Ramallah- Ma’an- The General Union of Palestinian Writers and Authors, writer Natala Antonio Rossi, President of the Italian Writers Union, welcomed Al-Sudani and Dr. Ahmed Rafiq Awad, President of the Jerusalem Center for Future Studies, and Dr. Awda Amarneh, Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Italy, in the presence of the President of the Justice and Freedom Foundation, poet Salvatore Rondelli, at the headquarters of the Italian Writers Union in the capital, Rome, where the two parties discussed the necessity of renewing the cultural agreement signed between the two unions in 2016.

Al-Sudani briefed the writer Rossi on the genocide and culture that the Gaza Strip is being subjected to, the destruction of the cultural infrastructure, the assassinations of writers, thinkers, academics, and university presidents, and the destruction of publishing houses, museums, murals, memorials, and heritage sites, explaining: The writers of Gaza are still writing the epic of steadfastness in the
most difficult and complex moments without shelter, water, electricity, or livelihood necessities, and the global conscience must stop the war and the occupation crimes. The writers of Gaza are still conveying their creativity in resisting the war of extermination and elimination.

Al-Sudani added: Our writers are being arrested and documenting their suffering through literary and creative publications in insistence on resistance, freedom and life. Writers in the world must break their silence, explaining that writers in the world are divided into three categories: those who truly defend, those who are confused and shyly silent, and those who are absent and hidden in a suspicious and shameful way.

Al-Sudani called on his counterpart to join the Global Cultural Front to support Palestine to expose the narrative of the occupation, its delusions and its delusions, stressing that it is time for writers in the world to raise their voices and direct their consciences towards Palestine, the justice of its cause and
its culture of resistance, considering Palestine a political and aesthetic issue and we defend freedom, beauty and humanity against the occupation, its death and destruction.

In turn, Rossi stressed his solidarity with Palestine, its culture and its writers, saying: The Italian Writers’ Union includes ten thousand books, creators and artists, all of whom are with Palestine. If the right-wing Italian government supports the occupation, then the people are with Palestine. He expressed his readiness and the Italian Writers’ Union to join the global cultural front to support Palestine, renewing his welcome to renew the cooperation agreement with the Palestinian Writers’ Union and to produce two anthologies of poetry and prose, each anthology containing twenty creative names, with Gaza writers taking the lead in both.

It was also confirmed that an award would be launched in the name of an Italian poet in Palestine and an award in the name of a Palestinian poet in Italy, based on the Italian Writers’ Union’s comp
etition to launch the Pushkin Prize in Italy.

It was also agreed upon to hold a Palestinian cinema festival in Italy, organized in cooperation with the Italian Writers’ Union and the Embassy of the State of Palestine.

Novelist and media figure Dr. Ahmed Rafiq Awad stressed in his speech the necessity for Italian intellectuals to stand with the Palestinian cause and support Palestinian culture at a time of comprehensive destruction that Palestine is being subjected to in the West Bank and Gaza.

He stressed that culture is the last wall that preserves human and fraternal meanings from distortion. The false narrative of the occupation must be exposed. He added: Palestine is exposed to daily massacres in front of the world’s silence, which requires all the living global powers and the free people of the world to stand up to support Palestine and expose the crimes of the occupation.

Novelist Dr. Awda Amarneh commented on the necessity of activating cultural diplomacy and achieving joint cooperation between the
Italian and Palestinian cultural scenes by building a bridge of communication between Palestinian and Italian culture through mutual delegations, translations, awards, book fairs, cinema and conferences. He

stressed the importance of supporting and backing the intellectuals of Gaza and Palestine who are being subjected to the most heinous massacres and who are still continuing their creative work in the worst circumstances, because they believe in the power of culture and document all the massacres that seek to erase Palestinian culture and assassinate the idea of ??Palestine.

Amarneh noted that the daily demonstrations in Italy express the Italian popular conscience that stands with Palestine, as is the case with all the peoples of the world who rose up against the aggression against our people to say yes to the freedom of the Palestinian people.

At the end of the meeting, the Sudanese poet presented a collection of novels and books of Palestinian poetry translated into Italian to his counterpart, Mr. Ros
si.

Source: Maan News Agency