Time.news – Juergen Habermas renounces an Abu Dhabi literary prize from 225 thousand euros. To push the one who is considered the greatest contemporary German philosopher to refuse the prize ‘Sheik Zayed Book Award’ of the United Arab Emirates was the growing controversy that erupted following the announcement of the award ceremony.
“The political plot was not clear to me,” said the scholar today 91enne, in a statement released by its publishing house, the Suhrkamp. Accepting the award “was a wrong decision, which I am now correcting”, added the philosopher, explaining that “the very close link between the institution that awards these primes in Abu Dhabi with the political system existing in that country was not sufficiently clear “.
Habermas also explains that he “believes in the illuminating power of the word critical when it comes to the light of the political public space”, and for this “even my books published in Arabic are enough”.
The prize should have been given to the great philosopher as “Cultural Personality of the Year” in honor of his life-long work, as the German press office of the Abu Dhabi Tourist Authority had announced, that is, as “recognition an Arab or international personality who with his work has contributed to the support of Arab culture, tolerance and peaceful coexistence ”.
The Sheikh Zayed Book Award recognizes Arab and international personalities who contribute to Arab culture, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The patron is Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. The award has been awarded annually since 2006.
Among others, it was Spiegel to vehemently criticize Habermas’ acceptance of the award, citing among others the arbitrary arrests of dissidents, the violations of civil rights and the severe limitation of freedom of expression denounced among others by Human Rights Watch, from the think-tank Freedom House and as well as in a 2020 report from the US State Department.
With Max Horkheimer, Herbert Marcuse e Theodor W. Adorno, Habermas is considered one of the so-called so-called “Frankfurt school”And is still indicated today as one of the greatest contemporary philosophers.
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