A Report on the 2001 Frankfort International Book Fair: An Index of the Activities of Islamic Publishers in the World

Mohammad-Ali Jafari

The 53rd annual Frankfort Book Fair was held on October 10-15, 2001. Though the number of participants had been negatively affected by the events of September 11 in the USA, and some 45 publishers (including 35 from the USA) had opted out and only 200 electronic publishers (one-thirds compared with the previous year) had decided to participate in this year’s event, the Frankfort Book Fair remains the most important of its kind in the world. This year’s fair was conspicuous for the severity of its security measures, which according to official figures included twice as many personnel as the previous year. The heightened security was mostly concentrated on “Pavilion 8”, which housed publishers from the USA, Britain, and Israel.

Among this year’s events was the International Conference on the Major Challenges Facing the Publishing Industry, which was attended by over 300 industry people, mainly from Europe and the USA. Among the issues discussed were the effects of modern technology on publishing, and such related topics as electronic publishing, new translation technologies and factors affecting the translation market, and intellectual ownership on the Internet.

The present report will mainly deal with aspects of the fair that related to Islamic works and publishers. It is based on the information obtained from catalogues and interviews with the participating representatives of various publishers at the fair. It will include evaluations of different publishers and accounts of their activities in 2001. The evaluation will include such factors as the size of a publisher’s booth, the total number of the displayed books, and the quantity and quality of the ones that related to Islam and the Muslim world. The report will conclude with a number of suggestions and possible strategies that can be of use to cultural officials. It should be noted that this report was prepared within the short five days of the fair’s operation.

Prologue

In spite of the fact that there are hundreds of publishers active in the area of Islam, throughout the world, there is no comprehensive account of them, to date. An account of the history of their activities up to the present will, surely, prove useful to the development of this area of publishing. The Frankfort Fair, afforded an opportunity for compiling such an account.

As an Islamic publisher from Iran, and a provider of information on Islamic sources, it was important for us to find out about the activities of other Islamic publishers and also that of non-Muslim publishers (European, American, etc.) active in the field of Islam, as reflected in their participation in the fair.

From one perspective, the participants of the fair can be divided into public and private publishers, and universities and private institutions. It should be noted that the collections of many Islamic publishers only included travel-guides on Muslim countries and material of similar nature. Others, and a number of their Western counterparts, carried books devoted to tourist attractions and archeology of Islamic countries (especially Egypt and the Middle East). Other prevalent topics included Middle East politics, Arab-Israeli conflict, and Islamic history, e.g. the history of the Ottoman Empire.

Works on Islam exhibited at the Frankfort Fair can be divided, according to their order of importance, into the following categories:

I. Works on Islam.

II. Works relating to the Muslim world.

III. Works on the Islamic Revolution of Iran.

IV. Works on contemporary Iran.

V. Works on Persian literature.

VI. Works on Islamic mysticism and Sufism.

Africa

Most Islamic publishers from Africa belonged to the northern part of the continent, which included those from Egypt, Libya, Algeria, and Morocco. No Islamic publisher was present from any other part of the continent.

Egypt

The history of publishing in Egypt has a long pedigree, which began in B?l?q. The modern day counterparts of B?l?q publishers had the most commanding presence among their Arab colleagues and the size of their booths and the number of their titles were beyond comparison, both among their Arab compatriots and other Muslim countries such as Iran. Every Egyptian publisher had taken up some 200 sq. m. and had on display over 300, mostly new, titles. The publishers from Egypt can be divided into the two categories of public and private:

Al-Ahr?m: This governmental publisher is affiliated with al-Ahr?m institute, which is one of the country’s foremost cultural, research, and informational organizations. They deal with a wide range of issues, the results of which appear in the form of various publications. Attention to the works of institutions such as al-Ahr?m can be of great value in gaining information on the conditions of various Arab states, especially those in which the discussion of strategic issues has not as yet made a strong foothold.

Al-Ahr?m focuses on a wide spectrum of topics, Islamic and otherwise. They range form historical studies to children’s issues. This year, however, they only had twenty new titles on Islam.

Al-Hay’at al-Miêriyyah al-`ƒmmah li ‘l-Kit?b: It is one of the oldest and most prolific of Egyptian publishers. Its influence is such that for many years it acted as the administrator of Egypt’s international book fair. It is a traditional publisher, which has shied away from the modern developments in the area of publishing. Its president, Sam?r Sa`d Khal?l, is one of the veterans of Egyptian publishing. This publisher had the largest booth as compared with any Arab publisher, even al-Ahr?m, and had come to Frankfort with some 250 new titles. Among its older books was The Encyclopedia of Islamic Medicine, which is an old reference work from 1975. Its other reference works in Arabic have, over the years, made a great contribution to the culture of the Arab world. It seems as if Iranian publishers will do well to follow the example of al-Hay’at al-Miêriyyah in the area of reference works.

