"Its theme, The Culture of Images and the Image of Culture, was, in reality, an image that fomented a culture of hate."

Paris, 17 April 2013

In a letter to Moroccan Culture Minister, Mr. Mohamed Amine Sbihi, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, presented his fourth annual monitor of anti-Jewish incitement on the stands of the SIEL (Salon International de l'Edition et du Livre), held in Casablanca 29 March to 7 April 2013.  This is the most important book fair in the Arab world with 150 Moroccan stands, 30 Lebanese, 20 Syrian, 10 Egyptian, 5 Saudi, 2 Palestinian, 1 Libyan.

Samuels stated "it is chilling to find that, since 2010 until the present Fair, 29 March to 7 April, irregardless of the intervening 'Arab Spring', Jew-hatred is an implacable constant in Arab literature and an indelible stain on the SIEL’s display stands." 

The report focussed on the most problematic stands of Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Syria, (several of which were covers for Lebanon). 

"Egypt’s annual recidivist, Dar Al Kitab Al Arabi, compulsively displays conspiracy theories, Holocaust denial and every antisemitic stereotype in the books: 
1. 'The Beginning and the End of the Jewish People', Ahmad Ahmad Ali al Saqa. 

2. 'Who Creates Dictators?', Majdi Kamel (Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Franco, Idi Amin, Bokassa, Noriega, Saddam Hussein, George W. Bush as creatures of the Jews). 

3. Right to left on the lower shelf, a series of Judeo-Masonic conspiracies: - 'Secrets of Masonry', - 'Hidden Secrets of Freemasonry', - 'Scandals of Masonry', all by Osama Hamed Mar’i, - “The Oldest Secret  Organization”, Mansour Abdul Hakim. 

4. - On right: 'Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler', innocently placed alongside 
a critical biography on the left: 'The Other Face of Hitler'. 

5. 'Mossad Assassinations of Palestinian Leaders', Adel Al Jawjiri 
(killing of Sheikh Yassin, Arafat, Meshaal). 

6. 'Zionism and Nazism', Abdul Karim al Aluji (the secret relations 
between the Nazis and the Jews in the fight for a Jewish State). 

7. 'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion – the Plot to Take Over the World', Mansour Abdul Hakim 
(the cover depicts Jews, Nazis, Communists, Freemasons and money, united for domination). 

8. 'Iz-a-din Al Kassam: Victory or Martyrdom', Abdul Karim Al Aluji. 

9. 'Wizardry of the Jews', Said Muhammad Sayd Al-Sanari. 

10. - On right: 'The Black Page of the Holy Book', Muhammad Husni Yusuf. 
- On left: 'From al Buraq Wall to the Fence of Shame', A.D. Zainab Abdul Aziz (Buraq Wall is the Islamization of the Jewish 'Kotel' or 'Western Wall'). 

11. 'Rulings of the Rabbis of Lucifer', Majdi Kamel. 

12. 'Religion and Politics between Zionist Lies and Divine Laws', Muhammad Yunes Hashem. 

13. 'The Beginning of the End': A Jewish Rabbi Prophesies that the Last 
Captivity of the Israelites will be by the 'Ishmaelites' (Muslims), Yusef Rashad. 

This year’s Honored Guest was Libya, represented by its Cultural Ministry’s stand, on which we discovered: 

14. 'Zionism and the Imperialist West – Who Follows Them?', Alaa-din Hasan Omar bin Dardaf, Al Fadil Press, Benghazi. (The cover depicts bloodied symbols of the Nazi swastika and the Star of David against the Statue of Liberty. This antisemitic/anti-American screed of the 
Ghadhaffi era appears on the official display of the 'New Libya'). 

15. Same book, inner page. 

On the Moroccan host stand, Dar Afak presented: 

16. - On right: 'Non-Jewish Zionism', Regina Sharif, Al Shuruq Press. - Centre: 'Jewish Extremism and Political Religious Trends in Israel', Huweda Abdul Hamid Mustafa. - On left: 'The Jewish Messiah and the End of the World', Rida Hilal. 

17. 'Holy Israeli Terrorism', based on Noam Chomsky, Laula Hafez. 

Syrian stands covered up the regime’s current mass murder with the eternal Jewish scapegoat: 

18. Dar Al Awad Press, 'America, Israel and 9/11', translated from the former Ku-Klux-Klan leader, David Duke. 

19. Inner page of same book. 

20. Dar Al Awad Press, 'How Israeli Terrorism and American Treachery 
caused 9/11', translated from David Duke. 

21. Inner page of same book. 

22. Dar Al Awad Press, 'Iraq First -  Israel’s Blitzkrieg on Middle East Oil: Operation Shekhina', Joe Vialls, the late Australian antisemitic consipiracy theorist. 

23. Dar Al Awad Press, 'Secrets of the Holy War', Tareq Mustafa Al-Jundi  and Husam Hamad Badawi. 

24. Khatawat Editions, 'The Great Plot', Hasan Latsh. (The cover shows a 
Star of David over the map of Afghanistan). 

25.- Center: 'The Talmud', Layla Ibrahim Abu al Mayd, Madbuli Press. - 
On right: 'Judeo-Masons in Revolutions and Constitutions', Madbuli Press. 

26. 'Israeli Lobby and US Foreign Policy', Meersheimer and Walt, Dar al Murshid al Thikafi. 

27. 'America and the Cultural Genocides – The English Curse of Canaan', Riyad al Rayyes, Lebanon. 

The above Syrian publishers base their commercial outlets in Beirut." 

Samuels suggested "even more disconcerting, is that, apparently, all of  these despicable texts were approved by the SIEL, according to its 
Conditions of Participation on your website: 

Article 6: 'To study the applications of exhibitors and their booklists, a specialized Government Commission is composed of two representatives of each of the following Ministries: Culture, Religion and Islamic Affairs (Habous), Communications, two publishers and one distributor…' 

Article 9: 'No book may be displayed or sold other than those listed and approved by the Commission…' 

Article 13: 'Publications displayed must not offend public morals, threaten the sovereignty of the Moroccan Kingdom, its religious precepts or insult public sensitivities.' 

Article 34: 'Any infraction will result in … confiscation of works not appearing on the list… closure of the stand… definitive refusal of participation in future Fairs.'" 

The letter argued that "it would seem that the antisemitic books discovered in our unexhaustive walk through may be only the tip of the iceberg. Is it possible that hate literature listed here could have been approved by your Commission? Is it possible that antisemitism does not constitute 'an offence to public morals or sensitivities' nor violates the religious precepts of Morocco?" 

The Centre noted that "it was requesting the Frankfurt Book Fair to ban the delinquent publishers listed above from its 2013 Fair, adding that, it similarly urges Morocco to activate Article 34 to definitely refuse their participation in the 2014 SIEL." 

The letter noted that "the theme of this year’s Casablanca Fair was 'The Culture of Images and the Image of Culture'. In reality, its image fomented a culture of hate." 

The relationship between Morocco and its Jewish diaspora has always been one of affection and a model of tolerance. We call on you to ensure that next year’s Fair reflect those values, so that the Arab literature selected for display may contribute to a culture of peace", concluded Samuels.