"The Sufferings of Gaza" book launch at QPC

The Qatar Press Center (QPC) hosted the signing ceremony of the book "The Sufferings of Gaza... Very Short Stories" by writer and media figure Dr Ahmed Abdulmalik. The ceremony is the first of the activities and programmes of the Cultural Press Committee headed by Mohammed Salaan al-Marri.

The book includes 60 selected stories about major issues that the residents of the Gaza Strip have been experiencing for more than a year, but they were presented in a few words that are very similar to Japanese haiku poetry. They were presented in 128 pages, summarizing the suffering of the residents of the Gaza Strip and the betrayal of the world that claims to be free, while it witnesses the crimes of the occupying entity without moving a finger.

The signing ceremony was attended by HE Khaled al-Obaidan, member of the Shura Council, HE Ali Bakhtiari, Cultural Counselor at the Iran embassy in Qatar, and a number of writers, intellectuals, the public and interested parties.

Sadiq Mohammed al-Amari, Director General of the Center, stressed that the launch of the book "The Sufferings of Gaza... Very Short Stories" comes amidst the escalating events in the Gaza Strip, and the crimes that the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples are being subjected to as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression against the two peoples, without anyone knowing where the hand of aggression will extend. Noting that the event is the first of the programmes and activities of the Cultural Press Committee, he looked forward to the committee continuing its programmes with the same strength of presentation, and discussing issues that have an impact on local affairs. He stressed that the door of the Qatar Press Center is open to creators, and it will always stand by inspiring initiatives that add to the center and the Qatari community.

Mohammed Salaan al Marri appreciated the efforts of the QPC in shedding light on cultural affairs and embracing activities and programmes that would enrich culture and intellectuals, so that Qatar would be a beacon for the cultural movement not only at the local level but also regionally and globally. He announced the availability of the book “The Sufferings of Gaza... Very Short Stories” electronically. To encourage the new generation to read, for a symbolic price of 5 Riyals and its equivalent in other currencies, readers will be able to read the book for a week. This initiative aims to encourage reading and convey the voice of Gaza to the world through this book.

Dr Ahmed Abdulmalik expressed his gratitude to QPC for its efforts in supporting various literary arts, and for giving him the opportunity to host the signing ceremony of his 50th book, which reflects the suffering of the Palestinian people, especially during the bloody war and the genocidal war committed by the occupying enemy for more than a year.

Abdulmalik said he sought to complete this work in conjunction with the first anniversary of the war witnessed by the Gaza Strip in light of the Security Council’s slumber, and the great powers that claim to be biased towards human rights while they are witnessing the massacres committed against the residents of the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 43,000 martyrs and wounded, more than 10 thousand missing, and 1.9mn displaced; that is, nearly 85% of the residents of the Strip have become displaced according to UNRWA, and many are suffering from malnutrition and famine that has killed dozens of children and the elderly.

He said: “Taking the step of abbreviating the tragic stories witnessed by Gaza and its people was a cry from a free Arab citizen amidst a lot of political hypocrisy, so I had to leave my mark and record this historical era with my pen for the generations that will come after us. So I chose to write in the style of Japanese haiku poetry, which summarizes a big issue in a few words in a rich creative style, not famous in the Arab and Gulf region, and I found this method more appropriate in light of the digital age that has become superior to other styles of writing in many cases.”

Abdelmalik indicated in his presentation that he began writing these texts by abbreviating dozens of scenes, then he began writing until 120 stories were formed. From these he selected 60 stories, and each story was accompanied by an image drawn by AI to emphasise the importance of technology and the necessity of using it in these situations. To facilitate and accelerate the printing and publishing procedures, thanking in this context Dar Nebras and the team in charge of it that facilitated many tasks and technical details for him. Before the signing ceremony, there were a number of interventions from the audience.