Ibdaa (magazine)

Ibdaa
Categories Literary magazine
Frequency Monthly
Publisher General Egyptian Book Organization
First issue 1 January 1983
Country Egypt
Based in Cairo
Language Arabic

Ibdaa (meaning Creativity in English) is a monthly Arabic literary magazine based in Cairo, Egypt.

History

Ibdaa was launched in January 1983.[1] The magazine, based in Cairo,[2] is published by the General Egyptian Book Organization, an agency of the ministry of culture.[1][3]

Egyptian poet Ahmed Abdel Muti Hijazi became chief editor of the magazine in 1990 and he resigned from the post in 2002.[4] He was reappointed chief editor of Ibdaa in 2006.[4]

Bans

Ibdaa has been banned several times.[4] For instance, it was banned following the publication of a painting portraying Adam and Eve naked.[4] The other ban occurred after publishing a study about Jewish culture.[4]

In April 2007, the magazine was banned and its license was revoked by the Egyptian State Council Administrative Court on 7 April 2009 due to the publication of a poem "On the balcony of Leila Murad" by Egyptian poet Hilmi Salem (1951-2012).[1][5][6] The poem in which God was likened to an Egyptian peasant was regarded by the court as "blasphemous".[7][8] The petition to the court was made by the authorities at Al Azhar University.[7] However, the earlier prints of the poem in Salem's 2006 anthology and in Al Wafd daily and Al Arabi magazine did not cause any stir.[9] In addition to the ban, the magazine was harshly criticized by Hamdi Rizq writing for Almasry Alyoum, a daily in Egypt, due to its publication of the poem.[10] The ban and license revoking were reversed on appeal in June 2009.[11][12]

See also

List of magazines in Egypt

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Ibdaa magazine to reappear on newsstands". Daily News Egypt. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  2. "At a glance". Al Ahram Weekly (459). 9–15 December 1999. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  3. Mahmoud El Wardani (8–14 July 1999). "Books. At a glance". Al Ahram Weekly 437. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Robier Al Faris (22 April 2007). "When a father kills his baby". Arab West Report. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  5. "Statements". AFTE. 15 September 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  6. "‘God Is Not a Policeman': Helmi Salem Dies at 61". Arabic Literature. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Jenna Krajeski (10 April 2009). "Good Shepherd". The New Yorker. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  8. Mohamed El Bendary (1 March 2010). The Egyptian Press and Coverage of Local and International Events. Lexington Books. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-7391-2431-4. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  9. "Egypt court bans magazine for blasphemy". Al Arabiya (Cairo). Reuters. 7 April 2009. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  10. Hamdi Rizq (31 May 2007). "A Legitimate Edition". Almasry Alyoum. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  11. "The impact of blasphemy laws on human Rights" (Policy Brief). Freedom House. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  12. "Egypt court reinstates magazine licence after poem". Reuters (Cairo). 15 June 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2014.