“If I Must Die,” a poem written by Palestinian professor and writer Refaat Alareer, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in North Gaza, inspired Albuquerque community members to launch a large-scale art project.
The ongoing project involves the making of 21,907 origami kites to honor the children who have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza between Oct. 7, 2023 and September, 2025.
“If I must die, you must live, to tell my story, to sell my things, to buy a piece of cloth, and some strings, (make it white with a long tail),” the poem reads.
Palestinian American and local business owner of Noor Sweets and Eats Antoinette Khader helped make several of the kites.
“(The kites) bring humanity to the children that were killed in Gaza, so (the project) helps to process the grief and to really realize these are actual people,” Khader said. “They're not just numbers.”
Each kite is printed with the name and age of a child who was killed.
“So that a child, somewhere in Gaza, while looking heaven in the eye, awaiting his dad who left in a blaze, and bid no one farewell, not even to his flesh, not even to himself, sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above,” the poem reads.
Leila Chapa is the social media and photo editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at socialmedia@dailylobo.com or on X @lchapa06
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on X @paloma_chapa88
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