D?r al-Bust?n?: This is another Egyptian publisher, which had taken up an independent and spacious booth. Among its interesting works was the reprint of the first Egyptian newspaper, published by Napoleon. The issues of the newspaper are published in the form of a ten-volume book. The work’s importance has to do with the fact that it throws light on the history of journalism and its related developments in the Islamic world.

The Joint Booth of Egyptian Publishers

A number of publishers, such as D?r al-Shur?q, Al-Maktabat al-ƒk?d?miyyah al-`Arabiyyah, Al-Saf?r, D?r al-Fikr al-`Arab?, D?r al-Miêriyyah al-Lubn?niyyah, `All?m al-Kutub, D?r al-Thaq?fah li ‘l-Nashr, and Madb?l? had set up a joint booth, with separate sections and management.

D?r al-Shur?q had four new titles, among which the New Encyclopedia of Islamic Criminal Fiqh was the most notable. Another of its publications was the Information Monthly Wujuh?t Na?ar, which covers the cultural and scientific developments of the Arab world. Islamic books comprise fifty percent of this publisher’s output. Al-Maktabat al-ƒk?d?miyyah, on the other hand, only concentrates on major books on IT, such as its Electronic Publishing and Its Effect on Libraries and Information Dissemination, by MuEammad FatE? `Abd al-H?d?. Al-Saf?r is a publisher of children’s books. D?r al-Miêriyyah al-Lubn?niyyah and `All?m al-Kutub each had twenty-five books on exhibit. D?r al-Thaq?fah li ‘l-Nashr had forty-five books on display, which included The Influence of Arabic Literature on Sa’d? of Shiriz and Karbala in the Eyes of Muslim Poets and The Political History of Iran: the origin of the development (1900-1941). D?r al-Kit?b al-Miêr?, whose works are mainly in the field of social sciences, had on exhibit a number of works on Islam, in its own independent booth.

Egypt is a major player in the cultural sphere of the Islamic world and, thus, a principle center of publishing. What was conspicuous by its absence was Egyptian publications on Iran. Only two titles were devoted to topics relating to the Iranian culture. To rectify this situation, there has to be a higher level of cultural exchange between the Islamic nation of Iran and the Arab and Muslim countries. Friendly contacts and joint meetings during the course of the fair can pave the way for closer cultural and intellectual ties, including those of publishers. These contacts can develop into long-term relationships.

Morocco

In spite of the development of Islamic studies in Morocco in the past three decades, only two publishers with Islamic books had attended this year’s fair. These were Al-Markaz al-Thaq?f? al-`Arab? and Le Fennec, which had set up shop in a joint booth. Together, they had on display some fifty new titles on Islam. The collection was mainly oriented toward the contemporary issues of the Muslim world, including Iran.

Al-Markaz al-Thaq?f? al-`Arab? has an office in Beirut as well and is also considered as a Lebanese publisher.

Another Moroccan publisher, Mansh?r?t `Uk?z?, in spite of forty new titles had not a single book on any Islamic subject. Owing to its geographical proximity to the West, a large number of books in Morocco are published in English or French and, thus, Moroccan thinkers can have a major presence on the international arena. The question is why in spite of the considerable activity of Moroccan publishers in the area of Islam, there was no evidence of that activity at the Frankfort Fair.

Libya

Al-Markaz al-`ƒlam? li ‘l-Dir?s?t wa AbE?th al-Kit?b al-Akh»ar, a state publisher, was the only representative from Libya, with a handful of Islamic titles.

Algeria

D?r al-Œikmah had on display only a few Islamic titles such as The Islamists of Algeria and Islam in Europe. Directrice, on the other hand, had some twenty works on Islam. The Nordic Africa Institute, an international publisher, specializes in issues relating to Africa and is among the most sophisticated and prolific African publishers. It is headquartered in Sweden.

The Arab Publishers of the Middle East

They were housed on the ground floor of the pavilion six. It appeared as if they, along with the Iranian and other publishers from the region, were assigned a single location in order to be the subject of a more vigorous surveillance, as was evidenced by a higher security presence.

