Reflections of Cultural and Intellectual Resistance in Samih
al-Qasim poetry
Jamal Talebi Gharehgheshlaghi, Department of Arabic Language,
Farhangyan University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Resistance is a vital part of contemporary Arab poetry. It can be said
that resistance is not any more limited to military resistance; however, the
1980s and 1990s witnessd another type of resistance which can be
referred to as cultural resistance. This type of resistance manifests itself in
defending history, ethnic and national identity and civilization, raising
awareness about the importance of resistance among Palestinian people.
Samih Al-Qasim, a contemporary Palestinian poet, is one of the pioneers
in the field of cultural resistance. He has devoted himself to the issue of
national and ethnic identity, which the Zionist regime seeks to eliminate
so that Palestinian people live in cultural, intellectual, and historical
isolation. Al-Qasim believes in the power of words functioning socially
and intellectually to raise awareness and effect change. The present study
which is based on a descriptive-analytical approach investigates the
features of cultural and intellectual resistance in Samih Al-Qasim’s
poetry. It concludes that defending national, regional, and universal
identity, resisting ignorance and treachery, condemning social classes,
clinging to Islamic history, defending Arabic, and promoting some
Islamic and Arab history all of which are part of Al-Qasim’s poetry.
These aspects represent cultural resistance in the poety of Samih Al-
Qasim.
Keywords: contemporary Palestinian poetry, resisance, thought and
culture, identity and belonging.