Refaat Alareer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Refaat Alareer
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| رفعت العرعير | |
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| Born | 23 September 1979 Shuja'iyya, Gaza City, Gaza Strip
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| Died | 6 December 2023 (aged 44) Shuja'iyya, Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Palestinian territories
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| Cause of death | Israeli airstrike |
| Nationality | Palestinian |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation | Professor |
| Known for | Activism |
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Notable work
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| Spouse(s) | Nusayba |
| Children | 6 |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Islamic University in Gaza |
Refaat Alareer (Arabic: رفعت العرعير, romanized: Rifaʿat al-ʿAriʿīr; 23 September 1979 – 6 December 2023) was a Palestinian writer, poet, professor, and activist. He was from the Gaza Strip.
He was born in Gaza City in 1979. He said that growing up under the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip affected his life greatly. Refaat Alareer earned his first degree in English in 2001 from the Islamic University of Gaza. He then got a master's degree from University College London in 2007. In 2017, he completed his PhD in English Literature at the Universiti Putra Malaysia. His PhD work focused on the poet John Donne.
Alareer taught literature and creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza. He also helped start an organization called We Are Not Numbers. This group connected young writers in Gaza with experienced authors from other countries. It aimed to show the power of storytelling as a way for Palestinians to share their experiences.
On December 6, 2023, Refaat Alareer was killed by an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza. His brother, sister, and four nephews also died in the same attack. This happened during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. Later, on April 26, 2024, his oldest daughter and his newborn grandchild were killed in another airstrike on their home in Gaza City.
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Early Life and Education
Refaat Alareer was born on September 23, 1979, in Shuja'iyya, a neighborhood in Gaza City. He often spoke about how living in Gaza meant that the Israeli occupation influenced many of his life choices.
He earned a BA degree in English in 2001 from the Islamic University of Gaza. In 2007, he completed his MA degree at University College London. He later earned a Ph.D. in English Literature in 2017 from the Universiti Putra Malaysia. His PhD research explored the poetry of John Donne.
Career and Activism
Refaat Alareer edited two collections of short stories by Palestinian writers. These books were titled Gaza Writes Back (published in 2014) and Gaza Unsilenced (published in 2015). He once said that Gaza Writes Back was meant to be a record for future generations.
In 2007, Alareer became a professor at the Islamic University in Gaza. He taught world literature and creative writing, with a special focus on the works of Shakespeare. He also taught about the work of Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai.
He co-founded We Are Not Numbers, a program that helps writers in Gaza connect with authors from other countries. The organization believes that sharing stories is a powerful way for Palestinians to express themselves and their experiences.
During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Alareer appeared on news programs like the BBC, Democracy Now!, and ABC News. He shared his views and experiences from Gaza.
Some of his strong opinions about Israel led to criticism. The New York Times reported that his feelings were made stronger by the killing of his brother in an Israeli airstrike during the 2014 Gaza War. Also, the Israeli blockade on Gaza sometimes stopped him from traveling to study or teach abroad.
Personal Life
Refaat Alareer and his wife had six children. His brother, Hamada, was killed during the 2014 Gaza War. Many other relatives of Refaat and his wife were also killed in different conflicts.
In 2021, Alareer wrote an article for The New York Times. In it, he described how the conflict affected his children. He also volunteered at the Gaza Zoo, even during the 2023 war.
On April 26, 2024, several months after Refaat Alareer's death, his oldest daughter Shaimaa, her husband Mohammed Siyam, and their newborn baby were killed. They died in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Gaza City.
Death
Refaat Alareer was killed by an Israeli airstrike around 6:00 PM on December 6, 2023. This happened in northern Gaza. He had chosen to stay in northern Gaza at the start of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. His brother Salah and Salah's son Mohammed were also killed in the same airstrike. His sister Asmaa and three of her children (Alaa, Yahia, and Mohammed) also died in that attack.
Tributes
Many people shared their sadness and respect after Alareer's death. Ramy Abdu, who founded the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, said that Alareer was "the voice of Gaza, one of its best academics."
Poet Mosab Abu Toha wrote that his "heart is broken" because his friend and colleague Refaat Alareer was killed. Najwan Darwish told The Guardian that Alareer was "an influential voice." He added that not only was Alareer lost, but also all the future poetry he would have written.
Palestinian-American professor Sami Al-Arian noted that Alareer was "an amazing poet, an articulate voice for Gazans, and a true bridge to people outside Palestine." He said that many people in Palestine and around the world would miss him.
REFAAT Initiative
On June 5, 2024, the REFAAT Initiative was started. This initiative aims to honor Refaat Alareer's memory and continue his important work.
Works
- Gaza Writes Back (2014)
- Gaza Unsilenced (2015)
PhD thesis
- "Unframing John Donne's Transgressive Poetry in Light of Bakhtin's Dialogic Theories" (2017)