Here, we will skip the Arab publishers from Europe and the USA and list the Arab publishers, according to their country of origin.

Lebanon

Lebanese publishers have a long history behind them, however, they have experienced a period of stagnation during the past three decades. There were eight Lebanese publishers at this year’s fair, with a joint booth and separately managed sections. Their participation was backed by no assistance from their government.

Al-Mu’assasat al-`Arabiyyah li ‘l-Dir?s?t wa al-Nashr had some forty new titles, most of which were on Islam. D?r al-`Ilm li ‘l-Mal?`?n carried no Islamic titles. Al-Maktabat al-Sharqiyyah is a Christian publisher. It carried two comparative works on Islam and Christianity, one of which was Mas?’il f? Akhl?qiyy?t al-Œay?t min Wijhat Na?ar al-Islam wa al-Mas?Eiyyah. This was indicative of this publisher’s close ties with the Center for the Dialogue Between Islam and Christianity. D?r al-Mu’allif is a non-Islamic publisher, and Jir?s Br?s, an old Lebanese publisher, had only two new Islamic titles. D?r al-Rutab is another publisher whose works fall outside of the field of Islam. Maktabat wa Mu’assasat al-Ma`?rif had ten new titles on Islam.

In sum, it appears that the publishing situation in Lebanon is such that allows no active participation of Islamic works in the foreign markets. The Lebanese publishers, as representatives of their culture, continue to fail in their mission, especially as regards the Sh?`? aspects of it. Nonetheless, they had carried more titles on Islam than their Iranian counterparts, and their works were more up-to-date. The overall space occupied by the Lebanese publishers was some fifty sq. m., which is indicative of the limited scope and short- term nature of their policies.

Saudi Arabia

Wiz?rat al-Ta`l?m al-`ƒl?, Wiz?rat al-I`l?m, J?mi`at al-Malik Sa`?d, Ma`had al-Id?rah al-`ƒmmah, Maktabat al-Malik `Abd al-`Az?z, Wiz?rat al-Ma`?rif, D?rat al-Malik `Abd al-`Az?z, and Wiz?rat al-Khidmah al-Madaniyyah, all state affiliated publishers, had taken up 84 sq. m. They had on display some 400 titles, twenty of which were published in 2000 and 2001.

Maktabat al-Malik `Abd al-`Az?z appeared to have the most interesting titles. These publishers’ works seemed to be of very little substance and their participation was mainly owing to the financial backing they receive from the Saudi government, which, as a major Islamic state, maintains an active cultural presence on the world stage. Saudi publishers’ principle area of activity is in reference works and books on the revival of heritage (tur?th). They have had little success in the publication of analytical works, whereas the Egyptians have made major strides in the works of both genres.

Maktabat al-`Ab?k?n was the only Saudi publisher with a booth of its own, in which were displayed a large collection of books, none of which, however, was on Islam. D?r al-Mirr?kh li ‘l-Nashr was another independent publisher that has made a forceful entrance into the market. This publisher, which benefits from the latest developments in the industry, had an extensive collection of works on various topics, including Islam.

Oman

Wiz?rat al-Thaq?fah wa al-Tur?th, a state publisher, is the most important in its country. It had twenty works on display.

Kuwait

In spite of the fact that this country has a more thriving publishing industry, as compared to the rest of the region, Kuwaiti publishers have a very limited presence on the international cultural stage, especially as regards the works on Islam. Al-Majlis al-Waïan? li al-Thaq?fah wa al-Fun?n wa al-ƒd?b and Mu’assasat al-Kuwayt li ‘l-Taqaddum al-`Ilm? were the only representatives from their country. Silsilat `ƒlam al-Ma`rifah was the most important of Al-Majlis al-Waïan?’s works, which had been presented at previous book fairs. Mu’assasat al-Kuwayt li ‘l-Taqaddum al-`Ilm? carried a wider selection, all of which were published in previous years.

Qatar

Al-Majlis al-Waïan? li ‘l-Thaq?fah wa al-Fun?n wa al-Tur?th, the most important Qatari publisher, and Al-Maktabat al-`ƒmmah (the National Library), had presented five and ten books, respectively. Here, is a good occasion to bring up a very important point. Since national libraries are, often, the representatives of the culture of their countries abroad, it would be a worthwhile endeavor for our own national library to have an active role on the international cultural stage, for it surely has a lot to offer to the world.

Syria

Dr `Al?’ al-D?n, an independent publisher, was the only participant, with three Islamic and twenty non-Islamic titles.

