According to SVT Kultur, Lund's culture committee proposes that the municipality should break ties with sanctuary writer Bissan Edwan. The committee will vote on March 19th for or against breaking the collaboration. Svenska Dagbladet reports that Lund's municipality is revoking the sanctuary for the Palestinian writer Bissan Edwan, with the reason being that her statements conflict with the municipality's values.
This presents a contradiction in the status of the collaboration: while SVT Kultur indicates a proposal is pending a vote, Svenska Dagbladet states the sanctuary has been revoked. The exact timeline of events regarding the proposal and decision to break ties remains unclear. Aftonbladet reports that Bissan Edwan was born in Libya in 1975 to Palestinian parents and grew up in Egypt.
According to Aftonbladet, after repeated criticism of Egyptian authorities' treatment of Palestinian refugees, she was forced to leave Egypt in 2020. Aftonbladet also states that since the end of 2024, she has been a sanctuary writer in Lund. Through the project, writers who face censorship or persecution in their home country receive a two-year scholarship, free housing, and a network in the local cultural life, and she is the third writer that Lund has given sanctuary to in a collaboration with the sanctuary organization Icorn, as reported by Aftonbladet.
On December 22nd last year, Expressen published an article about Edwan's old posts on social media. Expressen reports that in her posts, she expressed support for Hamas and other terrorist-designated organizations, as well as leaders of these organizations, and praised Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023. Expressen also states that she incorrectly wrote that no Israeli civilians were killed in the attack.
In December last year, Expressen revealed that Edwan, who has Palestinian roots, in posts praised Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023. The specific statements by Bissan Edwan that led to the controversy have not been fully detailed in the available claims. Helge Lunde, chairman of Icorn, says the proposal to break ties with Bissan Edwan is very sad.
Helge Lunde does not think the collaboration should be broken. Helge Lunde says 'yes' when asked if Lund should be braver. Helge Lunde still hopes politicians will change their minds.
The legal or contractual implications of revoking the sanctuary are unknown at this time. Bissan Edwan's response to the allegations and the municipality's actions has not been documented in the claim inventory. The impact this will have on other sanctuary writers or similar programs in Lund is also not specified.
The controversy centers on her support for Hamas, an organization designated as terrorist by many countries, and its attack on Israel in 2023. Lund Municipality, through its culture committee, is taking a stance against what it perceives as values conflicting with public funding. Icorn, as the facilitating organization, expresses disappointment and advocates for maintaining the collaboration.
The situation highlights tensions between freedom of expression, municipal values, and the support of artists in sanctuary programs. The vote on March 19 will determine the formal outcome, but the process has already sparked debate about the principles of such programs.