Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian Poet Was a Political, Cultural Icon, Dies at 67
Mahmoud Darwish, whose poetry helped make him one of the leading cultural voices for the Palestinian experience, died Saturday in Houston of complications from open heart surgery. He was 67.
A revered cultural icon in the occupied Palestinian territories and among the Palestinian diaspora, Darwish in his poetry often touched on the themes of exile and resistance. He wrote the symbolic Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas declared a three-day mourning period, saying Darwish's passing "will leave a great gap in our political, cultural and national lives. . . . Words cannot describe the depth of sadness in our hearts."
Darwish's death prompted scattered vigils around Ramallah, the West Bank city where he had lived since the 1990s.
Born in 1941 in the village of Al Birwa near the northern coastal city of Acre, Darwish fled with his family after the founding of Israel in 1948. They later returned and settled in the northern village of Deir Al Assad.
In 1960, at 19, Darwish published his first book of poetry. He quickly emerged as a leading cultural voice, writing at least 20 books of poetry and five books of prose. His works have been translated into more than 22 languages...
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A revered cultural icon in the occupied Palestinian territories and among the Palestinian diaspora, Darwish in his poetry often touched on the themes of exile and resistance. He wrote the symbolic Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas declared a three-day mourning period, saying Darwish's passing "will leave a great gap in our political, cultural and national lives. . . . Words cannot describe the depth of sadness in our hearts."
Darwish's death prompted scattered vigils around Ramallah, the West Bank city where he had lived since the 1990s.
Born in 1941 in the village of Al Birwa near the northern coastal city of Acre, Darwish fled with his family after the founding of Israel in 1948. They later returned and settled in the northern village of Deir Al Assad.
In 1960, at 19, Darwish published his first book of poetry. He quickly emerged as a leading cultural voice, writing at least 20 books of poetry and five books of prose. His works have been translated into more than 22 languages...