Over 500 Egyptian writers and artists have signed a statement in solidarity with novelist and journalist Ahmed Naji, who was recently sentenced to 2 years in prison after prosecutors claimed a chapter of his novel published in literary magazine Akhbar al-Adab “offends modesty”.
Read the Egyptian writers’ and artists’ statement below, and add your own name to the following letter in support:
“Authors, artists, and editors in Egypt have rallied to support novelist Ahmed Naji. On Saturday, February 20, a criminal court sentenced Naji to two years in prison for “harming public morality.” The case was brought against Naji when an excerpt of his novel, “Using Life,” was published in literary journal Akhbar el Adab. Our colleagues in Egypt have not confined their concern to issues of freedom of artistic expression but are voicing their alarm at “the many violations committed by the organs of the state” which they warn will “lead to catastrophic conflicts” that Egypt “cannot sustain”. We applaud their courage and sincerely hope that the government of Egypt heeds their warning and, in the first instance, releases Ahmed Naji.”
Add your name here: Solidarity with Egyptian writers’ and artists’ protest over jailing of novelist Ahmed Naji
First name | Last name | Occupation | Country |
AbdelAziz | Hussein | Capacity Building Officer | Egypt |
Abdurahman | Katamish | Egypt | |
Adam | Talib | Asst. Professor | Egypt |
Ahdaf | Soueif | Writer | Egypt |
Ahmad | Abdalla | Film Maker | Egypt |
Aida | Seif El Dawla | Prof of Psychiatry, Ain Shams Univ., retired | Egypt |
Alex | Parrs | Academic | Egypt |
Alia | Saleh | Freelancer | Egypt |
Alice | Stevenson | Educator | US |
Allison | McManus | research director | United States |
Amina | Rachid | Universitaire | Egypt |
Amy | Elshazly | Producer / CM | USA |
Anna | Simmons | nhs | uk |
Anne | Alexander | Researcher | UK |
atef | bedair | east cairo | egypt |
Bárbara | Azaola | España | |
Benjamin | Koerber | assistant professor | |
Berta | Joubert-Ceci | psychiatrist | USA |
Bianca | longhi | translator | Italy |
Boucherit | Aziza | Maître de conférences | France |
Brooke | Palmer | Writer | USA |
Candice | Ulgheri | Writer | South Africa |
CARON | VALERIE | FRANCE | |
Carrie | Lee | Retired | USA |
Caterina | Pinto | ||
Chris | Miller | Translator | United Kingdom |
dalia | ghorab | mexico | |
Dalia | Mostafa | Lecturer at Manchester University | UK |
Daniela | Mastalli | Italy | |
Danièle | Bruchet | France | |
David | Renton | Author and barrister | UK |
Deborah | Eisele | disabled | United States |
Diane | Vogt-O’Connor | Retired | U.S.A. |
Diego | Sosa | Student | Puerto Rico |
Donna | Brooks | Cashier | USA |
Doua | Fatfat | ||
Ed | Macdonald | Writer | Canada |
Edin | Bajramović | Writer, novelist | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Elena | Cal | España | |
Enass | Abdallah | ||
Engy | Ahmed | Student | Egypt |
Eric | Chaumont | Researcher CNRS | France |
Evelina | Santangelo | Writer | Italian |
Faiza | Rady | ||
Fausto الناشر | Giudice جيوديشي | Publisher الناشر | Tunisia تونس |
Fred | Mecklenburg | U.S. | |
Gilgi | Hauser | Yoga/business | Israel |
Hadeer | Elmahdawy | journalist | Egypt |
Hami حمید | Beheschti بهشتی | Berlin | Germany |
Hannah | Morcos | ||
Helen | O’Mara | Lawyer | Ireland |
Hisham | Saqr | ||
Hoda | El Mahdy | non profit management | Egypt |
Hosam | El Sokkari | Writer – Consultant | Egypt |
Hossam | Abdalla | Fertility Doctor | UK |
Ian Alan | Paul | University Lecturer | USA |
Iman | Mersal | Writer | Canada |
Jerome | O’Leary | Bookseller | Ireland |
Joseph | Piette | Photojournalist | United States |
Karim | Ismail | ||
Kay | Leitch | Writer and Editor | United Kingdom |
Kinza | Khan | Medicine | UAE |
Lana | Barkawi | Executive and Artistic Director, Mizna (A forum for Arab American film, literature, and art) | United States |
