Palestyński prezydent, Mahmoud 'Abbas, przyznał niedawno order honoru egipskiemu pisarzowi, Mohamedowi Salmawy’emu, byłemu przewodniczącemu Związku Pisarzy Egipskich, a obecnie doradcy tego związku, za jego literacki wkład w sprawę palestyńską. W ceremonii wręczenia orderu w palestyńskiej ambasadzie w Kairze uczestniczyli palestyńscy przedstawiciele i pisarze. Mówcy podczas ceremonii podkreślali, że prace Salmawy’ego dokumentowały historie męczenników i służyły jako “literacko-ideologiczna broń” w służbie sprawy palestyńskiej. Miesiąc temu Salmawy otrzymał także „Afrykańską Nagrodę Wolności i Pokoju Jasera Arafata” w Senegalu z inicjatywy palestyńskiego ambasadora w tym kraju. Nagrodę wręczono na odświętnym wydarzeniu sponsorowanym przez senegalskiego prezydenta i brali w nim udział palestyński ambasador i przedstawiciele Senegalczyków i Arabów.
Salmawy, słynny w świecie arabskim, a szczególnie w Egipcie, znany jest ze swoich zjadliwie antysemickich poglądów. W lutym 1998 r. opublikował we francuskojęzycznym wydaniu egipskiego tygodnika “Al-Ahram Hebdo” artykuł zatytułowany Szukajcie Żydów!, w którym twierdził, cytując francuskiego negacjonistę Holocaustu Rogera Garaudy’ego i brytyjskiego antysemitę, Davida Irvinga, że Żydzi starają się szkodzić każdemu, kto ich nie popiera. Pisał, że Żydzi stali za publikacją skandalu z Moniką Lewinsky w celu przeszkodzenia ówczesnemu prezydentowi, Billowi Clintonowi w wywieraniu nacisków na rząd izraelski, by uczynił ustępstwa na rzecz Palestyńczyków. Atakował również francuskie prawo za penalizację negacji Holocaustu i za oskarżenia wniesione przeciwko Rogerowi Garaudy’emu na bazie tego prawa: „Myśliciel Roger Garaudy jest ścigany sądownie na podstawie prawa, które wydaje się należeć do Średniowiecza, ale które zostało uchwalone w 1990 r. To prawo… zakazuje kwestionowania zbrodni przeciwko ludzkości. Jednak w tym wypadku słowo ‘ludzkość’ nie odnosi się do rasy ludzkiej, ale tylko do sześciu milionów Żydów, którzy rzekomo byli ofiarami ludobójstwa podczas II wojny światowej”[1].
W 2002 r. Salmawy opublikował antologię Wafa Idris i inne historie palestyńskie, którego tytułowe opowiadanie wychwalało Wafę Idris z obozu dla uchodźców Al-Am’ari w pobliżu Ramallah, która była pierwszą kobietą zamachowcem-samobójczynią. Idris wykonała zamach na ulicy w Jerozolimie w styczniu tego roku, na początku drugiej intifady, zabijając jednego człowieka i raniąc ponad 100. Początkowo żadna organizacja nie przyznawała się do zamachu, ale po trzech dniach zbrojne ramię Fatahu, Brygady Męczenników Al-Aksa, przyjęły odpowiedzialność. Opowiadanie Salmawy’ego było także podstawą filmu o tytule „Bomba”[2].
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Salmawy Awarded Medal Of Honor On Behalf Of President 'Abbas At Palestinian Embassy In Cairo
As stated, Salmawy was recently awarded a medal of honor on behalf of the Palestinian president at a ceremony held at the Palestinian embassy in Cairo. The invitation to the ceremony said: „Reflecting the esteem of [Palestinian] President Mahmoud 'Abbas, may Allah preserve him, for the great writer and journalist Mohamed Salmawy, the embassy of the Palestinian State in Egypt and the Palestinian Writers Union are honored to invite you to the celebration in honor of [Salmawy], at which he will be awarded a medal of excellence in the field of culture, art and science.”[3]
The awarding of the medal to Salmawy was widely reported in the Egyptian press. The Egyptian daily Al-Masri Al-Yawm reported: „The president of the Palestinian state awarded the writer and media personality Mohamed Salmawy with a medal of excellence [in the field of] creation, culture, art and science. This is regarded as one of the highest Palestinian honors, awarded to great [thinkers in the domains of] philosophy, literature and culture who promote human justice and defend the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. [Salmawy received it] in appreciation of his contribution to art and media in the Arab countries and the world and in appreciation of his role in the service of Arab causes, chiefly the Palestinian cause.” The report stated further that „the medal was awarded [to Salmawy], on Mahmoud 'Abbas’s behalf, by Palestinian Ambassador in Cairo Diab Al-Louh; Palestinian Justice Minister 'Ali Abu Diak; Arab League assistant secretary-general for Palestinian affairs Sa’id Abu 'Ali, and secretary-general of the Palestinian Writers Union, the poet Murad Al-Sudani… They noted that Salmawy’s stories document the statements of the martyrs, the [Palestinian] steadfastness, and the challenges faced by those who adhered to their land and [shed] their blood to defend their national and historic rights.”[4]
Palestinian Ambassador To Cairo: Salmawy Provided „Literary-Ideological Weapons” In Defense Of The Palestinian Struggle
Palestinian Ambassador to Cairo Diab Al-Louh said at the ceremony that „the awarding of the medal to a man of [Salmawy’s] caliber is [an expression] of Palestine’s and the Palestinian President’s loyalty to Egypt… The writer Salmawy provided literary-ideological weapons that consolidated an idea and defended the Palestinians’ liberty and struggle. The medal is [given in appreciation of] the Arab nation’s privilege and duty [to assist] Palestine, and encourages anyone who defends the justice of the Palestinian cause.”[5]
Palestinian Writers Union Secretary-General: Salmawy „Always Praised Wafa Idris,” Palestine’s First Female Suicide Bomber
