|
Cairo: It is not the first Israeli work to be translated into Arabic in Egypt. But since its serialisation first appeared in October magazine, Yasmin, an Israeli romance novel, has caused a stir in Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.
This controversy grew when the Arabic translation of the novel appeared late last year in book form circulated by the State-owned Al Ahram Press House.
"Israel has translated everything about us [the Arabs], but we have not done the same," said Hussain Serag, the deputy editor-in-chief of the semi-official October magazine, who translated the story.
"Culture and arts should not be affected by politics because they do not have a certain nationality," he told Gulf News.
Yasmin written by the leftist Israeli novelist Eli Amir, is an intense love story between an Iraqi Jewish immigrant and a Palestinian Christian woman in the aftermath of the 1967 Middle East Six-Day War. Amir, who recently came to Cairo to attend the launch of the Arabic translation, was born in 1937 in Baghdad and immigrated to Israel in 1950.
Under fire
The controversy over Yasmin comes as anti-Israeli sentiment runs high not only among ordinary Egyptians but among intellectuals as well. Last November, organisers of the Cairo International Film Festival, one of the Arab world's prestigious cultural events, refused to show an Israeli film. Likewise, young Egyptian actor Amr Wakid came under fire in the local media for appearing in a British film about late Iraqi president Saddam Hussain featuring an Israeli actor.
"I agree to have Hebrew literature translated into Arabic, but with one condition. This should not happen through normalisation with the Israeli enemy," said Yousuf Al Qaeed, a prominent Egyptian writer. "The Palestinian state has not been created yet. Nor has Israel renounced its expansionist policy. It still occupies [the Syrian] Golan Heights and south Lebanon. In addition, it continues to send spies into Egypt," he told Gulf News.
Al Qaeed's work is among the Egyptian literature translated into Hebrew. But he is quick to point out that he was not a partner to these translations.
Serag, who is responsible for Israeli affairs in October magazine, had previously translated into Arabic other Hebrew work, including memoirs of ex-Israeli defence minister Moshe Dyan.
"Egyptians continued to translate and read masterpieces from British literature after Britain occupied their country in 1882," argued Serag. "For how long will we continue to boycott them [the Israelis]?he asked.
"We will never be able to solve anything unless we communicate," said Serag. "We should make use of the large numbers of students graduating from Hebrew departments in Egyptian universities every year to learn more about Israeli society."
|
