In a statement to the community regarding Wilton Library Cornerstone Writer-in-Residence, Wilton First Selectman Toni Boucher said, "It has been widely reported that Aisha Abdel Gawad, the Wilton Library’s inaugural Cornerstone Writer-in-Residence (learn more https://www.wiltonlibrary.org/the-cornerstone-writer-in-residence-program/) refused to participate in a panel with a fellow author at a Writer’s Festival in Albany, citing the other writer’s identity as a Zionist. I am deeply troubled by this revelation."
Boucher, who will provide additional details when available, went on to say, "We live in a diverse, multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious society. As civilized members of this society, we must be willing to sit at the table with those whose views differ from our own. Refusing to share a public forum with someone based on differing views reflects an intolerance that is completely contrary to our American values."
In light of concerns about the Wilton Library’s Cornerstone Writer-in-Residence, who declined to sit on a panel with a writer she identified as a “Zionist,” the Library’s Board of Trustees will meet to address the matter. The Board of Selectmen is monitoring the situation closely, as the library receives 75% of its funding from taxpayers. Antisemitism is strongly condemned, with a commitment to ensuring it has no place in Wilton.
*Image courtesy Wilton Library