Funferal

Edward Said is dead

From an email that was passed to me earlier today:

It is with great personal sorrow that we inform you of the death of Edward W. Said, today, the 24th of September, 2003, at approximately 4 p.m. EST. Edward had been very ill for the past couple of weeks and last night he was re-admitted to the hospital (he had been released last week and was thought to be recovering). However, it was not to be and this afternoon, he was taken off the respirator and died shortly thereafter. For us — and we know for the entire academic community as well as everyone who had believed in Palestinian sovereignty, not to mention the self-determination of oppressed and exploited people worldwide — this is a loss that will never be overcome.

News coverage and tributes have begun to appear in the media in the last two hours. He was “the most eminent voice of the Palestinian cause in the United States and an intellectual of international standing.” Tributes have appeared in Counterpunch, Electronic Intifada, and again in Counterpunch. Counterpunch have also today published a recent piece piece by Said.