For us, liberating our country and having dignity, respect and human rights are as essential as life itself." Ghassan Kanafani, who is remembered with this answer to a question from a Western journalist, is an important writer and activist who devoted his life to the Palestinian cause.
Kanafani, who had to leave his hometown, Acre, in 1948, when he was only 13 years old, became known as an influential figure both literary and politically regarding the rights of the Palestinian people during the years he was away from his country. He started his career teaching Palestinian children in refugee camps and continued as a journalist and writer. He was known as a defender of Palestinian identity and resistance. His works generally dealt with the history of Palestine and the difficulties experienced by the people. His works such as Men in the Sun and Return to Haifa were among the important literary works dealing with the Palestinian issue.
He died when he was only 38 years old, when a bomb placed in his car by Mossad exploded in Beirut. He left behind eighteen books and hundreds of articles about the Palestinian struggle.
Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star wrote of Kanafani: "He was a commando who never fired, his gun was his ballpoint pen, his place was the newspaper pages."
We are sharing with you the text that Ghassan Kanafani wrote with Palestinian children in mind.
I wish Children didn't Die!
