Ghassan Kanafani

by Anni Kanafani

The story of Ghassan Kanafani, Palestinian journalist and author, member of the Palestinian resistance movement, assassinated together with his niece Lamees by Israeli agents in Beirut on July 8, 1972. Written and told by his Danish wife, Anni.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

47 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 1973

Reviews

[Pakinam · Rating 4 out of 5]

لو اتكلمنا عن فلسطين لازم حنفتكر غسان..
لو اتكلمنا عن الشجاعة حنلاقي قدامنا صورة غسان..
لو اتكلمنا عن قوة الكلمات اللي أحياناً بتكون أقوي من الرصاص حيجي في بالنا شهيد الكلمة الذي عاش لفلسطين واستشهد لأجلها ..غسان كنفاني..

مينفعش تقرأ كتبه أو تقرأ كلام مكتوب عنه إلا لما لازم يحرك جواك حاجة...
كتاب صغير مكتوب باللغة الانجليزية من ٢٥ صفحة كتبته أرملة غسان ان كنفاني بتتكلم فيه بكل حب و فخر علي زوجها وعلي كل اللي عمله حتي استشهاده مع ابن اخته لميس يوم ٨ يوليو ١٩٧٢..

كتاب جميل❤️

[Raden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deeply personal eulogy from Anni. Written in such a way that, by the end of the book, I feel mournful for a life that could've been.

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

[Erling]

A short but beautiful and personal memoir. A man who stood up for his people, for Palestine, and got killed for it, something that’s seemingly an endlessly repeating cycle in history.

“Ghassan was the commando who never fired a gun. His weapon was a ballpoint pen and his arena newspaper pages. And he hurt the enemy more than a column of commandos.”

[Majić Vusilović · Rating 4 out of 5]

Z dnešního pohledu bude hodně věcí asi působit dated a sentimentálně, ale i tak mi přišla tato kniha hodně autentická. Radost mi samozřejmě udělal fakt, že se Anni o "palestinské otázce" dozvěděla, když byla na návštěvě v Jugoslávii, a taky, že Ghassan byl pořádný killjoy nejen u konfrontováni novinářů, ale i ve svých osobních vztazích ("do you think our Palestinian people are animals in a zoo?"). Přála bych si nějaké nové a delší vydání od paní Kanafani, která je údajně i dodnes committed socialist.

[Mohamed Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sideedaba anigu maanta ma awoodo ama ma aaminsaniba inaan naftayda u huri karo qadiyaadka waawayn ee aduunka sida wadanka,diinta,aydhiyoolajiyadka iwxm.
Haddana markasta oo Qassaan akhriyo mawjado kalaan galaa oo waxaan is arkaa anigoo qof kale ah ,waxan is arkaa anigoo aaminsan in shayga qudha ee nolosha bani'aadmka macne u yeeli karaa ay tahay qadiyad.

Buuggu waa buug aad u kooban oo ay Anni kanafani kusoo tabinayso qisada Qassaan kanfaani.

"الإنسان في نهاية المطاف قضية"

[Jennifer Abdo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, but lots of good info on a favorite author, beloved figure, and revolutionary from his wife. A newspsper clipping, his art and writing is also featured.

I read this electronically, but would love to find a physical copy for myself one day.

[ernst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kurze Biographie von Kanafanis Partnerin direkt nach seiner Ermordung durch den Mossad verfasst. Gibt einen guten Eindruck in den Menschen, aber durch die Kürze auch nicht ausgesrpochen tiefgehend. Interessant war beispielsweise, dass 70% seiner Schüler, die er als Lehrer ausebildet hat, in den Widerstandskampf gegangen sind. Das ist eine enorme Leistung.

Im Arabischen gibt es längst eine Werkausgabe Kanafanis, im Englischen werden vor allem seit dem 7. Oktober endlich auch seine politischen Schriften - die ganz hervorragend sind - überetzt und veröffentlicht. Im Deutschen wird er immer noch auf seine literarischen Werke reduziert, die zudem auch nicht vollständig vorliegen (dem Lenos-Verlag gebührt Dank dafür, dass er wenigstens diese Werke veröffentlicht und übersetzen lässt). Eine Situation, die, gemessen an der Bedeutung Kanafanis, eine Zumutung ist.

