Amman, Jordan
Jordanian censors this week banned a new novel said to have been written by Saddam Hussein, just days before it was scheduled to be published. Get Out of Here, Curse You!, which tells the story of an Arab tribesman who defeats a foreign invader, was reportedly written shortly before the U.S.–led invasion of Iraq. Jordanian officials initially okayed a publisher’s request to release the book in Jordan, but they backtracked this week, saying the book could harm relations with Iraq’s new government. Saddam was reputed to be the author of several other novels, including the popular Zabiba and the King, the story of a young girl, symbolizing Iraq, who loves her noble and protective monarch. But after Saddam’s ouster, some Iraqi intellectuals said the books were ghost-written.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Home Depots are the new epicenters of ICE raidsIn the Spotlight The chain has not provided many comments on the ongoing raids
-
Why does Trump keep interfering in the NYC mayoral race?Today's Big Question The president has seemingly taken an outsized interest in his hometown elections, but are his efforts to block Zohran Mamdani about political expediency or something deeper?
-
The pros and cons of banning cellphones in classroomsPros and cons The devices could be major distractions