Jordan

Al-Maktab al-Urdun? is the only Jordanian publisher with an active international presence. It publishes on a wide spectrum of topics. It had a handful of titles on Islam and the Muslim world.

nited Arab Emirates

D?’irat al-Thaq?fah wa al-I`l?m is a state publisher, which had displayed various books on culture, literature, art, theater, and children.

In spite of its publishing advancements in recent years, the country’s cultural products have as yet a long way to go as regards the sophistication of their contents. They, however, are quite satisfactory as far as the formal qualities are concerned.

Turkey

Turkish publishers had a well-decorated and spacious joint booth, under the title of TUYAP. It appears that the country is taking some major steps forward in the area of Islamic publications, as was evidenced by over thirty of their Islamic works on display. They included books on the Muslim world, and the history of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire. Among the Muslim publishers was Isik Yauinlari, which had three titles on Islam.

There were a number of dissident publishers, which had set up their own separate booths. They included:

Islamischer Verein e. V. Koln is based in Germany. It had a green banner with the inscriptions, “there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet” and “governmental caliphate”, which had attracted a great deal of attention. The five-member staff, with long beards and the usual Islamic attire, including turbans, were interviewed by the German television. Their 2x2 m. booth was, in effect, a venue for the publications of the party (Al-Khalifah Publications) on the various aspects of Islam, especially those relating to the issue of caliphate and leadership. They also had a party manifesto, which they were handing out to (Muslim) visitors. Their works included: Usus al-Nah»ah al-R?shidah, Islamic Personality, The Social System in Islam, Kayfa Huddimat al-Khil?fah, The Intellectual Dialogue in the Qur’an, Call for Islam.

Israel

Israeli publishers had a commanding presence at the fair. They had, both, independent and joint booths. Many works on Judaism were also presented by publishers from other countries, the USA in particular.

Magnez Publications, affiliated to Hebron University, was foremost in works on Islam, which added up to nineteen titles. They included three books on Islam and the Middle East and nine books on Islam and Asia. Bibliography of Arabic Books and Periodicals Published in Israel (1948-1972) was one of the most interesting titles.

The activities of the Jews and the Zionists in the area of propagation of their culture, along with production of analytical and comparative works on Islam, is a point worthy of notice. Their research institutions have systematic programs for the publication of works on various aspects of Islam, such as reference books and, even, Qur`anology. Christians also seem to be quite assiduous in the dissemination of their culture and religion. All this should act as a reminder for Muslims, Iranians in particular, and should force our universities, cultural institutions, and all those in charge of the propagation of Islam in the world, to take a second look at the quality and scope of their endeavors.

India

Among the fifteen participants from this country only National Book Trust, run by a non-Muslim, had a handful of books on Islam, one of which was on Iqb?l L?h?r?. Apart from works on Indian culture and history, these publishers had a host of books on Hinduism. Al-Quran Printer, as a Muslim publisher, had on display an interesting and innovative Qur`an, whose every sentence began with the letter, “alif”. The publisher of this illuminated Qur`an, in seven colors, is a Muslim from Bombay.

Pakistan

Al-Œamr? was the only major publisher from Pakistan. It had a wide spectrum of titles on display. Apart from a number of divans, it had a few books on Iqb?l and the status of women in Islam. The formal quality of its works, however, were not so advanced.

Central Asia

Armenia

Armenia was the only participating country from this region of the world. It was represented by a Christian publisher, which, however, had no works on Islam, not even on the dialogue between Islam and Christianity. This region, as a whole, is in a poor state, as regards its publishing industry, thus, there is a good opportunity for Iranian publishers to use different social, cultural, and scientific avenues in order to establish a foothold in this region’s book market.

Far East Asia

Thailand

There were several publishers from this country, the most important of which was Post Books Catalog. Their works were mainly devoted to their national culture and Buddhism. They carried no Islamic books.

Malaysia

It had several Islamic publishers, including the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC). It had forty titles on display, ten of which appeared to be new. In the past two decades, ISTAC has put forward a host of new and innovative ideas, which has had a major influence on the culture of the region. Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka was another Islamic publisher with a large number of works on Islam. Its publications enjoy a higher formal quality than those by ISTAC.

Indonesia

Among the Indonesian publishers was Gramedia Pustaka Utama, whose only Islamic title was Islamic Architecture in Indonesia. This is a non-Muslim publisher with an orientation toward its national culture.

