Jordan: The Story of the Forum that WILL Happen
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“Today he [Edward Walker, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State] travels to
Jordan, where intellectuals are planning to hold a holocaust denial
conference on Sunday.” (The Independent, April 20, 2001)

Amman, Jordan
April 21, 2001

Part I: The Jordanian Government forced today another ‘postponement’ for
a forum titled ‘Revisionist Historians and the Cancelled Conference in
Beirut’ that was supposed to take place April 8 the first time, and
April 22 the second time.

The Minister of Culture, Mr. Mahmoud Al Kayed, called most of the
members of the board of the Jordanian Writers Association (JWA)
repeatedly today, and exerted extreme pressure.  Some of those called
were reportedly told that ‘it’s better for the JWA to postpone the Forum
on its own, than to have it postponed by force’, and that ‘trying to
hold the Forum anyway will result in measures that will guarantee its
complete cancellation forever’.

On the other hand, a few pseudo-leftists and defeatists in the JWA
volunteered themselves to voice the government’s line for the
postponement of the Forum.  Eventually, a majority of the members of the
board of the JWA obliged with the government’s demand to postpone,
according to JWA president Fakhri Qawar.  Thus, the Forum on Revisionist
Historians that was scheduled for tomorrow evening, Sunday, April 22,
2001, in the offices of the JWA, will not take place in that particular
time and place.

Part II: But, this is not the end of the story.
In fact, Zionists may have our hands shackled in the chains of the Arab
regimes, but it is only when you give up in your heart and mind, that
Zionists win, and we are just warming up still.

This is what happened today.  The oppressive measures of the Jordanian
Government moved the whole battlefield into the domain of braver
generals.  Thus, upon receiving [until that point] unconfirmed news of
the forced postponement of the Forum of the JWA yet again, Laith
Shubeilat, the eye of the tiger, announced after consulting with members
of the board of the Association against Zionism and Racism (AZAR) which
he heads, that AZAR will be proud to host the twice-postponed JWA Forum
on Revisionist Historians at a date to be agreed upon by AZAR’s board
when the forced postponement is ascertained.

Laith Shubeilat of course is the distinguished Jordanian Arab opposition
leader who has risen to the occasion more than once before where others
faltered.  This time he was speaking to a packed hall at the offices of
the Association against Zionism and Racism (AZAR) on the occasion of
Prisoners Day.  AZAR was hosting an event to honor Jordanian prisoner
Ahmad Daqamseh.  Members of his family were honored on his behalf.  One
of the wounded of the Intifada, currently receiving medical treatment in
Amman, was also honored.  He gave a speech from the heart in which he
condemned all Arab regimes (with the exception of Iraq), and in which he
urged the Arab masses to move.  It was at the end of that event that
Laith Shubeilat rose up to make his timely announcement about the
willingness of AZAR to host the forum of the Jordanian Writers
Association should the news about its postponement turn out to be true.

Now, the board of AZAR will meet to set the new date for the Forum, and
we will keep you posted, as usual.  And neither Laith Shubeilat nor the
members of the AZAR are the kind to bow under pressure over the phone!

The forces of Zionist evil will NOT win.  The Forum will take place
sooner or later, somewhere, whether Zionists and their supporters like
or not.

Again, we urge all those who support the suffocation of free speech
rights for revisionist historians and dissident Arab intellectuals to
reconsider their positions.  Plus, if historical revisionism were not so
dangerous to Zionism, why all this hassle over a local forum discussing
it in Amman?!  At any rate, if you don’t want to stand by your natural
allies, at least don’t stand against their right to practice free
speech..

Ibrahim Alloush
Media Coordinator and elected member of the board of AZAR : )

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