Middle East: Goodbye Saramago · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

Bloggers across the Middle East mourned the death of Portuguese writer Jose Saramago – the only Portuguese language Nobel Prize Winner in Literature, who has his own religious and political controversial views. People in the Lusosphere and all over the world reacted to his death, and the Arab world is no exception.
Yazan Ashqar published this photo of Saramago in his blog and wrote one of his most famous quotes under it: I think we are blind. Blind but seeing. Blind people who can see, but do not see. http://dajeej.wordpress.com/2010/06/19/%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%BA%D9%88/
Egyptian blogger, Badawiaa, wrote in her blog about Saramago bidding farewell to life:
Lebanese blogger Jihad Bazzi wonders what Saramago might be doing now in his afterlife:
Besides being a writer, Saramago has his own political stance as well. And this made Yassin El Suwayheh, a Syrian blogger living in Spain, write about Saramago's political stance in his blog Spanish waves on Levant shores:
An anonymous reader commented on Yassin's post. The reader objected to the phrase, “A man has died, who can at least be identified with his major awards in literature and poetry” writing that it's what such personalities do and say that identifies them and not the prizes and awards they win:
On the other hand, Ahmed Shawky was worried that Saramago's political stances, might make people overlook his side as a creative writer.
Many Arab intellectuals know about, and have read for, Jose Saramago. Unfortunately many others should be thankful to his death for introducing them to writer like him. Ahmed El Mueini wrote in his blog about Saramago's novel Blindness, and how he has had it in his bookshelf but never had the chance to read it:
Omani Wadhha AlBusaidi then commented on Ahmed El Mueini's post:
Another commenter replied saying that he will sure miss Saramago's writings, although he doesn't agree with his religious views:
And finally, Laila, advised Ahmed not to miss the chance of reading Saramago's novel: