Syria Speaks: Art and Culture from the Frontline is a 2014 collection of writing and art published by Saqi Books. The works in the book are by more than fifty Syrian artists, writers, activists and anonymous collectives.[3]
The essays were written at some point during the early Syrian civil war, approximately in 2012 and 2013, when there were peaceful protests against the Bashar al-Assad regime. According to Ursula Lindsey, writing for the London Review of Books blog, "their hope and defiance seem out of date", with most of the fifty authors having fled the country by 2014. The book reports the violent response of the Assad regime to peaceful protests, including wartime rape, imprisonment, and torture.[4]
The book includes various visual and textual media, including: stories, poems, memoirs, stencils,[4] songs,[5] cartoons, photography, poster art, graffiti, cellphone footage, and finger puppets. Artists featured in the book include Sulafa Hijazi and Ali Ferzat.[3]
Incidentedit
On 25 July 2016 Faizah Shaheen, a British Muslim, was detained after she had read the book on an international flight. Cabin crew had reported suspicious activity after Shaheen had read Syria Speaks on a Thomson Airways flight to Turkey. After her two-week holiday, Shaheen was detained on re-entry into the United Kingdom[6] at Doncaster Airport. South Yorkshire Police detained her for 15 minutes for questioning under the UK Terrorism Act 2000.[5]
Labour Party MP Keith Vaz criticised the airline for over-reacting.[5] After controversy sparked by the incident, sales of Syria Speaks soared, necessitating a reprint.[7] Jo Glanville, director of English PEN, urged people to read the book in public places as a form of protest against the "counter-extremism" of anti-terrorism laws.[8]
Receptionedit
Peter Clark, writing for Asian Affairs, calls Syria Speaks "an informed and moving record" of "unspectacular and non-violent resistance" against the Syrian government that is happening behind the scenes of the Syrian civil war.[9] Body Tonkin of The Independent similarly calls it "an invaluable and deeply moving testimony to resistance in word and image".[4] According to Ursula Lindsey: "The book provides a way of listening to and looking at the conflict when the horror of it makes many of us avert our gaze."[3]
^"English PEN: Writers in Translation – Syria Speaks". worldbookshelf.englishpen.org. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
^Syria speaks : art and culture from the frontline (Book, 2014) [WorldCat.org]. OCLC 881305828. Retrieved 14 August 2016 – via worldcat.org.
^ abcLindesy, Ursula (29 August 2014). "Syria Speaks". LRB blog. London Review of Books. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
^ abcTonkin, Body (22 July 2014). "Syria Speaks: Art and Culture from the Frontline, edited by Malu Halasa, Zaher Omareen, Nawara Mahfoud - book review: A moving testimony to dissidents fighting for democracy". The Independent. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
^ abcdO'Hare, Liam; Jeory, Ted (3 August 2016). "Terror police detain woman for reading book about Syrian art on plane". The Independent. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
^Sinclair, Harriet (4 August 2016). "Images from the art book that saw British-Muslim terror expert detained on return from honeymoon". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
^Flood, Alison (11 August 2016). "Sales of Syrian culture anthology soar after woman held for reading it on plane". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
^Glanville, Jo (7 August 2016). "What you're reading should be no business of the police". The Independent. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
^Clark, Peter (2014). "[Book review:] Malu Halasa, Zaher Omareen and Nawara Mahfoud (eds). Syria Speaks: Art and Culture from the Frontline". Asian Affairs. 45 (3): 498. doi:10.1080/03068374.2014.953873. S2CID 162244752.
syria, speaks, culture, from, frontline, 2014, collection, writing, published, saqi, books, works, book, more, than, fifty, syrian, artists, writers, activists, anonymous, collectives, culture, from, frontlineauthormalu, halasa, zaher, omareen, nawara, mahfoud. Syria Speaks Art and Culture from the Frontline is a 2014 collection of writing and art published by Saqi Books The works in the book are by more than fifty Syrian artists writers activists and anonymous collectives 3 Syria Speaks Art and Culture from the FrontlineAuthorMalu Halasa Zaher Omareen Nawara Mahfoud eds CountryUnited KingdomLanguageArabic English translation 1 PublisherLondon Saqi BooksPublished in English2014Pages312 2 AwardsEnglish PEN awardISBN9780863567872Websitewww wbr saqibooks wbr com wbr book wbr syria speaks wbr Contents 1 Content 2 Incident 3 Reception 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksContent editThe essays were written at some point during the early Syrian civil war approximately in 2012 and 2013 when there were peaceful protests against the Bashar al Assad regime According to Ursula Lindsey writing for the London Review of Books blog their hope and defiance seem out of date with most of the fifty authors having fled the country by 2014 The book reports the violent response of the Assad regime to peaceful protests including wartime rape imprisonment and torture 4 The book includes various visual and textual media including stories poems memoirs stencils 4 songs 5 cartoons photography poster art graffiti cellphone footage and finger puppets Artists featured in the book include Sulafa Hijazi and Ali Ferzat 3 Incident editOn 25 July 2016 Faizah Shaheen a British Muslim was detained after she had read the book on an international flight Cabin crew had reported suspicious activity after Shaheen had read Syria Speaks on a Thomson Airways flight to Turkey After her two week holiday Shaheen was detained on re entry into the United Kingdom 6 at Doncaster Airport South Yorkshire Police detained her for 15 minutes for questioning under the UK Terrorism Act 2000 5 Labour Party MP Keith Vaz criticised the airline for over reacting 5 After controversy sparked by the incident sales of Syria Speaks soared necessitating a reprint 7 Jo Glanville director of English PEN urged people to read the book in public places as a form of protest against the counter extremism of anti terrorism laws 8 Reception editPeter Clark writing for Asian Affairs calls Syria Speaks an informed and moving record of unspectacular and non violent resistance against the Syrian government that is happening behind the scenes of the Syrian civil war 9 Body Tonkin of The Independent similarly calls it an invaluable and deeply moving testimony to resistance in word and image 4 According to Ursula Lindsey The book provides a way of listening to and looking at the conflict when the horror of it makes many of us avert our gaze 3 Syria Speaks won the English PEN award 5 See also edit nbsp Asia portal nbsp Freedom of speech portal nbsp Books portalLiterature from the Axis of Evil Syrian literatureReferences edit English PEN Writers in Translation Syria Speaks worldbookshelf englishpen org Retrieved 14 August 2016 Syria speaks art and culture from the frontline Book 2014 WorldCat org OCLC 881305828 Retrieved 14 August 2016 via worldcat org a b c Lindesy Ursula 29 August 2014 Syria Speaks LRB blog London Review of Books Retrieved 14 August 2016 a b c Tonkin Body 22 July 2014 Syria Speaks Art and Culture from the Frontline edited by Malu Halasa Zaher Omareen Nawara Mahfoud book review A moving testimony to dissidents fighting for democracy The Independent Retrieved 14 August 2016 a b c d O Hare Liam Jeory Ted 3 August 2016 Terror police detain woman for reading book about Syrian art on plane The Independent Retrieved 14 August 2016 Sinclair Harriet 4 August 2016 Images from the art book that saw British Muslim terror expert detained on return from honeymoon International Business Times UK Retrieved 14 August 2016 Flood Alison 11 August 2016 Sales of Syrian culture anthology soar after woman held for reading it on plane The Guardian Retrieved 14 August 2016 Glanville Jo 7 August 2016 What you re reading should be no business of the police The Independent Retrieved 14 August 2016 Clark Peter 2014 Book review Malu Halasa Zaher Omareen and Nawara Mahfoud eds Syria Speaks Art and Culture from the Frontline Asian Affairs 45 3 498 doi 10 1080 03068374 2014 953873 S2CID 162244752 External links editSyria Speaks nbsp at Saqi Books Interview with editors at Words Without Borders Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Syria Speaks amp oldid 1173800024, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
