Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — All members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Hai'a) attending the Riyadh book fair next week will not seize any books nor ban intermingling between women and men visitors, said Hai'a chief Abdullatif Al-Alsheikh. The role of Hai'a members is to report books with inappropriate content to the Ministry of Culture and Information, he added, responding to claims posted on social networking sites that claimed Hai'a members would confiscate any book with content considered against Shariah or social traditions and norms prevalent in Saudi society. Al-Alsheikh said: “Shopping is open to all men and women as long as they do not commit improper acts that are against Shariah.” The 2013 Riyadh International Book Fair will start on Tuesday and continue until March 15. The book fair will have over 250,000 paperback titles and 1 million e-books. Organized at the sprawling Riyadh International Conventions and Exhibitions Center, the fair features hundreds of national and international publishing houses, distributors and retail booksellers under one roof. The guest of honor this year is Morocco. The book fair is considered to be one of the biggest cultural festivals in the Kingdom and the number of visitors is expected to exceed 2 million, especially people interested in buying books and participating in the cultural program accompanying the exhibition. Al-Alsheikh said all Hai'a members would be wearing identification tags showing their names and the Hai'a logo to prove that they are commission staff. Anyone who does not wear such tags is not with the commission and the Hai'a should not be held responsible for their actions, he said. The members who will supervise activities inside the book fair were carefully selected for this task and have experience in handling matters that require their attention. Al-Alsheikh urged all citizens to report violations or books with inappropriate content to Hai'a members. He also urged citizens to visit the book fair and benefit from the variety of books that will be on display for the general public. “We should all benefit from the book fair and increase our knowledge in line with the principles of Shariah,” said the Hai'a chief. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture and Information said it is keen that the book fair takes place in a distinctive fashion every year and satisfies the needs of all those who love literature, culture and knowledge. The Ministry of Culture and Information's undersecretary for cultural affairs and supervisor general of the book fair, Dr. Nasser Saleh Al-Hujailan, said the book titles cover different subjects including culture, science and economics. Al-Hujailan told SPA the book fair's cultural committee has approved the naming of 32 corridors at the fair after deceased journalists to commemorate their contributions and distinctive services to the Saudi media during their life. He said it was decided to name the main corridor after the late Prince Turki Bin Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz.
