Tale of a famous Palestinian poet who wrote the poem "If I must die" 

Beginning of Rifaat Alareer tale

On 23 September 1979, a Palestinian literary stalwart named Rifaat was born in Shujjyia(agricultural land), Gaza. He spent his childhood and received an early education there. His childhood was like that of all Gaza children, but unlike them, he was drawn to books. He was fond of literature, particularly English.

Education

His father wanted him to study medicine. Instead of going with his father's wish, he decided to follow his own path. Moreover, he intentionally failed in physics and chemistry to prove that he was not good at science. So, he studied English and topped in high school. He did a B.A degree in English from the University of Gaza and an M.A. from the University of London. Later, he got PHD from Malaysia University in English(2017).

How did the Israeli atrocities shape his life?

Living under Israeli surveillance and blockade led him to detest the Israeli government.IIn the interview, he said that Israeli oppression negatively influenced his decisions and aspirations. In his teenage years, when armed Palestinian resistance was surging. He has the option to resist by arms, but he decided to resist by pen.

His experiences of oppression beget a revolutionary spirit in him. He chose the educator and writer role in the Palestinian resistance movement. He became a professor of literature at the Islamic University of Gaza. His students described him as a strict and idealistic teacher who had a strong desire to educate his students. Shakespeare was his favourite writer. Being a writer himself, he encouraged other students to write and trained many young Gaza writers.

He founded the mentorship organization “We are not numbers” to teach English and creative writing. Under the umbrella of this organization, he used to hold workshops in which he acted very friendly and appealing. One of his students described him as a highly knowledgeable man with awe-inspiring character and mannerisms. Many Gaza writers adored and idealized him. In short, he was a great educator.

Literary works:

Unfortunately, he was only able to write 3 books. The first 2 books are edited by him, which consist of stories of Gazans. “Gaza Writes Back” and “Gaza Unsilenced” were published in 2014 and 2015. These works were related to the stories of Israel's attacks of 2011 and 2014 on Gaza. In these attacks, his brother Hammad and his wife's relatives were killed. So, these emotional setbacks motivated him to write these books.

However, his masterpiece, “If I must die, prose and poetry,” was published in 2024 posthumously. He published his everlasting poem “If I must die” in 2023. This poem has been translated into 250 languages (according to Wikipedia). When he was killed, it became viral overnight on social media.

Martyrdom of a Brave soul

After the 7 October attacks, he was busily engaged in doing interviews and talks on a TV channel. He relentlessly battered the propaganda of Israel. It was his mission to expose the truth of Gaza, and he fulfilled it until his death. IDF and the government were infuriated by Rifaat's bold stance. Rifaat effectively debunked Israel's propaganda and became the voice of the innocents.

Nusiyma, wife of Rifaat (mother of 6 children) said they tried to persuade him many times not to engage in media talks. But he was so determined, even receiving death threats from the IDF, he continued to raise his voice against oppression.

Before his death, he said in an interview that at that time, if IDF soldiers came, he would fight with his writing instruments. In December 2023, he martyred with his sister, brother, and nephews. Their apartment was specifically hit by the IDF. After a few months, his big daughter, along with his husband and newly born baby, was killed in another airstrike. In short, that’s the prize of saying the truth and standing with the Right