Fans and Rebuke Greet Women Writers

Ebtihal Mubarak, Arab News —

RIYADH, 3 March 2006 — Women for the first time in the history of the Riyadh International Book Fair were allowed to meet their fans. These inaugural book signings, which occurred on Wednesday — the day reserved for families — were not announced in advance like the ones for men authors. Nevertheless, fans of poet Fawziyah Abu Khaled and novelist Ala’a Al-Hathlol flocked around tables for a chance to meet their literary heroines. Despite the lack of publicity for the occasion, another group showed up to greet the women writers: Men, some of whom were visibly wearing badges identifying themselves as members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.. This Arab News reporter went to the book-signing section of the fair, elbowing through the crowd of women autograph seekers surrounding the two women writers. Though her works are difficult to find in the Kingdom, Fawziyah told Arab News that she felt “really great” to be signing her works in her home country. Young novelist Ala’a Al-Hathlol agreed, and praised the fair’s organizers for allowing them the unique opportunity. The commission members, on the other hand, went about their work. They raised their voice demanding that the two women cover their faces. The women were modestly attired, wearing abayas and headscarves, showing no hair. The fair’s general manager, Suliman Al-Aqla, later told Arab News that he had no power over the presence of the commission members and that there was nothing fair organizers could do to stop their intervention. “It is really humiliating to be treated this way,” said Ala’a Al-Hathlol during the signing. She said that throughout her book signing, some commission members kept coming up to her shouting. She is a Muslim, she said, and no one has the right to judge people and treat them in such a manner. She ignored the shouts from them and continued to sign her books. Later, it was poet Fawziyah’s turn to receive a dose of verbal attack. It was even harder for Arab News to indulge in a conversation with Fawziyah. She said harassment from some commission members made her feel insecure. During the interview, some men were standing in front of the book-signing section yelling at the poet, telling her that if she was an educated woman she wouldn’t be sitting in front of men showing her face. “If you argue with them they won’t go, just don’t answer them back,” a security man said to Fawziyah. Finally, she could not take it any more and told the men politely that she is wearing an abaya and covering her hair. She told them that many Islamic schools do not oblige women to cover their face. The men replied to her that she was wrong, that covering the face is a must. One man blocked the entrance to the signing area, shouting at the book fair organizers to erect a partition. “Why are you harassing her? She is a poet signing a book. What’s wrong with that?” asked one of the women standing next to Fawziyah. “Mind your own business, woman,” replied one of the men. Not one fair organizer appeared. The men later left with a threat to put an end to the book signing. Arab News called one of the fair organizers from the Ministry of Education and asked him to come and help end this confrontation. General Manager Al-Aqla arrived, but he had no answer when Arab News asked him how they could provide safety to writers invited by the ministry. He left ten minutes later. The fair visitors started to re-congregate after the intrusion. Calmly, Fawziyah said she was not discouraged. She said that this year’s book fair had attained a higher degree of freedom in terms of the books offered. She said that having a family day is a positive step. “It is really overwhelming to see the parents shopping for books with their children,” she said. The book signing concluded without any other incident.