(Zaman Al Wasl)- Students at American University of Beirut (AUB) protested the reception of Syria's veteran poet Adonis on Saturday.
Syrian writer Ali Ahmad Esber also known by the pen name Adonis fiercely defended Bashar al-Assad and through his position as an influential writer distorted the Syrian revolution and describe it as a bloody barbaric movement.
The Syrian writer previously commented on the Chemical Massacre in East Ghouta saying “it is not certain who used the chemical weaponry.”
AUB students raised banners to show Adonis his duplicity using Adonis sayings prior to the revolution such as “why prisons in Arab countries are empty from writers? The writer has always to be in prison.” Adonis had previously stated to New Yorker Magazine saying a writer commitment is based on telling the truth and that means staying the prison, if he was outside the prison, then the writer is not telling the truth.
The university invited Adonis to Beirut to celebrate 150 years to foundation of the university and 68 years after Adonis first visit in 1948 to receive a poetry prize. He delivered a lecture about poetry when students started protesting against him in the hall.
His visit was not preceded by a media campaign.
(Translation by Rana Abdul)
Syrian writer Ali Ahmad Esber also known by the pen name Adonis fiercely defended Bashar al-Assad and through his position as an influential writer distorted the Syrian revolution and describe it as a bloody barbaric movement.
The Syrian writer previously commented on the Chemical Massacre in East Ghouta saying “it is not certain who used the chemical weaponry.”
AUB students raised banners to show Adonis his duplicity using Adonis sayings prior to the revolution such as “why prisons in Arab countries are empty from writers? The writer has always to be in prison.” Adonis had previously stated to New Yorker Magazine saying a writer commitment is based on telling the truth and that means staying the prison, if he was outside the prison, then the writer is not telling the truth.
The university invited Adonis to Beirut to celebrate 150 years to foundation of the university and 68 years after Adonis first visit in 1948 to receive a poetry prize. He delivered a lecture about poetry when students started protesting against him in the hall.
His visit was not preceded by a media campaign.
(Translation by Rana Abdul)
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.