Saddam's Pettier Crimes He May Be a Novelist, But One Artist Says the Iraqi Dictator Is Also a Thief
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Says the Iraqi Dictator Is Also a Thief
By Andrew Chang
Jan. 8 _ Saddam Hussein is believed to have a new novel out,
but according to one Canadian artist, the story surrounding
the Iraqi dictator's alleged first novel isn't over with
yet.
Like The Fortified Castle this year, Zabibah and the King
came out last year to rave reviews _ and suspicions as well
_ that it was written by Saddam Hussein.
But the earlier book was also met by complaints from
Jonathon Earl Bowser, an renowned painter of fantasy art,
who says one of his works was used for its cover _ without
his permission.
"I've certainly never licensed an image to a head of state,"
Bowser said. "I'd never have licensed it to a dictator."
A New York Times article described the cover as showing the
character Zabibah standing before the arches of ancient
Babylon.
But Bowser said his 1998 painting, titled The Awakening,
actually depicts the goddess of spring bringing light to a
winter landscape.
The Charge d'Affairs at the Iraqi Embassy in Ottawa, Canada,
has denied the paintings were the same, Bowser says. But he
added, "he's obviously mistaken."
No Fun With Saddam
Bowser says he certainly could do without the publicity
linking him with what's come to be known as Saddam Hussein's
novel.
He has received angry e-mails from exiled Iraqi opposition
members suspecting him of collaborating with Saddam, and
worried that the CIA, which has been examining the book for
encoded messages and insight into the Iraqi dictator's mind,
might do the same.
He now states on his Web page, "I have never had any contact
whatsoever with any agent of the Iraqi Government."
The events of September 11 and the subsequent anthrax scares
have changed his perspective as well. "When the story first
broke, I remember saying it's amusing in a grim and perverse
sort of way," he said.
Bowser adds that even though many lawyers chased him to
pursue a case, he realizes there are others people who have
a greater call for redress _ never mind how difficult it
would be to pursue inside the United States.
"I think I could probably pursue a case in Baghdad. It is
theft. I'm told they think fairly highly of artists in
Iraq," he said. "But I'm not going to press the issue."
However, Bowser says his publisher has been thrilled, being
"of the mind that any publicity is good publicity."
The original sold in California, in May 1999, for $32,000,
but his publisher has hundreds of prints remaining _ and has
raised their price.