More on Islam Samhan - the famously banned Jordanian poet

November 22, 2008

by Suzan Abrams

This is the book jacket design of the banned romantic poetry collection Grace Like A Shadow, written and published by Jordanian newspaper journalist

and poet, Islam Samhan.

As regular readers would have already seen the front cover(in blue) earlier on or as otherwise, evident if you scroll further down, here for the first time is the back cover (purple jacket with Samhan's photo).

As you will read from one of my many entries from Oct end to early November, Samhan must stand trial for being accused of having insulted the Islamic faith in his poetry. He gained worldwide fame when he was detained for two weeks before being set suddenly free. Jordanian journalists and writers have protested that this is the first time the natural freedom for an act of expression is being set upon. Up to the present day, he has lived his life amid constant death threats and for a time, lay in hiding.

According to Jordan's top religious mufti, Samhan is purported to have committed this grave act when he mixed Koranic imagery deemed as sacred lines with passionate, romantic lines.

To-date, Islam Samhan has already attended a hearing where the mufti was also present to give his views. Samhan will stand trial on December 3, 2008 in Amman, Jordan.