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| Iraq-Jordan |
| "get owtn heer! curse yoo!" em big hit in jordan |
| 2005-07-02 |
| Move over Harry Potter. In Amman's downtown bazaars, the bestselling book these days is Saddam Hussein's bootlegged novel "Get out of here, curse you!" Banned by Jordan on the grounds the 186-page tale of an Arab tribesman who defeats foreign invaders could harm relations between Jordan and Iraq, Saddam's latest novel has become so popular booksellers say they can't keep up with demand. "We had copies but they sold out after the book was banned," the owner of a kiosk in a busy Amman street told Reuters. "We are waiting for the book to be published again. Even if it is banned I will ask for copies outside Jordan," said the vendor, who like most of those interviewed asked for his name not to be published. "I had it before the government banned it but after the ban more people came to look for it," said another vendor, whose shop stands in a narrow alley where old men dressed in white robes fingered beads and drank tea. "It's a very popular book here." Saddam, who faces war crimes charges, is a popular figure in some quarters in Jordan, where -- like the ousted dictator -- the large majority of people are Sunni Muslims. There is also a large exile Iraqi community living here. Portraits of Saddam smiling like a benevolent father figure are sold in some shops in gritty downtown Amman, where most residents are of Palestinian descent, next to pictures of Jordan's King Abdullah, a close U.S. ally. |
| Posted by:muck4doo |
| #1 Ima think RB needs a translator. I've already done DOOM! The Dessert Planet, someone else gonna have to do thisn. |
| Posted by: Dr FeelGood 2005-07-02 15:15 |