Defending Free Speech: Al-Adab and Samah Idriss

Sign the Petition

We write to denounce the lawsuit against Samah Idriss and Al-Adab by Fakhri Karim, editor of Al-Mada. We know Idriss well from his years of activism in support of the Palestinian and Lebanese people while studying in the U.S. We highly respect his work in a variety of fields: literary, cultural, publishing and political. He is resolute in his fight for free speech, critical thinking, and opposition to forces seeking to restrict these rights. In his recent writing and activist work, Idriss stands behind the right to self-determination of the Iraqi people while reiterating the same for Palestinians, and continues to fight for equal rights for all Lebanese.

Karim’s actions are especially disconcerting given his position as advisor to Jalal Talabani, the current Iraqi President. We must be suspicious of a lawsuit infringing on free speech especially when undertaken by an intellectual connected to a government elected under occupation. We consider Karim’s lawsuit an attack on the rights of all Lebanese, as well as Arabs, to express themselves. It is also an attempt to intimidate those who dare speak out, following the example of Samah
Idriss. As opponents of the U.S. and Israeli aggression against peoples of the Middle East, we believe Karim’s actions will play into the hands of the occupiers, both in Iraq and Palestine. Therefore we demand Fakhri Karim drop his law suit, out of respect for his own people, and if nothing else, in the name of the million Iraqis who have lost their lives so far.

