"> Name: Kowetiennes scholar and writer, Alia Shuaib, convicted of publishing opinions that ridicule religion blasphemy in a book she published in 1993, "Spiders Bemoan a Wound"

Date:  1985 - 1995 , 1995 - 2005

Location:  Middle East and Caucasus

SubjectReligious , Political/Economic/Social Opinion

MediumLiterature , Personal Opinion


Artist: Alia Shuaib

Confronting Bodies: Kuwait Islamists

Date of Action: 1993, 2000

Specific Location: Kuwait

Description of Artwork: The text under question is a line of poetry from Alia Shuaib’s book, “Anakeb Tarthi Jerhan” (“Spiders Lament a Wound”) published in 1993.



Description of Incident: Shuaib, a teacher of philosophy at Kuwait University, maintains that the only part of her book “Spiders Lament a Wound” that mentions God is the phrase "God's secret map." However, Kuwait Islamists objected to the text citing moral and religious offences.



Results of Incident: Shuaib was found guilty of "publishing opinions that ridicule religion" and blasphemy and was sentenced to one month in prison and several fines. Yehya al-Rubaian, the book's publisher, was also given a suspended two-month sentence and was fined the equivalent of $328 for publishing the book without prior government approval. The writer and publisher have appealed the ruling.



Source: Democracy Frontline at: http://democracyfrontline.org/blog/?p=1597 ; and, http://leb.net/~aljadid/culture/0529staff_01.html

Submitted By: National Coalition Against Censorship



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