The 11th International Arab Book Fair opened in Istanbul on Saturday, with the secretary general of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), Sheikh Dr. Ali al Qaradaghi, calling during the event for the Palestinian issue to remain at the forefront and for aid to be transferred to the Gaza Strip by all possible means.
Istanbul Arab Book Fair opens with calls for Gaza aid from Muslim Brotherhood-linked scholar
The 11th International Arab Book Fair opened in Istanbul on Saturday, with the secretary general of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), Sheikh Dr. Ali al Qaradaghi, calling during the event for the Palestinian issue to remain at the forefront and for aid to be transferred to the Gaza Strip by all possible means.
The fair runs through August 23 under the theme 'The Story Continues,' with more than 300 publishing houses from over 30 countries participating. Qatar's Culture Ministry has set up a booth at the event featuring numerous titles.
Dr. Yasin Aktay, described in the source as a former adviser to the Turkish president, said the event aimed to strengthen ties 'between people in the Islamic world across a variety of platforms,' stating that 'the theme of this event extends across the story of a united nation.'
The IUMS, which al Qaradaghi leads, operates from Qatar and is described in the source as affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. The source states that Hamas also belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood and characterizes the IUMS call for financial support as intended to assist Hamas.
The source notes that at the Doha International Book Fair held in May, books by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar were sold, large posters were displayed at the venue, books described as praising conduct of terrorists in Israeli prisons were on sale, and books denying the Holocaust were also available. The source states the US Embassy in Doha sponsored that event.
Dr. Ariel Admoni of Ariel University and the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security said the cooperation on display demonstrates 'the Qatari-Turkish use of soft cultural tools to continue providing financial and moral support for Palestinian terrorism in ways that do not damage the international legitimacy enjoyed by Qatar and Turkey.'
- The source does not state the specific forms of aid al Qaradaghi called for beyond the phrase 'all possible means.'
- The source does not include any response or statement from the Qatari government, the Turkish government, or fair organizers regarding the characterizations made in the article.
- The source does not include any response from the US Embassy in Doha regarding its reported sponsorship of the Doha International Book Fair in May.
- The source does not identify the origin of the characterization of the IUMS as a Muslim Brotherhood organization beyond describing it as 'according to the source material.'
- The source does not establish what, if any, institutional connection exists between al Qaradaghi's statements and the official positions of the book fair's organizers.
- The source does not state what response, if any, Turkish or Qatari officials gave to the claim that the event serves as a platform for the 'Islamist axis.'
Read the original at The Jerusalem Post