian exhibitors, the 2011 "Worst Offender".

EGYPT
“Worst Offender 2013” is unquestionably Egypt, and especially Al Ahram Publishing Centre of Cairo, a consortium which include Egypt’smost influential newspaper (Hall 5.0 D132) and The Arab Publishers Association (Hall 50 E109). Both are annual recidivists, displaying absent publishers that have been highlighted in ourprevious reports.

On Al Ahram stand, are two examples of conspiracy literature.

"The Palestinians and the Loss of the Forbidden", Imad Sayid Ahmad, Al Ahram Center, Cairo 2010
Israeli soldier sharpening a knife to slaughter two caged chickens in a cockfight, marked Fatah and Hamas respectively

"Iran – The Sleeping Wolves", Mamduh Abdul Mun'am, Al Ahram, Cairo 2012
Iranian conspiracy theory of Jewish control of the United States

Samuels reported that he "felt like an IAEA inspector in an Iranian nuclear installation",adding that "when attempting to photoadditional volumes illustrated with similar tropes, they were immediately snatched away.

- Arab Publishers Association (APA):

Left: "The American Hegemony", Niama Hasan al Bakr, APA,Cairo
Right:"Jewish Fundamentalism in France,Israel and the United States”, Manuel Heiman, translated by Saad al Tawil and Jamal Ahmad alRifai, APA, Cairo

IRAN
Outside the hall, protesters voiced support forthe opposition with campaign materials on:
“Indict Khameini and Rouhani as War Criminals.” “No to Sharia and Martyrdom,” “Stop Stoning Women”

In previous years, we have focused on Iranian childrens' literature extolling suicide and martyrdom.The same and similar texts appearthis year at:

- Elmifarhangi Publications, Tehran (Stand 5.0, D35), displaying:

“If I Were a Pilot,” Ahmad Akbapour, Tehran, 2005
“If I were Only Older,” Alkhbar Sahiel, glamourizing 13-14 years old volunteers at the frontlines against Iraq

- Iranian Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (Stand 3.0,H59).

Photo Second shelf
Left: “Kianoosh’s Orchard,” Ali Asghar Ezati Pak, Tehran.
Middle: “My Snail's Lost”.
Right: “Passing through the Livid Mountain,” Mohammadali Oloomi,Tehran

- The National Library and Archives Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Stand 5.0,D8)

Right: “Jews who Abandoned Iran for Palestine"
Left: "Nazi Germans in Iran"

For further information please contact Dr. Shimon Samuels on 00(33)609770158