Mein Kampf at Doha Book Fair

Mein Kampf at Doha Book Fair, US Embassy participation, and “Palestine” as “Guest of Honor”

This story has been withheld since last May, in view of Steve Witkoff’s negotiations in Qatar over Gaza, in the hope of a positive outcome. A timeline was given until the end of Eid al-Adha, the Islamic Feast of the Sacrifice, this past week-end. Since the negotiations have been unsuccessful – no release of hostages, no surrender of Hamas, and no ceasefire! – we can now return to reporting on the 34th Doha International Book Fair…

Each year, we have advised the US Embassy on the large presence of antisemitic literature at the Fair, but have so far received no response.

This year, on the Book Fair shelves, there is yet a new version of Mein Kampf, glorifying Adolf Hitler – on the stand of House of Cultural Diversity [sic!] – commented by Mohammed Yassin Saleh, Minister of Culture of the Syrian Transitional Government, and former journalist for Al-Jazeera.

The spotlight of the Book Fair is on “Guest of Honor, Palestine”… apparently well received by the local US Embassy.

(Photos CSW-Europe)

Doha News reported on Palestinian Authority Minister of Culture, Emad Al Din Hamdan, inaugurating the PA’s pavilion with a ceremony marked by children’s poetry. Hamdan stated, “these verses paid tribute to the resilience and cultural heritage of the Palestinian people,” adding, “Our message is that Palestine is present everywhere… we must be part of significant events, especially one as important as this exhibition in Qatar.”

Minister Hamdan stressed the importance of bringing international attention to the Palestinian cause: “We are here to speak about the genocide in Gaza and the recent attacks in the northwestern West Bank and in refugee camps.”

Hamdan was accompanied by Palestinian school-children wearing keffiyehs and waving flags.

Where was the US Embassy?