Arab writers return from Gaza, overshadow literature festival with anti-Hamas testimonies

[shira]

Excerpt:

Most of the writers who visited Gaza had one opinion with respect to cultural activities in Gaza: “deplorable.” They say the aim appears to be to erase the Palestinian character and culture, which gave the world thinkers and poets like Mahmoud Darwish and Edward Said.

Professor of English Literature Sahar El-Mougy said that there’s a deplorable condition of cultural hunger. There aren’t even cinemas, libraries, or shops that sell books on the arts, philosophy or literature. The only available books are those on Islamic Sharia (Islamic jurisprudence) and Fiqh (thinking).

“There’s a conspiracy against the Palestinian character, to destroy its beauty. Hamas is erasing Palestinian culture, replacing it with an extremist version of Islam. They don’t even allow men and women to be in the same place!” El-Mougy objected.

“But through all this, and despite the security and intelligence, who we saw everywhere in Gaza, students we met have the spirit of resistance — not against Israel this time, but against the repressive practices of Hamas.”

<snip>

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/41545.aspx

[jimmie]

1. Lol

Even they are repulsed .

Pretty much says it all.

[LeftishBrit]

2. What do you mean 'even'? They are among the people directly affected.

And 'lol' isn't how I'd put it.

To hell with all right-wing parties and that definitely includes Hamas!!

[jimmie]

3. I agree with you.

Lol refers to the irony of the situation.

To hell with them is right .