Louise Adler’s resignation statement from her Directorship of AWW was widely applauded yesterday, witches.
But Dr Randa Abdel-Fatteh’s incredible statement yesterday hasn’t been anywhere near as widely discussed in the media. And unless we missed all the commentary on it, this is yet another example of our media’s blatant and unending racism towards Dr Abdel-Fattah and others like her.
For that reason we’re publishing her full statement in pics below, and ask witches to consider, comment on and share it. The original link to it is here and we encourage you to also engage with the RWAG Insta account and follow their postings:
instagram.com/p/DTcAm3ICe_3/…
We specially thank Dr Abdel-Fattah for clearly explaining the dangerous “both-sidesism” both media and governments have engaged in in recent days, in somehow claiming protests against a pro-Israeli writer at AWW in 2024 were equivalent to Dr Abdel-Fattah being disinvited. Because get this: THOSE TWO ACTIONS ARE NOT THE FUCKING SAME.
Anyone saying it was reasonable for a person protesting the genocide of her people to be cancelled because she also called for the cancellation of another writer (who likened Palestinians to vermin and cockroaches) is a hopeless, deadshit individual.
BEING CANCELLED FOR STANDING UP AGAINST A GENOCIDE ISN’T THE SAME AS STATING OR EVEN JUST IMPLYING SUPPORT *FOR* A GENOCIDE.
This shouldn’t need to be said yet in racist Australia in 2026, it still seems necessary. And in any case, the problematic pro-Israeli writer was NOT cancelled in 2024, which speaks for itself.
What also needs to be said is that this why MFW can, without any hypocrisy at all, call for certain people or organisations to be “cancelled” (to use the common vernacular) via consumer boycotts while simultaneously claiming the cancellation of others is wrong.
We don’t agree with “free speech” as a concept and never have: it’s a phrase made up by fascists to control the rest of us. We don’t want “free speech”: we want an end to hate speech. In any case, fascists don’t want “free speech” either: they want progressive people silenced and will use any means to do so.
We do agree a writer’s festival should include a variety of opinions, even those many of us would vociferously disagree with. Tony Abbott, for example, was to discuss his disgraceful white supremacist views at the upcoming AWW without protest from us. No, it was only the views of PALESTINIANS which were considered too objectionable by the Festival’s (ex-) Board.
THAT is why our joining in the protests was so right, and so necessary.
We also strenuously object to criticism that AWW was an inappropriate vehicle for an MFW boycott. That’s a ridiculous view. Consumer boycotts work, as indicated by the huge successes of BDS and others, who are now damaging companies such as Starbucks, McDonalds, Puma and Coca Cola for their refusal to divest from Israel. If MFW decided NOT to add our support to those calling for AWW fairness and reform, that would make us as racist and cowardly as others refusing to get involved.
Of course, the writers and other organisations themselves boycotting AWW was by far the bigger story this past week, which is why we’ve regularly published lists of their names and asked witches to support them. It’s also why we’re adding their names and contact details to our public database in our
#RacistAF FRIEND lists, so it’s easier for people to buy their books and learn their names.
We’re updating these lists as we speak, and should have them complete by the end of this week. Our incredible team of volunteers are doing this work without any payment or thanks, and we appreciate their hard work more than we can say.
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