A PROMINENT Dublin-based writer refused an invite to the Dublin leg of last weekend’s Belfast-originated Love Poetry Hate Racism event after suggesting that another participant was “anti-Israeli”.
A group of Belfast-based poets set up the Love Poetry Hate Racism event after hearing Belfast referred to in the media as the ‘race hate capital of Europe’. The event ballooned and dozens of cities around the world joined in by staging poetry readings aimed at examining issues around racism.
For the Dublin event, held on Saturday, the organisers invited Moscow-born writer and literary translator Anatoly Kud-ryavitsky, who runs a writers’ group for migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers from the Irish Writers Centre. However, Kudryavitsky ref-used the invitation upon hearing that fellow writer David Lordan, who is an active campaigner for the rights of Palestinians, would be the Master of Ceremonies at the event.
In an e-mail sent to Metro Eireann, Kudryavitsky suggested that because Lordan was involved in promoting the idea of a cultural boycott of Israel and was involved with Ali Abunimah, whom Kudryavit-sky referred to as “an anti-Israeli campaigner”, he was an unsuitable choice for MC. Kudryavitsky made a number of other allegations which he later withdrew.
Lordan informed Metro Eireann that there was nothing in any way anti-Israeli about his actions, saying: “I support the boycott of Israeli cultural institutions called by John Berger, Brian Eno and hundreds of other internationally renowned activist-artists be-cause I oppose the brutal racist suppression of the Palestinian people by the Israeli State which has been going on now for 60 years.”
Event organiser Chelley McClear quickly moved to defend Lordan. In a statement sent to Metro Eireann she pointed out that Lordan had a “long and distinguished record” of campaigning against discrimination and bigotry.
She continued: “Love Poetry Hate Racism exists to promote cultural understanding and to bring together peoples of all cultural backgrounds in a celebration of poetic arts.
“We are a peaceful organisation and believe that racism can only be countered by a better understanding of the differences and, more importantly, the similarities between peoples of diverse origins…
“As a body we do not have a position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, other then the wish to see a just peace established between all the peoples of the Middle East.”
