Ahmad 
The novel “Hawariya” by Inaam Bayoud sparked widespread controversy in Algeria, especially after it won the “Asia Jabbar” award organized by the Ministry of Culture.
Some considered that the content of the novel represents an insult to the residents of the city of Oran and that the author “promotes pornography and obscenity.”
“Hawariya” narrates the heroine’s suffering during the Black Decade period of 1990-2000 in the city of Oran, and the harsh conditions that pushed her to enter the world of prostitution. However, the content of the novel and some of the terminology used sparked widespread criticism and shocked the city’s residents.
Activist Abdel Hadi Belrahal said that the novel “insulted mothers, sisters, daughters, and all women” in Oran, demanding that the writer be prosecuted and held accountable to restore the dignity of Oran women.
The activist Nafaa campaign called for filing a legal complaint against the writer, considering that the content of the novel distorts the image of the men and women of Oran, while the activist Mohamed Sahbi saw that the writer attacked an entire city, calling for collective action to sue her.
On the other hand, activist Bou Khalfa Ben Miloud sympathized with the writer, pointing out that “creativity that does not provoke storms is not creativity” and that the work of the writer is a kind of intellectual freedom.
In response to the controversy, Meem Publishing House, which published the novel, announced in a statement on Tuesday that it had permanently suspended its activity.
It is noteworthy that the name “Hawariya” for a woman or “Houari” for a man is considered one of the most famous surnames widespread in the city of Oran, in reference to “The Saint Sidi Al-Houari Al-Maghraoui,” whose shrine is located in a popular neighborhood, down in the center of the city.
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