Date of source: الجمعة, آيار (مايو) 12, 2000
In a statement signed by 60 scholars from the Azhar University, the General Organization for Books and the Ministry of Culture were accused of releasing blasphemous publications which attack Islamic ideology and prophet Mohammed’s biography.
Date of source: الجمعة, آيار (مايو) 12, 2000
Aslan, who works for the authority of Cultural Centers, was accused by the State Security Prosecutor of reprinting the novel " A Banquet for the Seaweed."
Date of source: الخميس, آيار (مايو) 11, 2000
The State Security Prosecutor held investigations with the a leading person working with the Ministry of Culture. This person is said to be responsible for the release of the novel "Banquet for the Seaweed".
Date of source: الخميس, آيار (مايو) 11, 2000
The Minister of Culture, Farouq Hosni, reiterated his previous statement on the controversial novel and asserted that the allegation that the Ministry could approve such publications is outrageous and may be a sort of political profiteering.
Similar articles appeared in Al-Ahram (p.1), Al-Akhbar (...
Date of source: الاثنين, آيار (مايو) 8, 2000 to الخميس, آيار (مايو) 11, 2000
The news paper asked the Minister of Culture to resign as a way to apologize for printing and financing tens of books that are against morality, including "Banquette for Seaweed", and for giving many contradictory declarations.
Date of source: الاثنين, آيار (مايو) 8, 2000 to الخميس, آيار (مايو) 11, 2000
The newspaper summarized a part of the study of Dr. Mohammed Fikry El-Gazaz, attached to Dawoud’s anthology saying that Gazaz chose difficult vocabulary and complicated forms difficult to be understood by simple people.
Date of source: الجمعة, آيار (مايو) 12, 2000
At a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Interior, University Rector and professors, students of the Azhar assured that they trusted the Government’s initiative in wisely handling the matter of the "Banquet".
Date of source: الجمعة, آيار (مايو) 12, 2000
Dr. Omar Hashem, Rector of the Azhar University, threatened to ask for police intervention, if students wouldn’t cooperate to end their hunger strike peacefully.
Date of source: الخميس, آيار (مايو) 11, 2000
The evaluation committee, composed of five eminent Egyptian critics, produced a report in which they explain on which grounds the literary works are evaluated. The committee asserted that a general reading of Haider’s novel doesn’t give the impression that any blasphemy was intended.
Other articles...
Date of source: الخميس, آيار (مايو) 11, 2000
75 students from the Azhar University were detained on accusations of several offenses. Students participating in the riots, denied reading the book and stated that their knowledge was derived only from information published in a newspaper.