The Doha International Book Fair. Photo: Simon Wiesenthal Center.

A leading US-based Jewish human rights group has called on the Qatari government to remove antisemitic titles from an international book fair currently taking place in the Gulf state’s capital.

In a letter sent this week to Qatari Culture and Sports Minister Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali, Dr. Shimon Samuels — the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s director for international relations — said, “Just as our organization would express outrage at anti-Islamic material, we request you to take measures to proclaim that Qatar rejects incitement to hatred and violence against Jews.”

The contract signed by exhibitors at the 27th Doha International Book Fair, Samuels pointed out, forbids any publications that insult Islam. “We urge you to add Judaism, Christianity and other faiths to create a platform of solidarity among all believers,” he wrote. “Continued manifestations of hatred at the [book fair] cannot serve Qatar’s image or interests.”

Samuels also voiced “special indignation” over the presence of the embassies of the US and France, as well as UNESCO, “at their dedicated pavilions amidst the vilest antisemitic and conspiracy theory titles” at the book fair.

Last month, as reported by The Algemeiner, Samuels urged the head of UNESCO to condemn the antisemitism on display at the Sharjah Interantional Book Fair in the United Arab Emirates — at which the global cultural body was the official guest of honor.