Debate about prize: Otoo distances himself from Israel boycott
In a debate about her support for a cultural boycott of Israel, author and Bachmann Prize winner Sharon Dodua Otoo has distanced herself from a petition she signed years ago. "I would no longer sign such an appeal today," the author wrote in a statement published by her publisher S. Fischer in Frankfurt.
In it, she also announced on Wednesday that she would not accept the Peter Weiss Prize from the city of Bochum, which was originally intended for her, as a result of the discussions surrounding the petition signing. "I don't want the jury, the city of Bochum or the name of Peter Weiss to be associated with the accusations against me and the debate that has been triggered," Otoo explained. She suggested donating the prize money to a charitable organization instead.
"We respect this decision, of course. I very much regret this development," said Head of Cultural Affairs Dietmar Dieckmann on Wednesday, according to a press release. The city of Bochum had announced at the beginning of the week that Otoo was to be the next recipient of the 15,000 euro award. However, after accusations were made that Otoo was supporting an organization associated with the BDS, the city suspended the award planned for next year for the time being in order to investigate the matter.
BDS stands for "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions". The campaign calls for a boycott of the state of Israel and Israeli products because of its actions against Palestinians. The Bundestag condemned the BDS movement in a resolution passed on May 17, 2019. Its arguments and methods are anti-Semitic. The "Artists for Palestine UK" petition is close to BDS and calls for a cultural boycott of the state of Israel.
Otoo wrote in her statement that she signed the Artists for Palestine UK petition around eight years ago and wanted to "stand in solidarity with the non-violent resistance of cultural workers in Palestine". She is now trying to have her name removed from the list. "I am always, and even more so here in Germany, in favor of exchange," she emphasized. There also needs to be room for dissent "in order to struggle together for understanding", said Otoo. "That's why I'm grateful when people point out my mistakes."
Otoo, who lives in Berlin and was awarded the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize in 2016, also took a clear stance against anti-Semitism in her statement and expressed her heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the Hamas massacre on October 7. "My horror and disgust at the terrible violence of Hamas was and is clear." She deeply regrets "that we, who are not personally affected, have not succeeded in making our condolences and our solidarity more visible and audible". There is a clear need for more spaces in which understanding and understanding can be sought.
Despite the controversy surrounding her past support for the cultural boycott of Israel, Sharon Dodua Otoo has declined the Peter Weiss Prize, citing the need to avoid any association with the debate. This decision comes after she distanced herself from the Artists for Palestine UK petition, a group closely tied to the BDS movement.
The controversy surrounding Otoo's past support for literature-related conflicts and her subsequent rejection of awards highlight the complexities of artistic freedom and its relationship with political and social issues.
Source: www.dpa.com