Singapore

Fourteen publishers from this country had a single booth under, “Singapore Pavilion”, only one of whom, Pustaka Nasional AE, had displayed a number of works on Islam. Another one was SBPA, which publishes high quality works on the culture of Singapore. Senarai Buk is an independent publisher that carried a large number of works on Islam.

Korea

Korean publishers had taken up a vast amount of space. Among their numerous titles none could be found on Islam.

Europe

Germany

As representatives of their host country, German publishers had displayed a vast number of works in German and even more titles in English. We will only deal with those which were more conspicuous for their Islamic titles.

These publishers can be divided into two categories of resident Muslims and native Germans. The former include Iranians, Arabs, Turks, Africans, and Far East Asians. In recent years, the Turks have managed to establish a number of active cultural centers throughout Germany, but no serious Turkish publisher could be spotted at the fair. The Iranians of various backgrounds and tendencies have very scant cultural or publishing activity. Various German institutes of Islamic or Oriental studies, in spite of being engaged in publication, had a very subdued presence at the fair.

C.H.Bedk is an Islamic publisher that had displayed at least ten major titles on Islam and Sh?`?sm.

Verlag der Islam, a German publisher, had some 72 new titles on various aspects of Islam. It has a Sufi orientation and is affiliated with the Jam?’at Isl?m? AEmadiyyah. Apart from the text of Qur`?n, including an Arabic-German edition, Ead?th, and exegesis Verlag der Islam’s works covered the following topics: The Masters of the AEmadiyyah Order; A Report of the AEmadiyyah Conference in Frankfort; Ethics; Will; Islam and the Environment; Islam and Modern Sciences; The Idea of Mahdawiyyat in Islam; Jihad in Islam; Mysticism in Islam; A Comparison of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; On Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses; Islam and Politics; Discrimination and Tolerance in Islam; Jesus in the Qur`an; Prophet MuEammad (ê) in the Bible; Prophecy in Islam; and Islam for Children.

Eb-Verlag had two Islamic titles. One was a textbook on Islam, for German schools, and the other was called Scientific Discoveries in the Qur`?n. Claudius and SKD were two other Islamic publishers at the fair. The latter had 23 new titles, some of which were multiple volumes.

France

Muslims in France are quite active in the area of publishing, however, their presence at the fair was less than satisfactory. Among the French publishers at the fair, was Paolino with a book on the dialogue between Islam and Christianity. Another one was PUE, a university publisher, with a work on Islamic tradition.

Portugal

Interestingly enough, Grupo Planeta had offered the Portuguese version of seven of Salman Rushdie’s works, including his The Satanic Verses (Os Filhos da Meia-Noite).

Bosnia and Serbia

There were a total of forty publishers, with 800 new titles, 330 of which belonged to Bosnians. Less than ten percent of the latter were devoted to Islamic issues. There was a Qur`?n with a Bosnian translation, by el-Kalem, and another one which also included a commentary in Bosnian, by Center Basanshikurturni. Croatia had a very spacious booth, all of whose books were related to Christianity.

Britain

Thames and Hudson has published numerous works on Islam, some of which include the following: Persia and the West (in the area of archeology), and Islam (in the field of history). It was among the few Western publishers that had introduced its Islamic works in a separate brochure from its general catalogue. The following titles were conspicuous in the brochure: Mosque, Mosque and the Modern World, The Islamic World (Faith, People and Culture), Islamic Patterns, Islamic Symbols, Hajj. The rest of the titles in the brochure were related to the art and archeology of Islamic countries.

Frank Cass Publishers had displayed its books in the two separate categories of history and politics, which included Islamic works on Sudan, Jordan, and the Middle East. Its catalogue on politics contained important works on Islam, Iran, the Islamic world, and the Republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus. They included the following:

The Ultra-Revolutionary Politics in Iran (by David Menashri of Tel Aviv University); Political Organization in Central Asia and Azerbaijan; Democracy and Pluralism among the Muslims of the Former Soviet Union; 75 Years of Turkish Republic; Fundamentalism and Intellectualism in Egypt; Democracy and the Western Political Culture; Turkey; Kuwait. Two quarterlies of Turkish Studies and Middle East Studies, by the same publisher, were also worthy of notice.

Pluto Press had numerous works on Islam, Muslims, Islamic movements, and the Islamic Revolution of Iran. On the cover of their catalogue was the photograph of a shouting Shi`ite cleric from the Lebanese Hizbullah. The photograph was from the cover of a book entitled, Inside Hizullah (Politics and Religion). Another book entitled, Revolution in Iran, had the photograph of Imam Khomeini on the cover.