Leah | Entenmann | US | |
Likhita | Banerji | Student | India |
Linda | Herrera | Professor | US |
Lori | Bednar | Copy Editor | US |
Lucia | Sorbera | Academic | Australia |
Luisa | Brehm | Portugal | |
mahmoud | omar | human | france |
Mahmoud | Salem | writer | egypt |
Mahmoud | Soliman | Egypt | |
Mai | El-Sadany | Lawyer | United States |
manel | khedim | student | Tunisia |
Manel | Msalmi | Researcher /writer | Belgium |
Manuela | Helmecke | Germany | |
Marcia | Lynx Qualey | Writer/editor | United States |
Marianne | Roux | France | |
Marianne | Thorndahl | Operations Manager | UK |
Martha | Gendy | ||
Mauro | Saccol | PhD student | Italy |
Max | Rodenbeck | Bureau Chief | India |
Mei Wan | Chang | Malaysia | |
Michael | Schmidt | Publisher | United Kingdom |
Michelle | Obeid | University Lecturer | United Kingdom |
Mina | Wesselink | Producer | Qatar |
Mohamed | Sallam | Egypt | |
Mona | Ali | Retired engineer | Egypt |
Mona | Baker | Professor of Translation Studies | United Kingdom and Egypt |
Muhammad | El Quessny | ||
Nadia | Kamel | FilmMaker | Egypt |
naila | silarbi | Canada | |
Naim | Kassar | Lawyer | Australia |
Nancy | Lewerenz | Germany | |
Nicola | Pratt | University Lecturer | UK |
Nora | Shalaby | Archaeologist | Egypt |
nour eldeen | hasan | Egypt | |
Nouran | Nabil | Student | Egypt |
Omar | Said | Journalist | Egypt |
Paola | Caridi | Writer, journalist | Italy |
Patrizia | Rosa Rosa | retiree | Italy |
Peter | Snowdon | Filmmaker | UK/Belgium |
Pit | Becker | Visual artist | germany |
Prisca | Destro | Italy | |
Rafik | Semaan | Egypt | |
Raihana | Husain | ||
Rasha | El-Ibiary | Univ prof | Egypt |
Renaud | Chavanne | Auteur | France |
Ricardo | Dominguez | Human Artivist Teacher | U.S.A. |
Richard | Jacquemond | Professor, researcher, translator | France |
Romina | Sommadossi | ||
Rosemary | Neidenberg | retired | United States |
rossella | rispoli | Italia | |
Salma | Amer | ||
Salma | El Noshokaty | Contributing writer at BECAUSE.bz and Marketing Consultant | Egypt |
Salma | El Wardany | Journalist | Egypt |
salma | shash | ||
Sandra | Soli | Poet and writer | USA |
Sara | Alsherif | Researcher | Egypt |
Shadi | El-Hosseiny | Translator | Egypt |
Shane | Seaber | ||
Sharif | Abdel Kouddous | Journalist | Egypt |
Sheba | Thayil | Writer | India |
Sherif | Azer | Human Rights Activist | Egypt |
Silvia | Ricchieri | development worker | Italia |
Sister Leslie | Tucker | A Religious [Nun] | USA |
Soha | mohsen | egypt | |
Stefan | Winkler | Germany | |
Stephanie | Lawson | United States | |
Stephen | Perkins | Art historian, curator, artist | usa |
Sultan | Al Qassemi | Columnist | UAE |
Suneela | Mubayi | Phd student, arabic literature | Usa/ india |
Susanne | Mayer | Librarian | Switzerland |
Tamer | Hamdy | Creative director | Egypt |
Tamir | ElSahy | Quality Evaluator | USA |
Tarek | Nasr | Digital Media | Egypt |
Tia | Anasuya | Chef | France |
WJ | Dorman | Researcher/Teacher | UK |
Yasmin | Hossam el din | Lawyer | Egypt |
Yasmine | El Rashidi | Writer | Egypt |
Yasmine | Zohdy | Egypt | |
Yasser | Abdel- Hafez | novelist and journalist | Egypt |
Yesim | Diriker | ||
Youssef | Rahman | The Netherlands | |
إيناس | مرزوق | مونتيرة | تونس |
بسمة | الحسيني | مديرة ثقافية | مصر |
سلمى | عقل | القاهرة | |
طارق | ابوالنجا | معمارى | مصر |
هشام | جبر | مستثمر بقطاع السياحة | مصر |
Open Up the Public Space: Egyptian Writers’ and Artists’ Statement Against the Imprisonment of Novelist Ahmed Naji
We, the undersigned, have been following with anxiety the continued deterioration in the performance of the organs of the State, the increase of oppressive practices, the attacks on public, personal, academic and artistic freedoms and the string of incidents that embarrass the country in front of the international community – at a time when Egypt badly needs to be part of this community.
