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In April 2007, the magazine was banned and its license was revoked by the Egyptian State Council Administrative Court on 7 April 2009 due to the publication of a poem "On the balcony of Leila Murad" by Egyptian poet Hilmi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.