Saddam Hussein's novels
Encyclopedia
Saddam Hussein
, the late President of Iraq
, wrote four novel
s, and a number of poems. All of his works were published under the pen-name 'the author'.
believes was written by Saddam Hussein, probably with the help of some ghostwriters.http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/zabibh.htm The plot is a love story about a powerful ruler of medieval Iraq
and a beautiful commoner girl named Zabibah. Zabibah's husband is a cruel and unloving man who rapes her, which has been interpreted as an allegory
of the 'rape' of Iraq by US forces. The book is set in 7th or 8th century Tikrit
, Hussein's home town. The book is to be the subject of a Hollywood adaptation starring Sacha Baron Cohen
.
work. It concerns the delayed wedding of the Iraqi hero, who fought in the war against Iran, to a Kurd
ish girl.
There are three characters: the two brothers Sabah and Mahmud, from rural area from the west bank of the Tigris River who come from a farming family, and a young woman Shatrin from Suleimaniya. They all go into the same university in Baghdad.
Sabah is a war hero from the days of the Battle of New Qadisiyya (Iran-Iraq war
), during which he was wounded in the leg and taken prisoner of war in Iran, from which he finally manage to escape with a few friends.
The power of the "fortified castle" (a reference to Iraq) lies in its unity; despite proposals to divide the property, the hero's mother refuses. She also states that it cannot be purchased with money: "Only those who give it their blood and defend it are its rightful owners."http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=countries&Area=iraq&ID=SP50903
conspiracy against Arab
s and Muslims
. An Arab army eventually thwarts the conspiracy by invading their enemy's land and destroying two massive towers, as a reference to the September 11 Attacks.
The characters include the narrator, Abraham
, named for the patriarch in Jewish, Christian
and Muslim
traditions, and his grandchildren, three cousins named Ezekiel, Youssef and Mahmoud, who represent Jews, Christians and Muslims respectively.
The book was published in Tokyo
by a Japanese publisher, Tokuma Shoten Publishing, in 2006 under the title Devil's Dance.
A total of eight thousand copies were printed of the 256-page novel.
It was translated into Turkish
by Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi.
Raghad Hussein
had tried to publish the novel in Jordan, and planned to print 100 thousand copies, until the government prevented the publication. It has not been translated or sold in any other languages.
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
, the late President of Iraq
President of Iraq
The President of Iraq is the head of state of Iraq and "safeguards the commitment to the Constitution and the preservation of Iraq's independence, sovereignty, unity, the security of its territories in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution." The President is elected by the Council of...
, wrote four novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, and a number of poems. All of his works were published under the pen-name 'the author'.
Zabibah and the King
Zabibah and the King (زبيبة والملك , or Zabibah wal-Malik), written in 2000, is a novel that the CIACentral Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
believes was written by Saddam Hussein, probably with the help of some ghostwriters.http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/zabibh.htm The plot is a love story about a powerful ruler of medieval Iraq
History of Iraq
Iraq, known in Classical Antiquity as Mesopotamia, was home to some of the oldest civilizations in the world, with a cultural history of over 10,000 years. hence its common epithet, the Cradle of Civilization. Mesopotamia, as part of the larger Fertile Crescent, was a significant part of the...
and a beautiful commoner girl named Zabibah. Zabibah's husband is a cruel and unloving man who rapes her, which has been interpreted as an allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
of the 'rape' of Iraq by US forces. The book is set in 7th or 8th century Tikrit
Tikrit
Tikrit is a town in Iraq, located 140 km northwest of Baghdad on the Tigris river . The town, with an estimated population in 2002 of about 260,000 is the administrative center of the Salah ad Din Governorate.-Ancient times:...
, Hussein's home town. The book is to be the subject of a Hollywood adaptation starring Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen is an English stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist. He is most widely known for his portrayal of three unorthodox fictional characters: Ali G, Borat, and Brüno...
.
- Zabiba and the King: By its Author Saddam Hussein, Robert Lawrence (Editor), May 2004, Virtualbookworm.com Publishing: ISBN 1-58939-585-9 , 204 pgs.
The Fortified Castle
The Fortified Castle, ("Al-Qala-ah Al-Hasinah") is a 713-page novel published in 2001. It is another allegoricalAllegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
work. It concerns the delayed wedding of the Iraqi hero, who fought in the war against Iran, to a Kurd
Kürd
Kürd or Kyurd or Kyurt may refer to:*Kürd Eldarbəyli, Azerbaijan*Kürd Mahrızlı, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Goychay, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Jalilabad, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Qabala, Azerbaijan*Qurdbayram, Azerbaijan...
ish girl.
There are three characters: the two brothers Sabah and Mahmud, from rural area from the west bank of the Tigris River who come from a farming family, and a young woman Shatrin from Suleimaniya. They all go into the same university in Baghdad.
Sabah is a war hero from the days of the Battle of New Qadisiyya (Iran-Iraq war
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
), during which he was wounded in the leg and taken prisoner of war in Iran, from which he finally manage to escape with a few friends.
The power of the "fortified castle" (a reference to Iraq) lies in its unity; despite proposals to divide the property, the hero's mother refuses. She also states that it cannot be purchased with money: "Only those who give it their blood and defend it are its rightful owners."http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=countries&Area=iraq&ID=SP50903
Men and the City
Men and the City concerns the rise of the Ba'ath party in Tikrit.Begone, Demons
Begone, Demons, also translated as Get Out You Damned, or Get Out of Here, Curse You! is Saddam Hussein's fourth and last novel, allegedly finished the day before U.S forces invaded.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4996116.stm The novel describes, through biblical metaphor, a Zionist-ChristianChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
conspiracy against Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s and Muslims
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. An Arab army eventually thwarts the conspiracy by invading their enemy's land and destroying two massive towers, as a reference to the September 11 Attacks.
The characters include the narrator, Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
, named for the patriarch in Jewish, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
traditions, and his grandchildren, three cousins named Ezekiel, Youssef and Mahmoud, who represent Jews, Christians and Muslims respectively.
The book was published in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
by a Japanese publisher, Tokuma Shoten Publishing, in 2006 under the title Devil's Dance.
A total of eight thousand copies were printed of the 256-page novel.
It was translated into Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
by Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi.
Raghad Hussein
Raghad Hussein
Raghad Saddam Hussein is the eldest daughter of former President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein and Sajida Talfah.-Biography:...
had tried to publish the novel in Jordan, and planned to print 100 thousand copies, until the government prevented the publication. It has not been translated or sold in any other languages.
Sources
- Pipes, Daniel. "Saddam the Novelist."
- BBC: 'Saddam novel' on sale in Tokyo
- Middle East Media Research Institute: Special Dispatch Series No. 509