Poets are excluded…as is Ghayath

Please allow him to stay in Sweden

by Anisur Rahman


I got an email from one of my friend’s father teaching at a university in the USA. His name is Azizul Haque. He sent me his feedback regarding my presentation ‘Future of poetry’ at a symposium on poetry at English Department, Uppsala University dated April 9, 2010 as saying, ‘Perhaps we need poetries depicting the real stories of human life be it in Bangladesh or elsewhere. There is a universal beauty everywhere’.

Yes absolute it is! But, on the contrary to it, I should say the other stories today that is really more than disappointing. Prior to that I would also like to echo the voice made by formerly my colleague in Dhaka Dr Binoy Barman in his article ‘The value of poetry’ where he is so optimistic for poetry as I am indeed. I am the extreme believer in poetry, though I cannot trust in the leading of life of a poet…at least not in this capital epitomized bureaucratized state functionality.

We are passing the times of Plato spirited imaginary state. Plato excluded poets from his imaginary state. Today we are witnessing Plato states all around us…either welfare or not, democratic or not, autocratic or not, barbaric or not, so what.

I am trying to survive in being poet in the mission of poetry. I believe poetry is a shelter in life, but a true poet has no shelter. An individual talent cannot make his living in poetry. Poetry advocates for peace and beauties. A poet hardly finds peace in his own life. Poets are excluded from many countries. Poets are in prison within boundaries of four walls and even out of them.

It reminded me the sad stories of my Palestinian poet and journalist friend Ghayath Almadhoun. He sought his refuge in Sweden over a year. His application has been refused by the authorities concerned.

We all know the story of Palestine and what is happening there. Moreover, Ghayath’s family was excluded for quite long and they housed in one other country in Middle East. Finally, he managed to come to Sweden. It was not a big ambition as a human being first than as a poet. He just wanted to survive.

We were talking to him at the house of our friend and poet Lars Häger in Uppsala on March 20 night after the reading at Uppsala City Theatre marking the World Poetry Day. Among us were Swedish Academy member Katarina Frostensson, Syrian poet Faraj Bayrakdar, Swedish poets Ann Jäderlund, Lars Häger, Magnus Dahlerus, Uppsala Poetry Slam master of ceremony Lars Burstedt, Iraqi poet and member in the board of Swedish PEN Jasim Mohammed and some others.

Faraj is also Ghayath’s family friend. Faraj was in prison some 15 years. Mentioning it Ghayath was saying how it could be possible for Faraj to be in prison so long years. ‘I am tired in a year in Sweden, though I am not in prison here. But, I have started to feel as if I were in prison.’

When a poet is feeling a land is prison, we must say the time is really difficult even more than difficult for him.

I find the value of poetry in life so in society. I am optimist about the future of poetry, but not the hazard free life of a poet. The times, the states, the jobs, the posts, the positions are not for poets. Poets are extremely excluded from states. Poets are most vulnerable political species in society though their words are extreme powerful and full of tidy touches of human sensitivities.

Enough is enough! We have much to say. I would like to end this piece with simple note, ‘Please allow Ghayath Almadhoun to stay in Sweden. A poet is neither enemy to humanity nor even burden for a society. A poet simply loves to be humble, to dream and to show how to dream in life and how to love beauties and truth in life.

Please, let Ghayath survive, let him write, let him breath freely. #