The London-based Tauris, which also has a branch in New York, had on display the largest number of Islamic books. Among some fifty titles mention can be made of the following:

The Doctrine of Shi`ite Islam; Islam and Beauty; Islam and Orientalism; Islam and Modernity; The Islamic Perspective; Iran after the Revolution: the crisis of an Islamic government; Islam; An Introduction to the Qur’an; The Intellectual Tradition in Islam (ed. Farhad Daftary); Understanding Islam; Islam: the people and government; Islamic Politics in Palestine; Understanding the Quran; Islamic Law (fiqh); The Islamic Utopia: a political biography of Dr Shar?`at?; Khomeini (by B?qir Mu`?n).

Pluto has published a large number of works on the Iranian Revolution, the Pahlavi regime, and the Constitutional Revolution, some of which were on display at the fair. Among them was a book entitled, The Priest and the King, whose cover had a painting by an Iranian artist depicting Imam Khomeini in an spiritual aura, as a Moses standing up to the Pharaonic Pahlavi regime and causing its downfall. The painting was also interspersed with Quranic inscriptions.

Cambridge University Press: Among the innovative works of this publisher was a catalogue containing the titles of the religious works of 163 libraries. The catalogue can be obtained through advanced ordering and is also available on Compact Disc.

Eurospan is an active publisher in the field of Islam and the Muslim world. Its new catalogue contained some 163 titles which included the following: The Philosophy of Seyyed Hossein Nasr; Islam in Revolution: fundamentalism in the Arab world; The Future of Islam in the Middle East; Intifadah: its effect on Israel, the Arab world, and the superpowers; The Future of Islam in the West; Iran after Khomeini; Long-term Security and The Future of Central Asia: the competition between Iran, Turkey, and Russia; Islam and Modernization. Eurospan’s past publications include: Islamic Desire for Democracy, Pluralism and Human Rights; Islam (new ed.), The Age of Caliphs: a history of the Islamic world.

ABC-CLIO had on display a book entitled, The American Religious, which contains the accounts of 160 religious places in the USA. It also makes allusions to American Muslims and their places of worship. Religion and Politics was another one of this publisher’s books, which had a photograph of Imam Khomeini on its cover. The book deals with the issue of religion’s influence on politics and the Islamic Revolution of Iran and its effect on the US foreign policy. There also was a book on the hajj pilgrimage. The managing director of ABC-CLIO was very eager to recruit the assistance of Islamic scholars, e.g. on the life of the Holy Prophet (ê), in the publication of an upcoming encyclopedia on world religions.

Sweden

The Nordic Africa Institute is an international publisher, which specializes in Africa. It is headquartered in Sweden and is the most sophisticated publisher among its African counterparts.

Summary

In spite of the fact that a multitude of works on Islam was presented by the independent and well-established Western publishers, university publications were, by and large, of a higher scholarly caliber, especially when it came to the analysis of the contemporary issues of the Muslim world. Considering the influence of these academic centers on foreign and domestic audiences and their role in policy formulations, it seems that the establishment of lines of communication with them would keep the scientific centers in Iran abreast of the latest ideas and theories, and serve as a corrective to possible misconceptions through the presentation of authentic and impartial views from the Muslim side.

Book fairs are usually attended by the lower echelons of publishing firms instead of their top management. Thus, the opportunity for a high-level exchange of views on scientific and cultural issues rarely presents itself. Such exchange, with both independent and academic publishers, is possible following the closure of a fair, through correspondence and other means. It would be worthwhile to give the cultivation of such relations a more serious consideration.

The United States

In spite of the fact that a large number of US publishers had opted out of this year’s fair, they still had a conspicuous presence, especially the university presses, and had occupied a considerable area of the international publishers’ floor. The following university publishers had the most to offer, as regarded books on Islamic subjects:

Princeton: Its most notable work was a translation of the Qur`an by AEmad `Al?.

Columbia: There were over eleven works on Islamic related topics in its Spring (2001) catalogue, some of which dealt with Middle East issues, Arabic language, and classical and contemporary Arab poetry. The ones with the most direct Islamic content included: The History of Islamic Philosophy (by Henry Corbin); The Concept of Sovereignty in Islamic Thought and Law; Arab-Islamic Cities.

The Fall catalogue included: Religion and Government: the Islamic approach to politics; Religion and Politics in Kosovo; Religion in the Middle Ages. The last book contains some material on Islam. There were also works on the fall of the Ottoman Empire and Palestine.

