Randa Abdel-Fattah confirmed for Newcastle Writers Festival, minister denounces ‘cancelling artists or festivals’
Palestinian-Australian author Dr. Randa Abdel-Fattah will appear at the Newcastle Writers Festival as the state’s Arts Minister condemns “cancelling artists or events”.
Dr Abdel-Fattah made headlines earlier this year after he was not invited to Adelaide Writers’ Week, which led to the event being canceled following a mass exodus of protest attendees.
The board claimed the decision was made due to “cultural sensitivity” following the Bondi Beach massacre, but ultimately invited Dr Abdel-Fattah to the event in 2027.
Author Maeve Marsden posted on Friday that she would be taking part in a conversation with Dr Abdel-Fattah about his book Discipline during Newcastle Writers’ Week, saying the academic had been “subject to constant racist censorship” and a smear campaign.
Previously, NSW Liberal MLC Aileen MacDonald had sought to question the Labor government on whether the $250,000 grant to the festival was an “appropriate use of taxpayers’ money”, claiming it would “provide a platform for (an) anti-Semitic propagandist”.
Arts Minister John Graham responded by stating that he was “not a big fan of the culture of canceling artists or festivals” but that the state government’s priority was social cohesion.
“During my time as Arts Minister, I have faced a number of calls from all quarters to cancel events,” Mr Graham said.
“But we have expectations about how people will behave. We will not accept hate speech. The laws are clear.
“We expect festivals and cultural institutions to contribute to social cohesion. Everyone has a responsibility to do this. Arts and culture can and should help now.”
Mr. Graham said he did not support “canceling Thomas Friedman, Deborah Conway or a number of Palestinian artists” and that this “backfired pretty quickly.”
He said the government is working with cultural institutions to make sure “those interested in Jewish art and culture are welcome.”
It comes after federal Liberal MP Julian Leeser called on the Albanian government to ensure a rival South Australian event featuring Dr Abdel-Fattah, launched after the cancellation of Adelaide Writers’ Week, did not receive taxpayer funding.
“This event is designed entirely and solely to highlight the notorious and controversial academic Randa Abdel-Fattah,” he said.
“I call on Tony Burke to ensure taxpayer funds are not used to support divisive and hateful rhetoric by supporting this rogue festival.”
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has repeatedly raised concerns about Dr Abdel-Fattah’s attendance at the event, but has vehemently denied pressuring the board to rescind their invitation.
Dr. Abdel-Fattah’s lawyers filed two notices against the Prime Minister for libel; These included extreme statements that the Prime Minister “advocated that the Jewish people should not enjoy cultural security at such events.”
Instead, Dr. Abdel-Fattah argued that the remarks were not anti-Semitic and that they were not about a racial group, but rather about Zionism, “political ideologies”.
Labor MLC Stephen Lawrence met Dr Dr on Thursday night. He supported Abdel-Fattah and noted Mr Malinauskas’ comments at 7.30 that “the Zionists
has the right to cultural security”.
“But during the interview he skipped the ‘cultural’ part and said that Zionists had no right to be safe.
“This is a great injustice to what he said. It completely distorts the meaning of cultural security.
“He mischaracterized what he said in a way that denigrated him and suggested that he was a racist, horrible person who thought people with a certain ideology about Israel should not be safe.”
Mr Lawrence said it would be a ‘terrible injustice’ if Dr Abdel-Fattah was excluded from the Newcastle festival.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has been contacted for comment.
