Egyptian rejects novelist of the year award - oppressive regime/USA [View All]

[dArKeR]

Cairo - A respected Egyptian writer has stunned a pan-Arab literary gathering by rejecting an award worth about $16 000 (about R112 000) from the Egyptian culture ministry, saying it came from "a government that does not have credibility."

Sonallah Ibrahim, a Marxist who is seen as a master of satire, was declared novelist of the year at the annual Arab Novelists Assembly in Cairo on Wednesday night.

With Culture Minister Farouk Hosni looking on, Ibrahim, 66, took the microphone and read out a statement.

"I thank you for choosing me for this award. It's an honour. And I apologise for not accepting it because it is given by a government that does not have credibility," Ibrahim said, according to a copy of his statement that he later emailed to The Associated Press.

In his statement, Ibrahim criticised Arab governments for what he called their oppressive regimes and their "collaboration" with the American occupation of Iraq and Israeli actions against the Palestinians.

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