Resistance fighting hegemonic goals in Mideast
Western ‘barbaric thoughts’ exposed by Axis of Resistance, Syrian publisher says
By Zohreh Qanadi
Staff writer
The 35th Tehran International Book Fair is set to conclude Saturday, marking the end of a celebration of reading and a platform for global dialogue and cultural exchange. This year, amidst a diverse range of offerings, the spotlight is on a topic of significant global importance: the Gaza War.
The Palestinian death toll in the seven-month conflict has now exceeded 35,000. The civilian casualties in Israel’s assault on the besieged enclave have sparked international condemnation and concern, drawing attention from authors and publishers, too. Through their words and imagery, the authors amplify the voice of Gaza.
In this edition, the Tehran International Book Fair has also offered this opportunity for foreign publishers from countries like Syria, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Turkey, giving them a chance to participate in this narrative.
Saba Publications from Syria, with a main focus on Syria’s national resistance, was represented at Tehran’s book fair. In an interview with Iran Daily, Aya Ali Dasho, in charge of the institute, said the company’s participation in the Tehran exhibition was “a great opportunity to introduce his country’s culture to the world”.
The works focused on supporting the Axis of Resistance were showcased in the 10-day book fair.
Dasho said Saba Publications “encourages Syrian youth to pick up the pen and retell narratives centered around Resistance”.
The Axis of Resistance in the Middle East opposes the Western influence, led by the US and Israel. It includes the Islamic Republic of Iran, Palestinian groups like Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and several Shia groups in Iraq and Syria.
The manager of Saba Publications believes that “the Axis of Resistance is pushing back hegemonic goals in our region, which aims to dominate us in terms of energy, culture, beliefs, or strategies”.
“Part of this geography is located in Syria, and in line with this resistance, the publication has documented the defense of its people, beliefs, homeland, and ideology,” she says, explaining that, “The Resistance has laid bare a set of barbaric thoughts claiming to be civilized but perpetrating heinous acts”.
“The violence against the people of Gaza is a prominent example of this brutality.”
The bloodiest-ever Gaza war erupted after Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. The United Nations has recently said that nearly 450,000 people have been displaced from Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. At the same time, another 100,000 people have fled their homes amid renewed fighting in northern Gaza, the UN has said, meaning that around a quarter of Gaza’s population of around 2.4 million people has been displaced again in just over a week.
In this regard, Saba Publications has compiled a book titled “Storm of Words,” inspired by Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, the manager said.
The operation, launched by the Hamas resistance group was a reaction to years of Israeli devastation, oppression, and savagery amid the indifference and silence of the international community.
Speaking about the book, she said “The authors of the book have depicted the pain and suffering of the people in the region, especially Gaza, based on heartbreaking images of atrocities committed by Israel or the Daesh terrorist group.
One of the most moving written descriptions by Nour Haj Ibrahim illustrating a photo of a child watching over the lifeless body of his mother is presented here: