The Electronic Intifada 12 December 2023
Israel assassinated writer and educator Dr. Refaat Alareer.
Salam, Dr. Refaat.
I hope you are in a better place now.
You left before I was able to reply to your last message to me: “Do you need any help?”
Yes, we do need you. We want you to be safe.
Your struggles have not been in vain.
Your poem, “If I Must Die,” has spread all over the world. Social media is full of your messages, your quotes, your voice and photos of you.
Your students are full of anger and sadness.
I still remember the way you told a story, how you read stories from the book you edited, Gaza Writes Back. I picked up a copy of the book and remembered your tone, your hands and your eyes as you read.
You mixed English with Arabic when you read, telling us the meanings of certain words and praising the writer.
Do you remember when I told you that I couldn’t write when I felt confused and distracted?
You told me: “You’re excellent, and excellent students write under any circumstances.”
I am heartbroken, afraid and tired.
You left before I could tell you how much I loved your lectures. I never missed a single one.
You once mocked me after one of your lectures on Shakespeare, telling me, “You should miss some lectures, Wesam.”
It’s 9 pm now, and I’m about to attend a Zoom meeting hosted by susan abulhawa in your honor, to share our memories.
We promise you we won’t drop the pen.
Rest in peace, my literature father.
Wesam Thabet was among Refaat Alareer’s students at the Islamic University of Gaza.
