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Story summary
- The Damascus International Book Fair is held for the first time since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, signaling a cultural shift.
- Event coordinator Zuhair al-Barri says all books are permitted except those that threaten social cohesion or glorify the Assad regime.
- Islamist texts once banned, including Sayyid Qutb’s “Milestones,” are now openly sold.
- Rights activist Haitham Maleh described the event as a step toward openness, contrasting Ba’athist suppression.
