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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Arabic publications on Islam dominate this year’s Erbil International Book Fair, where 700,000 titles from publishers in 20 countries have been attracting a steady flow of visitors, some leaving with heavy bags filled with books despite a severe economic crisis that has hit the Kurdistan Region.
The 11th edition of the 10-day fair kicked off on Tuesday with titles on religion, science, philosophy, literature and geography – among others. Publishers from France, Italy, Australia, Canada, India, Turkey and several Arab countries are participating.
But Arabic books on Islam and Shariah – Islamic law – have been the hot sellers, while books in English are scarcely seen.
Some buyers came from other Kurdish cities, looking for titles of interest.
"I came from Sulaimani to find the best books of my choice especially those related to basic Islamic principles," said Abdulqadir Ahmed, a 36-year-old Islamic preacher from Sulaimani, as he perused titles at the stall of the Azhar International Institute.
He said this year’s offerings were the best, because he was able to find Islamic books dating back decades and written by some of the luminaries of Islam.
The interest in Islamic books comes as Kurdish Peshmerga forces have been fighting the Islamic State group since an attack on Erbil since August 2014. The war front is only about 70 kilometers southwest of Erbil.
With so many Islamic books on sale, authorities were concerned about books that could be used to radicalize Kurdish youth. On the second day of the fair, some 60 books banned by Kurdish authorities were found among the offerings, and authorities ordered them removed.
Masoud Abu Hassan, a vendor from Egypt, complained to Rudaw that three of his titles were ordered off the shelves.
“Fair organizers should have initially notified us about books prohibited in the Kurdistan region, so that we would not bring them," Hassan said.
Gaylan Mohammed, an 18-year-old studying at an Islamic school in Erbil, shopped for books at a Turkish publishing house, together with 20 fellow students.
Mohammed, who wants to become an Islamic mullah, said there were books at the annual fair that were not found in local bookstores.
"For the past three years I have been buying books at the Erbil fair. I find exactly the books I am looking for,” he said.
The owner of the Turkish stall said that “the vast majority” of clients buying his books on Islam were males, aged between 18 and 20.
Nawzad Sabir, a member of the book fair’s administration, said that this year’s edition of the exhibition had a different flavor.
“Last year was more crowded, less Arabic books were on display and more Kurdish books were bought by customers. But I see an extreme reversal this year.”
The 11th edition of the 10-day fair kicked off on Tuesday with titles on religion, science, philosophy, literature and geography – among others. Publishers from France, Italy, Australia, Canada, India, Turkey and several Arab countries are participating.
But Arabic books on Islam and Shariah – Islamic law – have been the hot sellers, while books in English are scarcely seen.
Some buyers came from other Kurdish cities, looking for titles of interest.
"I came from Sulaimani to find the best books of my choice especially those related to basic Islamic principles," said Abdulqadir Ahmed, a 36-year-old Islamic preacher from Sulaimani, as he perused titles at the stall of the Azhar International Institute.
He said this year’s offerings were the best, because he was able to find Islamic books dating back decades and written by some of the luminaries of Islam.
The interest in Islamic books comes as Kurdish Peshmerga forces have been fighting the Islamic State group since an attack on Erbil since August 2014. The war front is only about 70 kilometers southwest of Erbil.
With so many Islamic books on sale, authorities were concerned about books that could be used to radicalize Kurdish youth. On the second day of the fair, some 60 books banned by Kurdish authorities were found among the offerings, and authorities ordered them removed.
Masoud Abu Hassan, a vendor from Egypt, complained to Rudaw that three of his titles were ordered off the shelves.
“Fair organizers should have initially notified us about books prohibited in the Kurdistan region, so that we would not bring them," Hassan said.
Gaylan Mohammed, an 18-year-old studying at an Islamic school in Erbil, shopped for books at a Turkish publishing house, together with 20 fellow students.
Mohammed, who wants to become an Islamic mullah, said there were books at the annual fair that were not found in local bookstores.
"For the past three years I have been buying books at the Erbil fair. I find exactly the books I am looking for,” he said.
The owner of the Turkish stall said that “the vast majority” of clients buying his books on Islam were males, aged between 18 and 20.
Nawzad Sabir, a member of the book fair’s administration, said that this year’s edition of the exhibition had a different flavor.
“Last year was more crowded, less Arabic books were on display and more Kurdish books were bought by customers. But I see an extreme reversal this year.”
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