Poets and activists were keen to celebrate the Palestinian poet and academic Rifaat Al-Arair, who was martyred in an Israeli raid last Thursday. Gatherings and events were launched to commemorate him in several world capitals, and his image was raised in demonstrations that toured some countries.
The platforms were full of republishing his poem, which he wrote in English in early November, entitled “If I Must Die,” and its views exceeded 28 million views, and hours after his death, activists translated it in several languages, from Arabic to Greek, Japanese, Tamil, Hindi, Malay, and Italian.
If I must die, let it be a tale. #FreePalestine #Gaza pic.twitter.com/ODPx3TiH1a
– Refaat in Gaza 🇵🇸 (@itranslate123) November 1, 2023
One of the activists translated the poem into Chinese, saying on the
Came across Dr. Refaat Alareer’s poem “If I must die” just a few days ago, I cried and couldn’t help but translated it into Chinese without his permission. Now that he’s gone. pic.twitter.com/ALO8E7WwSq
— blkp🔻 (@blkpaws) December 8, 2023
A number of poets and activists were keen to read this poem on several platforms, whether in virtual reality or the gatherings and events that were launched to memorialize him in Montreal, New York, and London, and his image was raised in demonstrations that toured countries and international capitals.
“If I must die, you must live to tell my story”—Actor Maxine Peake reads a final poem by Refaat Alareer as tribute to him on the march for Palestine in London 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/ztRXeprvHe
— Socialist Worker (@socialistworker) December 9, 2023
The last poem of @itranslate123 As read by Maxine Peake at today’s #MarchForPalestine9th December 2023.#RefaatAlareer #IfIMustDie pic.twitter.com/3mEnfaWmk3
— The Big Ride for Palestine (@bigride4pal) December 9, 2023
New York came out in the hundreds to honor the life of Dr. Refaat Alareer.
I wish he were alive to make some morbid joke about it all. Israel and the United States killed him. His absence is heavy. May God have mercy on you, Rifaat pic.twitter.com/rvMpyHo7vA
– Hana (@hanoooonz) December 9, 2023
Yesterday, Saturday, activists in New York City organized a protest to memorialize Al-Arir, and the activists read his poem entitled “I Am You,” which he wrote to the Israeli occupation soldiers, in which he says, “I am you. I am your past. By killing me, you are killed.”
“I am you.” I am your past. And by killing me, you kill you.”
Activists in New York City held a vigil for Dr. Refaat Alareer, a Palestinian poet assassinated by Israel.
The activists read a poem by Refaat titled “I am you,” written to the soldiers of the Israeli occupation. pic.twitter.com/XxMS9UX29e
— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) December 9, 2023
In celebration of Dr. Al-Arair, the poet Jihad Abu Salim took advantage of his hosting on the “Democracy Now” program with the American journalist Amy Goodman, and read the text.
“If I Must Die,” by Refaat Alareer
Close friend @JehadAbusalim reads Alareer’s poem about life in Gaza under Israeli occupation after the celebrated Palestinian scholar, activist and writer was killed in an Israeli airstrike this week. pic.twitter.com/h8o3R91Ru2
—Democracy Now! (@democracynow) December 8, 2023
As for the Jewish writer Katie Halper, she devoted part of his event in a New York library to reading his lines, and the Pakistani news broadcaster Wasatullah Khan recited the poem Al-Ar’ir using the Urdu translation during a live broadcast.
@katiehalpershow ♬ original sound –
Al-Arair was the owner of the “We Are Not Numbers” initiative, and he often tried, from the beginning of the war, to immortalize the lives of the war’s victims, tell their stories, and encourage them not to become just a number reported on the news bulletins. In keeping with his will, some of his works were reproduced in multiple forms, the most important of which were the kites that he wished would be, for example, roaming places. Marine kit.
@chowderchai Refaat Alareer was mart*red today. His kite continues to fly. #gaza #gazastrip #gazaunderattack #gazanation #gazapalestine #gazazadontyoucry☝🏽 #gazagazadontyoucry #gaza_under_attack_now #gazagenocide #gazagenocide💔 #gaza🇵🇸🇵🇸 #gaza🇵🇸 #palestinePalestine #palestine🇵 🇸 #palestinetiktok #ceasefirenow #refaatalareer #palestinepoetry #poemsoftiktok # poemsandquotes
♬ original sound – chowderchai
Through the Tik Tok platform, the content creators published Al-Arair’s poems among their followers, and a large number of them read the poem in different languages and tears filled their eyes, so that his name was at the top of many syllables.
@bonniedilber #refaatalareer #callyourreps
♬ original sound – Bonnie Dilber
@soogia1 #bearwitness #refaatalareer
♬ original sound – Soogia (SOO-jee-yah)
@chriskunzler Rest in power Refaat Alareer ✊✊ #freepalestine
♬ original sound – Chris Kunzler
Dr. Al-Arair (44 years old) was martyred on Thursday evening – along with several members of his family – in an Israeli raid on his sister’s house in northern Gaza. The late man was one of the leaders of a generation of young Gazan writers who bet on writing in English to tell their stories.
In the Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza, this Palestinian poet was born, grew up there, and studied in its schools. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree from the Islamic University of Gaza, he obtained a master’s degree in English literature from University College London, and obtained a doctorate from Putra University in Malaysia.
For many years, he taught poetry and English literature at the Islamic University, where he explained the works of Shakespeare, Thomas Wyatt, John Donne, Wilfred Owen, and others. He edited the books “Gaza Does Not Silence” and “Gaza Writes Again.”
Al-Arair was one of the founders of the “We Are Not Numbers” project, which brought together authors from Gaza with “mentors” abroad who helped them write stories about their reality in English. He published on the “X” platform a widely circulated poem entitled “If I Must Die,” which he concluded by saying, “Let it be sent.” “Hopefully, let it be a story.”
