Academic, poet and translator Rifaat Al-Arair (social media)
Palestinian poet, academic and translator Rifaat al-Arair was killed along with many members of his family in an Israeli raid on his sister's house in northern Gaza, people close to him announced Thursday night, and was one of the leaders of a generation of young Gazan writers who bet on writing in English to tell their stories.
For many years, Rifaat studied English poetry and literature at the Islamic University of Gaza, where he explained the works of Shakespeare, Thomas White, John Don Wilfred Owen and others, and edited the books Gaza Don't Shut Up and Gaza Writes Again. His brother, sister and her four children were also killed in the shelling.
Al-Arir's main concern, as he said in a previous TED presentation in Gaza, was that older stories also known as oral history are on their way to extinction because due to modern technology "we stopped paying attention to stories."
"I am the man I am now because of the stories my mother and grandmother told me."
The academic, who taught creative writing and world literature to university students, added, "As Palestinians under occupation, storytelling goes beyond educational value to the urgent need to own our own, which restores power to society rather than the elite. The stories people can tell about a land are proof of their right to that land."
In 2021, he wrote for the New York Times that he finds himself torturing between wanting to take his family out because of rockets, shrapnel and falling debris, and staying at home "to be vulnerable to bombing by American-made Israeli planes, and in the end we stayed at home. At least we're going to die together."
Ahmed al-Naouk, a friend of Professor al-Arair, wrote on the X platform that the "assassination" of Rifaat was "tragic, painful and scandalous" and a "heavy loss" after deadly raids in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday evening, the Gaza government's Ministry of Health announced.
His friend, Gazan poet Musab Abu Touha, wrote on Facebook that his heart was "broken", adding, "My friend and colleague Rifaat al-Arair was killed with his family minutes ago. I can't believe it."
This book will remain the best book that will exist in my library forever, Dr. Rifaat Al-Arair@itranslate123 pic.twitter.com/XeDTlRcAzY
— Yasser (@Yasser_Gaza) December 7, 2023
The photo shows Dr. Rifaat Al-Arair @itranslate123 searching among the rubble of his house for his books and papers.
The occupation targeted Rifaat's house before that in 2014 and killed his brother Hamada Al-Arair, and in 2023 Israel killed him along with his brother, sister and a number of family members. #غزة pic.twitter.com/qrRqZoJaF8
— Yasser (@Yasser_Gaza) December 7, 2023
Palestinians are not numbers ! They are people like you and me with hopes, dreams and aspirations and their lives matter...
Read this thread to appreciate the utter ugliness of this ongoing war ... https://t.co/2gHYLyvXhL
— Mohamed ElBaradei (@ElBaradei) December 7, 2023
Investigative journalist Asa Winstanley wrote that he refused to tolerate charlatans and opportunists of all political stripes, noting that Palestine was his constant cause and that "he was our guide and our inspiration, he was happy, cheerful and cheerful and lifts our spirits when we should have supported him. I don't know what we're going to do without him. Our hearts are bleeding, but we will pick up your pen that has fallen, dear fighter."
Probably the thing I most appreciated about Refaat was his uncompromising refusal to tolerate charlatans, opportunists, hypocrites and frauds of all political stripes.
Palestine is the constant and the litmus test. Refaat was our guide and our inspiration.
He was also... pic.twitter.com/tdw0ZJxaHB
— Asa Winstanley (@AsaWinstanley) December 8, 2023
For his part, writer and journalist Ramzi Baroud said via X: "Rest in peace, Rifaat al-Arair. We will continue to be guided by your wisdom today and forever."
He was also praised by the specialized American website "Literary Hub".
Al-Arair studied English literature at the Islamic University of Gaza and was one of the founders of the "We Are Not Numbers" project, which brought together authors from Gaza with "mentors" abroad who help them write stories about their reality in English.
This is a dialogue at the beginning of the aggression on Gaza, during which Dr. Rifaat Al-Arair, the BBC anchor, boldly and brilliantly, boldly and fluently: "You whiten a war criminal who incites genocide." Dr. Rifaat, a professor of English literature, was martyred yesterday in the brutal shelling of the Shujaiya area of Gaza. pic.twitter.com/ng8UHbqczz
— Meem Magazine. Our Mirror (@Meemmag) December 7, 2023
But after, if the courage has a name, its name is Rifaat al-Arair, and if Palestine has a voice, its voice is Rifaat al-Arair, and if the media has a sword, his name is Rifaat al-Arair, and if there is a teacher in academia, his name is Rifaat al-Arair, and if the youth have a light, his name is Rifaat al-Arair, and if the enemy has a conqueror, his name is Rifaat al-Arair.
And we are on the path walking pic.twitter.com/yU3GUEAbUq
— Ramy Abdu| Rami Abdo (@RamAbdu) December 8, 2023
The martyrdom of Dr. Refaat after his house was targeted by the occupation
And in his last dialogue before his martyrdom by Zionist bombing.
Dr. Refaat Al-Arair:
◼️ We know very well that the situation is very dark, but we will stay in Gaza and have nothing to lose. I am an academic and the blackboard pen is the hardest thing in my house, and if the occupation soldiers attack my house, I will be thrown ... pic.twitter.com/gwzbPpM0vW
— Amigo (@CBN_911) December 8, 2023
On platform X, he posted a viral poem titled "If I Had to Die," which he concluded: "Let it inspire hope, let it be a story."
My humble translation of the poem of the martyr Mr. Refaat Al-Arair.
We will remember your stories to the whole world. My teacher. pic.twitter.com/7V3BBzJt6l
— Amal Samir 🔻 (@amal_samer2002) December 7, 2023
University professor, writer and entrepreneurial writer
in communication and media
, an authentic voice from #غزة to the world was assassinated by the occupation with a brutal bombing that exterminated women and children from their families,
after media appearances in English in which he warned of the
escalation of genocide.
The dear friend Ibn #الشجاعبة Dr. #رفعت_العرعير rose and remained his blessed planting and promise freely #فلسطين pic.twitter.com/9vWtAhWoOl
— Hossam Shaker (@Hos_Shaker) December 8, 2023
The assassination of the #رفعت_العرعير university professor because of the reports he was publishing in English about the violations, massacres and genocide
taking place in Gaza, where they were circulated by Western organizations, and this caused concern for the Netanyahu government, which wants to hide its crimes from the world. #لبنان #صباح_الخير #الأردن #السعودية... pic.twitter.com/eHqSMJmTRW
— Chadi Mansour (@chadiman) December 8, 2023
Source : Al Jazeera + Agencies