Harvard: It had an active presence at the fair. Its works were classified into the following groups, with a single work on Islam: religion, politics, law, philosophy, anthropology, and literary criticism.

The Johns Hopkins University: Its two noteworthy publications were the Journal of Asian-American Studies and the American Quarterly.

The University of Chicago: Its 154-page new catalogue contained seven works on Islam and the Muslim world and two works on Orientalism. They included: Islam and Modernity; Islamic Fundamentalism and the [Persian] Gulf Crisis; Islamic Liberalism; The Muslim World.

Norton was another American publisher which had two works on Islamic geography, dealing with Palestine and Jordan.

The American University in Cairo: Apart from works on contemporary Arabic literature, including a few on the famous playwright Naguib Mahfouz, there were four books on Islam; one on Sufism, two on Islamic art, and one on Qur`anic recitation. Like many Western and, even Arab, publishers, this publisher’s focus on Egypt was mainly confined to its tourist aspects.

The American publishers on Islam had displayed a vast number of works, which mainly dealt with history, geography, and current affairs.

South America

Many publishers from this part of the world had participated in the fair, none of which carried any books on Islam.

Russia

Only one publisher had taken part, in a 10x10 sq. m. booth, with ten titles, none of which related to Islam. This weak presence was an index of the backward state of publishing in Russia.

Iranian Publishers

The Iranian publishers can be divided into the three categories of foreign, and governmental and independent domestic publishers, the performance of each of which has to be gauged according to various sets of factors. But the state publishers had the least conspicuous presence, as compared with the other two.

Most: This publisher, in its small booth, had displayed works on a wide range of topics from political and religious books on Islam and the Islamic Revolution and Shi`ism, to works by foreign-based Iranian writers and dissidents, including the monarchists. Conspicuous was a book by Shuj?`udd?n Shaf?, wherein the Qur’an and Œad?th are subjected to a satirical treatment. The publisher took part at a television interview at the first day of the opening of the fair. He was especially successful in wooing the Iranian residents of Germany to its booth. He seemed more interested in the commercial aspects of the fair than its cultural dimensions, so much so that at the final days of the fair, in spite of an explicit ban on book sales, he was actively engaged in the covert sale of his books, among which was Kat?y?n B?êir’s translation of Francoise Touwal’s The Geopolitics of Shi`ism.

Domestic Iranian publishers had participated, both, as visitors and as holders of booths. The Tehran International Book Fair, the Book House, M?h?r, •r?n-Gard?n, Shab?v?z, the Green House, the Center for the Computerized Study of Islamic Sciences, and the Islamic Republic of Iran where given a 36 sq. m. space, which was sponsored by the Union of Iranian Publishers and Booksellers. The publishers at the booth of the Islamic Republic of Iran had displayed some 400 titles on various Islamic topics, including Iranian culture, literature, and art. Other Iranian publishers were present as visitors.

The Union of Iranian Publishers

It consisted of a number of Iranian publishers that had a joint booth of 6x6 sq. m. They included: Farhang-i Nashr-I Nuw Publications, Farhang-Sar?-yi M?r-Dasht?, Quqn?s, Qatrih, S?lis, Ish?rih, Qady?n?, Mu`?n, `At?y?, Chashmih, Nahj al-Bal?ghah Foundation, Farhang-I Mu`?sir, Kh?nih Farhang wa Hunar, G?y?, ƒtiyah, and T?s.

Their relatively large-size booth was a gathering place for the visitors and Iranian book fans, where discussion on various topics was a usual feature. A television report of this booth was aired on German television.

Shab?v?z Company, in its 2x2 sq. m. booth, had displayed a number of children’s books with themes adopted from ancient works of Persian literature.

Soroush Press had some 180 works on display in its 2x4 sq. m. booth. They were mainly children’s books and works dealing with art and literature. The notable ones were Taj?rib al-umam; Iranian Mosques; and The Picture of the Sun: a pictorial biography of Imam Khomeini.

The Book House, in its 2x2 sq. m. booth, had displayed its own publications along with their CDs.

The Center for the Computerized Study of Islamic Sciences had a 2x4 sq. m. booth. It had on display a number of its software on various Islamic sciences.

The Foundation for Islamic Thought, in its 4x10 sq. m. booth, had displayed a number of Islamic works, which included The Islamic Sects; The Shinning Sun; The Papers of Il?h?-yi Qumshi’?; The Great Bibliography of the Holy Qur`an; The Shi`ites; The Dictionary of Islamic Terminology; Islamic Philosophy; ?aE?fah Sajj?diyah; The Complete Works of Murta»? Muïahhar?; The Political Biography of Imam Khomeini.

