Samih al-Qasim
Influential Palestinian Druze poet known for powerful verses addressing Arab identity and resistance, with works widely read throughout the Arab world.
Samih al-Qasim, born in 1939 in Jordan, became one of the most prominent Palestinian poets of his generation. His poetry, deeply influenced by his experiences before and after the Six-Day War, often addressed themes of Palestinian identity, resistance, and the struggle against occupation. Al-Qasim was among the first Arab Druze to defy compulsory military service imposed by Israeli authorities. His first collection, "Pageants of the Sun," was published when he was just nineteen. Throughout his career, al-Qasim published numerous volumes of poetry that resonated widely across the Arab world[2][11].