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In His Honor: Amman Welcomes Mahmoud Darwish

August 13, 2008 8 Comments

Written By: Naseem Tarawnah

As I write this, I am overcome with a surge of sadness that has not resonated in my heart for quite a long time. For as I write this, the great Arab poet, Mahmoud Darwish, one of my personal heroes, is being laid to rest in Ramallah; mind you, not his village of birth, Al-Birwa (now western Galilee). As I write this, many have flocked the streets of Ramallah to greet the body of an Ambassador and a Champion of the Palestinian cause; the Arab cause.

darwish2 In His Honor: Amman Welcomes Mahmoud Darwish

Darwish’s body was flown from the US to Amman, where I was fortunate enough to attend a rather solemn ceremony that included various dignitaries, ministers and Palestinian Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad. His coffin, draped in a Palestinian flag, was carried forth by Palestinian Liberation Army officers, as Jordanian honor guards saluted the great poet. After a serious of eulogies remembering Darwish, his casket was flown by a Jordanian military helicopter to Ramallah, to be greeted by his homeland for the final time.

Jordanian Honor Guard salutes, while Palestinian Liberation Army officers carry the casket of Mahmoud Darwish off the plane.

Salam Fayyad Eulogizes Mahmoud Darwish as his body arrives in Amman, Jordan

darwish3 In His Honor: Amman Welcomes Mahmoud Darwish

darwish1 In His Honor: Amman Welcomes Mahmoud Darwish

http://oulafarawati.blogspot.com/ Oula

“Champion of the Palestinian cause; the Arab cause”.. I beg to differ: during the past few years, Darwish made it clear that he was bigger than politics and bigger than “physical” love stories… When I saw him in Amman less than a year ago, I told him that one of his greatest pieces was “Ana 3arabi”, he laughed and told me I reminded him of his naiive years: “I grew up Oula.. I am bigger than politics, bigger than all the negotiations and just a poet.. forget about this whole nationalistic stuff..”
http://oulafarawati.blogspot.com Oula

“Champion of the Palestinian cause; the Arab cause”.. I beg to differ: during the past few years, Darwish made it clear that he was bigger than politics and bigger than “physical” love stories… When I saw him in Amman less than a year ago, I told him that one of his greatest pieces was “Ana 3arabi”, he laughed and told me I reminded him of his naiive years: “I grew up Oula.. I am bigger than politics, bigger than all the negotiations and just a poet.. forget about this whole nationalistic stuff..”
laila

lool Oula,

What did growing out of the normal rebillious spirit of communism and struggle attached to each youth with the belief in the cause? and the icon that era made of him and his poems?

Every writer and artist would love to be remembered for his talent, not only for the cause his talent is used for and thats totally different than forgotting about nationalistic stuff(!!), if that was meant the way you protrayin it here, his reading in the Arab 48 lands would not have been that national two years ago, or his last one in ramallah.

politically you can choose to put your self out side the craziness of politics and everything negative in the leftist world of politics but that never means getting over the cause and principle of it.

but who would get that?
laila

lool Oula,

What did growing out of the normal rebillious spirit of communism and struggle attached to each youth with the belief in the cause? and the icon that era made of him and his poems?

Every writer and artist would love to be remembered for his talent, not only for the cause his talent is used for and thats totally different than forgotting about nationalistic stuff(!!), if that was meant the way you protrayin it here, his reading in the Arab 48 lands would not have been that national two years ago, or his last one in ramallah.

politically you can choose to put your self out side the craziness of politics and everything negative in the leftist world of politics but that never means getting over the cause and principle of it.

but who would get that?
http://www.black-iris.com/ Naseem Tarawnah

Oula: I agree that he may have been bigger than politics, but like any public figure of his stature, Mahmoud Darwish was subject to public perception. And as you know, most people in the Arab world, especially in the Levant area, perceived him to be how I described him.

Thanks for the comment, and it’s great to see your name on the blogosphere again!
http://www.black-iris.com Naseem Tarawnah

Oula: I agree that he may have been bigger than politics, but like any public figure of his stature, Mahmoud Darwish was subject to public perception. And as you know, most people in the Arab world, especially in the Levant area, perceived him to be how I described him.

Thanks for the comment, and it’s great to see your name on the blogosphere again!
http://muallaqatforum.blogspot.com/ ipang

Allah yarham!…
http://muallaqatforum.blogspot.com ipang

Allah yarham!…