Muslim civil rights and advocacy group says Israel’s murder of Dr. Alareer using U.S. weapons failed to silence his voice
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the Dec. 10th release of “If I Must Die,” a book by assassinated Palestinian writer, academic, poet and activist Dr. Refaat Alareer and encouraged all Americans to host readings and discussions about the book.
A compilation of Dr Alareer’s poetry and prose titled “If I Must Die” has been published by OR Books and will be available from December 10, 2024.
On December 6, 2023, the Israeli government used American weapons to murder Dr. Alareer in a bombing that also killed his brother, sister and their children. Just five weeks prior to his assassination, he shared his poem titled “If I must die” and pinned it to his Twitter profile. The poem has become a symbol of the steadfastness and resistance of the Palestinian people in the face of genocide.
In a statement, CAIR said:
“One year has passed since the genocidal Israeli government using American weapons to assassinate Dr. Refaat Alareer because he dared to commit the crime of writing poetry about the suffering of the Palestinian people. Although the war criminals of the Israeli government killed Dr. Alareer, they failed to silence his voice. We encourage community members to host readings and reflections on the messages and meanings of Dr. Alareer’s writing and the ways in which it reflects the struggle of all oppressed people.”
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com