Conclusion

It goes without saying that publishers, writers, and readers constitute the three major cultural components of any country, and that the national and religious cultures of every nation are dependent on these three groups. The following points can be derived from our brief review of Islamic publishers:

1- Muslim publishers are in need of acquiring a more thorough knowledge of the world affairs and a more specialized and scientific outlook. A closer study of the global culture is a prerequisite for an active and effective presence on the world stage. International issues have to be apprehended thoroughly and proper reactions should be forthcoming. Muslim publishers have to engage in a deeper level of interface and should create the context for dialogue with other cultures.

2- Islamic culture enjoys widespread attention within scholarly circles, but Muslim publishers have failed to contribute to the advancement of this global interest, especially in the West. It is quite ironic that non-Muslim publishers are much more active in the area of Islamic studies than their Muslim counterparts.

3- Muslim publishers have to enter the global scene from a specialized angle and should equip themselves with the latest technologies. Western publishers, owing to their specialization, enjoy a higher degree of effectiveness. It would be a worthwhile effort if our own scientific institutions and universities, such as Tehran University and the National Iranian Library, also entered the international arena from their own particular areas of expertise.

4- Christian publishers are quite active in the area of dialogue between Islam and Christianity, but Muslims have failed to exhibit the same level of activity on a global scale. Not a single work on this topic was displayed by an Iranian publisher at the fair.

5- Jewish publishers, in spite of their numerical inferiority, had an overwhelming presence at the fair. They had provided intellectual nourishment for a wide spectrum of readers of varied ages and interests. For instance, apart from specialized works, they had displayed a series of religious works for the children under four years of age and older.

6- The cultures of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are all part of the global cultural structure, but that of Christianity has a more commanding presence. The rich and well-established Islamic culture and civilization can play a much more significant role in this global structure.

It is the responsibility of publishers to intensify the role of Islam, through their active participation on the world stage. Needless to say, the realization of this objective calls for extensive specialized studies.

Recommendations

1- Although classification based on nationality had placed Iranian and Arab publishers within the same area, the intensified security presence, was an indication of augmented control over this particular pavilion. Naturally, this had an adverse effect on the visitors. An effort by Iranian officials to secure a more pleasant and favorable ambiance at the fair would surely go a long way toward a more effective participation.

2- Muslim, and especially Iranian, publishers should strengthen their efforts in five particular areas:

·

wider perspective

·

establishment of constructive relations

·

specialization of publications

·

improvement of visual and formal aspects (appropriate and attractive decoration, etc.)

·

effective advertisement

3- Muslim, and especially Iranian, publishers should, more than ever, employ specialized approaches and take advantage of expert opinion in the area of publishing and marketing. They should also engage in long-term and comprehensive planning. This is the only means of emerging from the present state of stagnation and effective entrance into the competitive international arena. The Iranian cultural officials can facilitate this process through the formulation of appropriate publishing policies.

4- Iranian publishers should take more advantage of the topics that are the focus of interest of Muslims and Islamic researchers of the world. In their efforts toward the propagation of domestic culture, they can make wider use of prevalent cultural issues of the world and, through a deeper understanding of their audience, develop the market base for their products.

5- The officials in charge of planning can adopt a wider range of international policies and look beyond the marketing and other aspects of domestic publishing and exhibition. Why not relegate some of the activities in this area to long-standing foreign publishers and employ international facilities for the development of domestic publishing?

6- There has never been published a report on the activities of participants in international book fairs, such as the one in Frankfort, so as to provide such information to critics and specialists. Most reports are of a general nature and lack the statistics and comparative information. Government officials should provide the means for such annual reports. For instance, each year, a book-length report, with all the relevant specific details, should be published on the Frankfort Book Fair and should be made available to the public at large. The officials of the Tehran International Book Fair can surely benefit from such reports and from the firsthand experience of those who take part in these international fairs, so as to provide the grounds for sound cultural exchanges with other nations and to propagate the religion and thought, as well as the cultural products of our country.

Surely, the efforts of the county’s dedicated and vigilant cultural officials toward the provision of means for the participation of publishers in international gatherings goes a long way in creating the possibility for cultural exchange and accumulation of experience. The proper use of such experiences can go a long way toward developing the country’s publishing industry and enable it to take major strides forward. Of course, intelligent and timely planning would augment the benefits that can be had from such international participation and contribute to its effectiveness.