Finnish author, Leena Lander, and her book, “The Home of the Dark Butterflies” has been the source of discontent for the Muslim leadership in Syria. According to the Turun Sanomat:
“Tummien perhosten kodin arabiankielinen versio fundamentalistien hampaisiin. Landerin menestysteosta syytetään islamin vastaisuudesta Syyriassa. Paraisilla asuvan kirjailijan Leena Landerin teosta Tummien perhosten koti syytetään Syyriassa epäsiveellisyydestä.”
Translation: The Arab language version of ” The Home of the Dark Butterflies has angered the fundamentalists. Lander’s successful book is accused of being anti-Islamic in Syria. The author who lives Paris, Leena Lander, has had her book labeled as being immoral.
The author was first told about the Muslim leader’s condemnation of her book while she was on a promotional tour in Syria in late October. She stated that the book was officially approved by the Syrian government, and hasn’t a clue about what portion of the book was found to be objectionable, nor the ramifications of the accusations.
The book first came out in Finnish in 1991, and it’s only a guess as to whether or not it will be found on the book shelves in Damascus. Funny that the Islamic leadership in Syria hasn’t a problem with the translations of Mein Kampf, (here also) or the forgery “Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion“. Those books sell like hot cakes in the Arab Middle East. More here in Finnish. *L* KGS
Note: My guess is that one of the ramifications could be a complete boycott of her book throughout the whole Middle East. Now if Leena Landers wrote something highly anti-Semitic, it would get a stamp of approval by the Syrian Muslim leadership and become a best seller.
Hat Tip: Vasarahammer
Note: Noticeably, Landers also fails to condemn Syria (or even to complain in general) for having to have her material first vetted by the Syrian government. Really, why should Landers be so surprised by one oppressive system’s (Islam) displeasure of her book, that dwells within another oppressive system (the Syrian state) that demands their approval as well?
Update: 6/10/07 Landers was interviewed about the Syrian reaction to her book, and said that her book tour was discountinued due to the Mufti of Aleppo denouncing her book as anti-Islamic. Shae stated yesterday that her book was written in the nineties, and that had she known such a reaction would have been a possibility, she wouldn’t have tried to market her book in the region.
What is worth mentioning is that this book is the first ever Finnish novel translated into Arabic. Also, Landers obviously refuses to ammend her book or writing style to accomodate Muslim sensabilities, or at least the sensabilities of the Muslim religious community.
