{ "type": "rich", "version": "1.0", "provider_name": "Action Network", "provider_url": "https://actionnetwork.org", "html": "
", "author_name": "Drop Site News", "author_url": "https://actionnetwork.org/groups/drop-site-news", "title": "Send Assassinated Palestinian Poet Refaat Alareer’s book to #1!", "thumbnail_url": "https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/share_options/facebook_images/000/518/361/original/maxresdefault.jpg", "description": "December 6, 2024 marks one year since Israel assassinated Palestinian writer, poet and educator Refaat Alareer with a targeted airstrike on the second floor apartment where he was taking refuge with extended family. Israel’s targeting of poets and intellectuals was not new, but his killing–his brother, his brother’s son, his sister and her three children – struck a chord around the world, as Refaat had committed his life to the study and practice of the English language, believing it to be a tool of liberation and empowerment. . Through his work and his interviews, he gathered a global audience of admirers, those of us at Drop Site News among them. After he was killed, his poem, “If I Must Die, Let It Be A Tale” became a worldwide viral sensation, a window to the soul of the man who’d been ripped from the world. The poem is addressed to his daughter Shaymaa Refaat Alareer, and is a plea to her and all of us to keep hope for a better world alive. “If I must die/you must live/to tell my story/to tell my story/to sell my things/to buy a piece of cloth/and some strings/(make it white with a long tail)/so that a child, somewhere in Gaza/while looking heaven in the eye/awaiting his dad who left in a blaze—and bid no one farewell/not even to his flesh/not even to himself—sees the kite/my kite you made/flying up above/and thinks for a moment an angel is there/bringing back love.” He then concludes: If I must die let it bring hope let it be a tale On December 10, Refaat’s life will be published as a tale. The book, “If I Must Die,” is a collection of his poetry and prose, along with excerpts of important interviews he gave, compiled by his friend Yousef Aljamal. Pledge to buy Refaat’s book, “If I Must Die,” on its release date! When you sign, we’ll send you a message reminder to buy the book on its release date. In April, Israel struck and killed Shaymaa, her husband, and their two-month-old son. It is up to us to let Refaat’s life be a tale. We at Drop Site have nothing to do with his book, which is published by OR Books, but we want to help make it a bestseller. It is, on the one hand, a true masterwork, and a rich and poignant read you will return to again and again. Yet we want you to purchase it for another reason, too: To let it fly to the top of the rankings like a kite. Seeing Refaat’s book flying there will be a small sign to Palestinians facing genocide that the world has not forgotten them – and it will send a message to his assassins that we haven’t forgotten them either. Nothing can bring back Refaat or his family but this is one small dose of justice we can dole out. If you can, please buy his book on December 10. If you can find it at a store, that’s great. If not, buy it online. The Amazon ranking is the one that the publishing industry follows most closely, and the one that would land the hardest if it climbs to the very top, so if you use Amazon, please buy it there. If you’re doing holiday shopping, buy 10 copies and give them out. Our understanding is that buying more than 10 doesn’t count toward the rankings because they’re assumed to be bulk orders. Tell all your friends to buy the book. And do it all on December 10, so the chart spikes on that day. Sign this petition to pledge to buy a book and we’ll send you a reminder next Tuesday. Enter your phone number if you want a text reminder too, but it’s not necessary. We won’t sell or share your contact info. Collectively, we have the capacity to do this. We can do this. Let it be a tale.", "url": "https://actionnetwork.org/forms/refaat-alareer" }