Sign the Petition

  1. Adalah-N.Y.
  2. Women of a Certain Age, NY.
  3. Samia Saleh, Technical Editor.
  4. Matthew Gutmann, Professor of Anthropology, Brown University.
  5. Khodor Awarki, Journalist, Lebanon/Canada
  6. Osamah Khalil, PhD student, UC Berkeley.
  7. Shahira Mehrez, Businesswoman.
  8. Mai Masri, Filmaker, Lebanon
  9. Jean Khalil Chamoun, Filmaker, Lebanon
  10. Lori A. Allen, PhD, Lecturer, University of Cambridge.
  11. Rami Zurayk, Professor, American University of Beirut.
  12. Ahmad Dallal, Professor, Georgetown University.
  13. Noam Chomsky, MIT Professor (retired) .
  14. Paul Khoury, PhD, Author.
  15. Sulafa al-Bassam.
  16. Hatem el-Imam, Graphic Designer, Lebanon.
  17. Majeed al-Barghouti, Poet, Writer, Palestine
  18. Ghassan Dbaibo, MD, Professor, American University Hospital, Lebanon.
  19. Samir Shurayh, Chemical Engineer, Canada
  20. Laleh Khalili, Assistant Professor, SOAS, London.
  21. Mouaffak Ghazal, Educator, Activist.
  22. Sawsan Barghouti, Writer, Activist, Palestine.
  23. Jillian Schwedler, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Massachussets.
  24. Fouad Ehhaje, PhD, Editor.
  25. Suhail Kewan, Writer, Editor.
  26. Bissan Tay, Journalist, Lebanon.
  27. Bassam Kantar, Journalist, Lebanon.
  28. Layal Haddad, Journalist, Lebanon.
  29. Norman G. Finkelstein, Political Scientist, Author, USA.
  30. Jake Hess,Universitty Student.
  31. Karim Emile Bitar, Writer, Editor of ENA magazine.
  32. Ahmed Issawi, Director, Alwan for the Arts, NYC
  33. Alfredo Saad Filho, Head of Department of Development Studies, University of London.
  34. David Finkel, Editor.
  35. Joseph Massad, Associate Professor of Modern Arab Politics, Columbia University, NYC
  36. Mary C. Wilson, Professor of History,Univerity of Massachussets, Amherst.
  37. Nubar Hovsepian, Associate Professor of Political Science, Chapman University.
  38. Doug Tarnopol, Writer, Editor.
  39. Ziad Elias Deeb.
  40. Muhsin al-Jilawi, Writer, Iraq.
  41. John Orvis, Writer.
  42. Abd-al Nabi al-’Akri, Lawyer, Writer, Bahrain.
  43. Ibrahim Alloush, Professor of Economics, Palestine/Jordan.
  44. Insaf Qala’ji.
  45. Adib Qa’war, Writer, Jordan.
  46. Arab Abdel-Hadi, Art counselor.
  47. Tarek al-Dulaymi, Writer, Iraq.
  48. Malak Abdel-Hadi, Painter, Sculptor.
  49. Lara Masri.
  50. Wajdi Masri.
  51. Rima Masri.
  52. Ziad Masri.
  53. Riccardo Badini, professor of American-Spanish Literature, University of Cagliari, Italy
  54. Wasim Dahmash, professor of Arabic Literature, University of Cagliari, Italy
  55. Franca Gabriella Piras, professor of Italian Literature, University of Cagliari, Italy
  56. Pina Rosa Piras, professor of Spanish Literature, University of Roma Tre, Italy
  57. Mariam Cortas Said.
  58. Lara Deeb, Professor, University of California, Irvine.
  59. Kristin Monroe, Graduate Student.
  60. Assaad Ghossoub, PhD, Research Chemist.
  61. Zeina Zaatari, PhD, Independent Researcher.
  62. Caoimhe Butterly, Voices in the Wilderness, Ireland/Lebanon
  63. Mahmoud Dandashly, Architect, UAE
  64. Tarek Kahlaoui, PhD Candidate, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
  65. Maher Jarrar - University Teacher
  66. Dr. Nicola Pratt, Lecturer in Comparative Politics and International Relations, Associate Editor, British Journal of ME Studies, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
  67. Imad Atallla, Editor, Publio Magazine.
  68. Lucia Rostagno, University “La Sapienza”, Rome.
  69. Anthony Arnove, Author.
  70. Dr. Ghada Karmi, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, England, UK
  71. Laura Boushnak
  72. Wilhelm Langthaler, Spokesman,Anti-imperialist Camp, Vienna, Austria
  73. Hamid Dabashi, Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University
  74. Fatima Sharafeddine, Writer, Lebanon/Belgium
  75. Khaled Barakat, Activist, Palestine/Canada
  76. Maren Hackmann, Editor & Translator,Germany
  77. Nizar Hassan, Filmmaker and Cinema professor.Nazareth, Palestine.
  78. Nir Rosen, New America Foundation Fellow, NYC
  79. Kabalan Franjieh, Diplomat, Lebanon
  80. Eugène Richard Sensenig-Dabbous, PhD, Notre Dame University, Lebanon
  81. Omar Barghouti, Independent Cultural and Political Analyst, Palestine
  82. Ahmad Abdalla, PhD, Columbia University, GSAS
  83. Mary Ellen Davis, university instructor, Montreal
  84. Najwan Darwish, Writer, Jerusalem, Palestine
  85. Ismael Dabbagh, Actor, Jerusalem, Palestine
  86. Franklin Lamb, PhD, Director, Americans Concerned for Middle East Peace, Beirut-Washington, DC
  87. Ussamah Saab, Architect, Beirut, Lebanon
  88. Rim Saab, university student, Cardiff, Wales
  89. Ussama Makdisi, Assoc Professor, Rice University
  90. Dr. Wendy Phillips, English Professor, Toronto, Canada
  91. Professor Suad Joseph, Director, Middle East/South Asia Studies, Department of Anthropology, University of California
  92. Pratik Patil
  93. Janet Scheid, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
  94. Patricia Nabti, Ph.D., Director, Association for Volunteer Services, Lebanon
  95. Mostafa Hefny, MA student, Georgetown University, Egypt/USA
  96. Sami Hermez, Doctoral student, Princeton University, USA
  97. Lars Akerhaug, Freelance writer, Norway
  98. Dr. Marcy Newman, Assistant Professor, Boise State University, USA
  99. Rami El-Amine, editor, Left Turn Review, Lebanon/USA
  100. Niall McNamara, Librarian, Dublin, Ireland
  101. Elisabeth Gschaider, author and project manager, Austria
  102. Farouk Wadi, Novelist, Palestine/Jordan.
  103. Sana Kassem, Athens, Greece
  104. Sonia Daly, Montréal/Canada
  105. Azzam Maki, University Teacher, Iraq/UK
  106. Sonia Daly, Montréal/Canada
  107. Hassane Mawlawi, Warren, Ohio-USA / Lebanon
  108. Omar Shanbour, Engineer, Palestine/Canada
  109. Ghida Frangieh, Lebanon
  110. Saud Qubaitat, Writer, President, Union of Jordanian Writers.
  111. Yussef Abdel-Aziz, Poet, Jordan
  112. Hisham al-Bustani, Writer and Activist, Jordan.
  113. Hoda Fakhouri, Writer, Jordan.
  114. Alean Alean, Writer and Researcher.
  115. Zuheir Abu-Sheyab, Poet, Jordan.
  116. Ghazi al-Zaybah, Poet, Jordan
  117. Muaffaq Muhadeen, Writer and Researcher, Jordan.
  118. Brian Aboud for “Tadamon“, Canada
  119. Alex Wolfson, Writer, Toronto.
  120. Abed Alsattar al-Kfairy
  121. Freda Guttman
  122. Timothy E. Kaldas, Graduate Student, Georgetown University
  123. Nazha Harb, Lebanon
  124. Hani Tabbara, Free Speech Advocate & “Al ADaab mag” fan, Lebanon / USA
  125. Alice Guthrie, UK
  126. Ashley Heacock, student at The George Washington University
  127. Sana Odeh
  128. Keghani Kouzoujianm, Student at Carnegie Mellon University, Qatar
  129. Yasmina Alami, Lebanese-Palestinian psychology student at AUB, Beirut, Lebanon
  130. Haytham Makim, Architect, Canada
  131. Amin SAAD, Ingénieur, France
  132. Zein Hakim, CPH, DK
  133. Mohammed A Ali, PE in the Eastern province /Saudi arabia