The Egyptian daily Al-Yawm Al-Sabi’ reported: „The poet Murad Al-Sudani, secretary-general of the Palestinian Writers Union, who attended the ceremony, said that Mohamed Salmawy had always supported various causes related to Palestine and devoted his time and energy to it. He always praised the fighter Wafa Idris. Therefore, Palestine was duty-bound to honor him.”[6]
The Al-Masri Al-Yawm daily reported that Mohamed Salmawy, for his part, „praised 'Abbas for supporting Arab culture, stressing that the awarding of such a national medal of honor is a serious responsibility, for it reflects a fundamental component of the consciousness of an entire generation that has exhibited considerable openness in its perception of large national causes, the most important of which is Palestine. It is a natural reflection of [this generation’s] creation and struggle, in literature and in the media, aimed at upholding the justness of Palestinian liberty… [Salmawy] stated that his various roles have required him to represent Palestine on every ideological platform and in international unions, in order to underscore the presence of the state of Palestine, which [already] exists even if it has not yet [officially] been named – for reality proves that the Palestinian people and homeland exist, as do their literature, culture and history.” [7]
Salmawy Awarded „Yasser Arafat Prize” At Initiative Of Palestinian Embassy In Senegal
In addition to the medal awarded him by 'Abbas, Salmawy was recently awarded the „Yasser Arafat Africa Prize for Freedom and Peace” in Senegal, at the initiative of the Palestinian embassy in the country. The ceremony, held in the capital Dakar, was sponsored by Senegal President Macky Sall and attended by Senegalese officials and the ambassadors of Egypt, Palestine and Kuwait, as well as by writers and media representatives.[8] The head of the prize committee said that Salmawy had been honored for „his prominent and significant literary contribution, which includes honest positions in defense of the causes and rights of the peoples that are fighting for liberty and independence, and especially for his keen interest in defending the just nature of the Palestinian cause and his involvement in the struggle of the leader Yasser Arafat.”[9]
In September this year, Salmawy was also awarded the Al-Quds Prize, which is the highest honor bestowed by the Arab Writers Union.[10]
Salmawy In Series Of Articles: The Jewish Lobby Secretly Arranged For Audrey Azoulay To Be Appointed Head Of UNESCO
This year, Salmawy again published a number of articles with an antisemitic flavor, concerning the appointment of former French culture minister Audrey Azoulay, who is Jewish, as director-general of UNESCO. In July, several months before her appointment, he published articles against her candidacy, claiming that she had been put forward as a candidate by former French president Francois Hollande in order to keep an Arab from being appointed. He noted that she is the daughter of Andre Azoulay, a senior advisor to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, „who belongs to a large Jewish family with ties to Jewish pressure groups in France, chiefly CRIF, the umbrella organization of the Jewish bodies in France.” Salmawy also mentioned that he had fought against Azoulay’s appointment as UNESCO head by presenting the French ambassador in Egypt with a petition signed by dozens of Arab intellectuals, artists and former ministers urging French President Macron to remove her as a candidate.
In October, following her appointment, Salmawy published articles claiming that the „Jewish lobby” had acted behind the scenes and exerted extensive pressure to arrange it, so as to prevent an Arab from being chosen. He added that CRIF had promised Macron before his election as president that it would support his candidacy if Macron, for his part, supported Azoulay’s candidacy for directorship of UNESCO. According to Salmawy, CRIF also asked Macron to pledge that France would act to end UNESCO’s anti-Israel bias.
Salmawy wrote further that „it is no secret that the Jewish lobby placed all its clout behind the candidacy of the French candidate [Azoulay], although we could find no public expression of this.” Pressures by Jewish elements, he said, were also behind the decision of the U.S. and Israel to announce their withdrawal from UNESCO right before the election for its new director, in a bid to affect the result and secure a win for Azoulay.[11]
[2] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), April 22, 2002.
[3] Al-Yawm Al-Sabi’ (Egypt), November 23, 2017.
[4] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), November 23, 2017.
[5] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), November 23, 2017.
[6] Al-Yawm Al-Sabi’ (Egypt), November 23, 2017.
[7] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), November 23, 2017.
[8] Akhbar Al-Yawm (Egypt), November 18, 2017.
[9] Palestinian Ambassador to Senegal, Dr. Safwat Bregheith, said at the ceremony that the Palestinian leadership seeks to tighten the historic relations between Africa and Palestine , following in the footsteps of the eternal leader Arafat in search of freedom, peace, the establishment of a sovereign independent Palestinian state in the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital, and the return of the refugees to the homes from which they were expelled. Al-Watan (Egypt), October 10, 2017.
[10] Al-Yawm Al-Sabi’ (Egypt), September 21, 2017.
[11] Al-Ahram (Egypt), July 2, 2017; July 9, 2017; October 15, 2017; October 22, 2017; October 29, 2017.
