A number of Algerian intellectuals in Algeria, Europe and North America signed a petition asking that the ban imposed on Egyptian books in the upcoming international book fair to be held in the Algerian capital in October should be lifted.
The petition was originally the idea of Ahmad Bin Sa'adeh, who lives in Canada and holds a doctorate degree in Physics. Those who signed the petition criticized the decision of the book fair commissioner to ban Egyptian books in the upcoming fair.
The petition explained that the petitioners believe that the unilateral punishment imposed on both Egyptian literature and Algerian readers is absurd when Algerian soccer players are still playing against Egyptian teams, knowing that a soccer match was what initiated the whole thing in the first place.
Algerian newspapers reported that the administrator of the international book fair, Ismail Ameziane , said that Egyptian publishers were not to be invited to participate in the fair because of the Egyptian intellectuals' reactions to the events that took place following the 2010 world cup qualifying soccer match on 14th November 2009 in Cairo.
Petitioners demanded that authorities should terminate this shameful dispute by lifting the ban on Egyptian books, so that Algerian readers can discover, read and enjoy them. It is worth mentioning that the petition was published in several Algerian papers.
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