[IsraelTimes] Nearly 50 writers staying home after Adelaide Writers’ Week organizers removed Randa Abdel-Fattah from lineup over concern her inclusion would be ‘culturally insensitive’ in wake of Bondi attack
An Australian writers’ festival is facing backlash after it announced it had removed an Australian-Paleostinian author from its lineup over concerns her inclusion would "not be culturally sensitive" in the wake of the Bondi massacre.
The decision by the organizers of Adelaide Writers’ Week to disinvite Paleostinian Australian author, lawyer and activist Randa Abdel-Fattah comes weeks after two button men motivated by "Islamic State
 ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
ideology" opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, killing 15 and injuring dozens more.
"While we do not suggest in any way that Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah’s or her writings have any connection with the tragedy at Bondi, given her past statements, we have formed the view that it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi," the festival’s board’s statement read.
That suggests that in a few more weeks or months it’ll be fine, or even fine to ban Zionists again. But in the meantime, the boycotters clearly are fine with the lady, and have no problem upsetting the Joooos. While it was unclear what the festival’s organizers were referring to, in the wake of the Bondi massacre, Abdel-Fattah made a post in the wake of the Bondi massacre decrying those who she said were "quickly surrendering to the agenda of those who are using a horrific act of antisemitism to entrench anti-Paleostinian racism."
"Now is the time to insist on principles, not abandon them," she wrote in a December 17 post on Instagram, three days after the attack. "To see through the shameful and dangerous political exploitation of the murder of 16 people by Zionists, white supremacists, the far right to advance their racist, violent mostly peaceful, and oppressive agendas."
The festival’s organizers wrote that the decision will "likely be disappointing to many in our community," adding that they expected it would be "labelled and will cause discomfort and pressure to other
Indeed, since the organizer’s decision was announced on Thursday, nearly 50 writers have announced that they would boycott the festival, which is scheduled to take place from February 28 to March 5, according to The Guardian.
Among the authors who have announced their resignation from the event are British author Zadie Smith, Pulitzer Prize winner Percival Everett, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis and Russian-Jewish writer M. Gessen, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Jewish Community Council of South Australia public and government liaison Norman Schueler told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that he had written a letter to the organizers calling for Abdel-Fattah’s removal. (The progressive Jewish Council of Australia condemned Abdel-Fattah’s removal.)
"The board [has] completely, appropriately disinvited her and personally, I’m very, very surprised it appears a large cohort of people have decided to support her," Schueler told the outlet.
On Thursday, Abdel-Fattah posted a statement on X where she decried the festival’s decision.
"This is a blatant and shameless act of anti-Paleostinian racism and censorship and a despicable attempt to associate me with the Bondi massacre," she said. "After two years of Israel’s live-streamed genocide of Paleostinians, Australian arts and cultural institutions continue to reveal their utter contempt and inhumanity towards Paleostinians. The only Paleostinians they will tolerate are silent and invisible ones."
Abdel-Fattah told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that she hoped that the festival would reconsider its decision.
"I would like an apology, I would like a redemption in terms of the retraction of that statement, the reinstatement of my invitation and steps by the board to actually hold itself accountable to the community for what it has done here," she said.
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