Tariq Ramadan is calling on all people of conscience to boycott the forthcoming Turin Book Fair, stemming from the fact that the Turin festival organizers have decided to honor Israeli literature because it is the Jewish state’s 60th anniversary. Ramadan told an Italian news agency that From now on, we cannot recognize the legitimacy of celebrating the state of Israel, which leaves death and desolation in its wake. The issue, he said, is not an Islamic or Arab question, but a matter of world conscience. Last week the Union of Arab Writers wrote a letter to protest against the book fair decision to feature Israel as a guest of honor to mark the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state.