Our sense of responsibility towards this country inspires us now with a great fear for its future in the shadow of a regime that deals with freedoms with such ignorant nonchalance, that privileges a discourse of oppression mouthing terms like “morality” while emptying them – by its actions – of all meaning, that violates the Constitution every day.
In this context comes the sentencing of novelist and journalist, Ahmed Naji, to 2 years in prison, because a chapter of his novel appeared in a literary magazine, after a multi-armed attack on a number of writers and journalists because of their opinions. This betrays a total disregard for the Constitution of 2014 -approved in a people’s referendum – which explicitly forbids custodial sentences in cases related to publishing or works of art.
Our defence of Naji, and others persecuted and under attack, is not just a defence of the right of creative artists and opinion-holders to express their opinions – whatever they are and in whatever language they choose – without fear, it is not just in support of the community of writers or intellectuals; it is rather to raise the alarm about the terrible and terrifying path taken by the regime, a path that leads the entire country towards the abyss, through “assassinating” the public space of expression and confiscating the political space.
Our message is clear: blocking, prohibiting, killing politics, giving a free hand to extremist forces and turning a blind eye to the many violations committed by the organs of the state – will all lead to catastrophic conflicts our country cannot sustain.
Abd el-Hakam Salman
Adam Mekkewi
Adel el-Siwi (artist)
Adel Wasili (artist)
Ahdaf Soueif (writer)
Ahmad Abd el-Latif (writer)
Ahmad el-Labbad (artist)
Ahmad Kheir
Ahmad Megahed (former head General Egyptian Book Organisation)
Ahmad Samir (writer)
Ala el-Aswani (writer)
Alaa Khaled (writer)
Ali Badrakhan (Director)
Asmaa Yaseen
Bassam Murtadi
Bassem Sharaf (writer)
Bassem Youssef (media)
Emad Abu Ghazi (academic and former Minister of Culture)
Esam el-Sayyed (director)
Gamila Ismail (media)
Hajjaj Adoul (writer)
Hala Lotfi (director)
Hasan Sharshar
Ibrahim Abd el-Meguid (writer)
Ibrahim el-Sayyed (poet)
Ihab Abdel-Hamid (writer)
Magdi Ahmad Ali (director)
Mamoud Abd el-Fattah (lawyer)
Mona Hala
Mona Seif
Muhammad Abd el-Fattah /Kalabala (director)
Muhammad Halim Barakat (writer)
Muhammad Hashem (publisher)
Muhammad Hosni Abu-Ezz (writer)
Muhammad Kheir (writer)
Muhammaed el-Adl
Rami Yehya (writer) Amira al-Adham (poet)
Rana el-Tonsi (poet)
Sayyed Hijab (poet)
Sayyed Mahmoud (writer)
Shaban Youssef (writer)
Wael el-Semari (poet)
Zein el-Abedeen Khayri (poet)
And over five hundred other writers and artists, read the full list in Arabic here