Palestine ‘guest of honour’ at Casablanca International Book Fair

At the opening ceremony of the 21st Casablanca International Book Fair, which was held between 13 and 22 February, Abdelilah Benkiran, Head of the Moroccan Government, narrated an anecdote to the person in charge of the Algerian exhibit. A woman, he said, was asked to choose one out of three, between her husband, her son and her brother. She had but one choice to make and opted for her brother. When asked why, she explained that a husband can be found, a son can be given birth to, but a brother is never replaced. The moral of the tale is that geopolitical or economic differences should not break the invaluable worth of brotherhood. The strong bonds referred to extend way beyond neighbouring Algeria to Palestine, which was hosted as the fair’s guest of honour.

Palestine had one of the biggest galleries, if not the biggest, in the whole fair. The exhibition included books, kufiyas, drawings, dresses, posters, music and an old man with his walking stick who shared greetings, stories and photos with the visitors. The books included titles by around 200 writers, many of whom were new to Moroccan readers. They characterised diverse and prolific careers dealing mainly with Palestinian suffering, women’s participation in public life, the political process, the Palestinian cause internationally, recent developments, Palestinian prisoners, art and poetry. Among the purposes of including new titles was to expose Moroccan visitors to Palestinian novelists. Books by Mahmoud Darwish, Samih Al-Qâssim and Emile Habibi were all sold.

Moreover, at least 20 Palestinian writers participated in different cultural activities during the fair. Daily seminars and debates tackled Palestine from different angles, looking at history, current affairs, the diaspora, refugees, art, culture, memory and literature. The activities were attended by large and enthusiastic audiences. The many who visited the Palestine gallery brought to mind the millions of Moroccans who marched in protest at Israeli terrorism and systematic aggression against the Palestinians.

The issue of the political split between the Palestinian factions was generally avoided. Instead, Morocco’s shared heritage with Palestine was stressed, with a focus on Bab Al-Maghribi (“the Moroccans’ Door”) and the Maghribi Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Four posters on display attracted a lot of attention: images of the late Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Darwish, the Moroccan King and an old Palestinian lady holding a tree were drawn using olives by talented young artist Arij Lawn. The symbolism of resistance encapsulated by Palestinian olives was not lost on the Moroccan visitors. Those of a more academic and intellectual bent visited Lebanon’s Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations to see a variety of books and studies on Palestine.

On the final day of the annual fair, book galleries usually close before six pm. This year, however, visitors stayed at the Palestinian gallery well beyond normal closing time. It was an honoured guest indeed.