Hafid Bouazza

Hafid Bouazza (Arabic: حفيظ بوعزة, ḥafīẓ būʿazza; 8 March 1970 – 29 April 2021) was a Moroccan-Dutch writer. Born in Oujda, Morocco, Bouazza came to the Netherlands in October 1977 as a seven-year-old boy. He lived with his parents in the village Arkel, near Gorinchem, until he went to study Arabic language and literature at the University of Amsterdam. He received the E. du Perron prize for his 1996 debut De voeten van Abdullah (The feet of Abdullah). Later works include Momo and Solomon, in 2001 Een beer in bontjas ("A bear in a fur coat"); the play adaptions Apollien, De slachting in Parijs ("The massacre in Paris") and Othello; and Het monster met de twee ruggen : een kameropera ("The beast with two backs: a libretto"). Bouazza gave the 2002 Mosse Lecture, titled Homoseksualiteit en Islam (Homosexuality and Islam). His 2004 novel Paravion won the 2004 Golden Book-Owl prize. His novel Spotvogel appeared in 2009, after years of silence. Bouazza, an atheist, is known for his criticism of Islam. His sister Hassnae is a noted journalist. In 2014, the Dutch freethinkers association De Vrije Gedachte honoured him with the title of "Freethinker of the Year". Bouazza died in hospital in Amsterdam on 29 April 2021. He had been struggling with poor health and drug use.