[ben.wmv · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When I grow up I want to be like my father and will fight to return to Palestine, my father’s homeland, the land he and Umm Sa’ad used to tell me so much about. From now on, I will help my mother and sister a lot so that they won’t miss him too much. But we will never forget him, or Lamees who died with him and whom we all loved very much—Lamees who was always kind and never lost her temper.”
- Fayez Kanafani

“Love of life necessitates violence. Ghassan wasn’t a pacifist. He was killed in the class-struggle like Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxemburg, Ernst Thalmann, Lumumba and Ché Guevera. As they loved life—so did he. Like them he saw the necessity of revolutionary violence as self-defence against the oppression from the exploiting classes.”
- Anni Kanafani

[Prottoy Chakma · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When the Palestinian people return home, they will meet Ghassan in every flower, in every tree- they will feel him in the soil and the air of Palestine"
-Anni Kanafani

What a painful reminiscence of a widow of revolutionary who gave his life for the Palestinian cause. No words, no language can express, nor can my eyes behold the utmost despairs of these angelic creatures who lost their homes, lives and everything. But they have no other choice but to confront. As well as we, who cannot afford to ignore such a ridiculous zionist and similar occupying scheme in Palestine as well as across the globe. May the flowers bloom, may we be free.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A biography of Palestinian author Ghassan Kanafani written by his widow Anni. Very beautiful and heartfelt and worth the read (it's only a short pamphlet) to learn about Ghassan. Definitely want to check out what little of his work is translated into English.

EDIT: I also didn't know he was an artist (which I learnt through reading this) and some pieces are shown in here (but in black and white/pink) but I'm checking them out now online and they're beautiful pieces.

[Shafaque · Rating 5 out of 5]

'He was like a mountain- and a mountain can only be destroyed by dynamite.'
wrote Beirut Paper about Ghassan Kanafani when he was killed by planting a bomb in his car which exploded taking his and his niece's lives, so are all the people of Palestine, who are blown up with bombs by the apartheid state in the darkness of night, from the vicinity of their stolen homes.

[Asmita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and heartwarming tribute to Ghassan Kanafani, compiled by his wife. It is essentially a selection of vignettes including photographs and letters from different people that help build an image of Kanafani’s life and the impact he had on those around him.

[Rakan Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aren't our destinies written? So why don't we walk quietly.

I guess he’s asking why we tend to worry, overthink, and feel anxious about our futures, when all that’s supposed to happen, will, and all that’s not, won’t.

Cheers Ghassan, that’s one of the nicest ways to say life is absurd.

[sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

an amazing introduction to the legacy and life of Kanafani. Particularly enjoyed how it consisted of letters, excerpts from his literary works, pictures and drawings.

[ilhan]

<3

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

not only does love persevere but it preserves

[Lamar لمار Ламар 拉马尔 Λαμάρ ラマール · Rating 4 out of 5]

الله يرحم الشهيد غسان كنفاني وحقا ما اطول مسيرة الشُّهَدَاءِ وما اعْظَمَ دربهُم المُمتد

[Farah M · Rating 5 out of 5]

unbelievably beautiful and solemn. Inna Lilahi Wa Inna Elaihi Rajeun.

[May &#60;3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

revolutionary.

[آلاء · Rating 5 out of 5]

This man and every little detail in his story, will be close to my heart forever.. ❤️

As The Daily Star put it (July 9, 1972): “Ghassan was the commando who never fired a gun.His weapon was a ballpoint pen and his arena newspaper pages. And he hurt the enemy more than a column of commandos.”...

Wed, September 6, 2023 📚 🌸🇵🇸✨

[☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghassan was the commando who never fired a gun.
His weapon was a ballpoint pen and his arena newspaper pages and he hurt the enemy more than a column of commandos.
.The horse to us Arabs, he said, symbolizes beauty, courage, honesty, intelligence, truth, and freedom. For me, Ghassan himself had all these characteristics.