Arab World: Farewell Gabriel Garcia Marquez  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Arab netizens mourned the death of Colombian Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who died on Thursday aged 87 at his home in Mexico City. On Twitter, Yasmine Zohdi puts to words what many feel:
Márquez is dead – a little bit of magic has abandoned the Earth today. — ياسمين زهدي (@YasmineZohdi) April 17, 2014
Jordanian Shaden Abdelrahman notes [ar]:
قلبي الليلة حزين.. #ماركيز — Shaden شادن (@Shad84) April 17, 2014
My heart is sad tonight #Marquez
And Moroccan writer Laila Lalami explains:
No one wrote better about the sin of pride, the corruption of power, and the redemption of love. I will miss you, Gabriel García Márquez. — Laila Lalami (@LailaLalami) April 17, 2014
She also shares her own photograph reading One Hundred Years of Solitude and the impact reading it had on her as a writer:
Me, age 23, reading ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ and wondering how the hell I was supposed to write after that. pic.twitter.com/F87ne19Qjv — Laila Lalami (@LailaLalami) April 17, 2014
UAE columnist Sultan Al Qassemi shares memories of reading that very same book too. He tweets:
RIP Gabriel García Márquez. I recall reading 100 Years of Solitude when my father was in hospital 10 years ago shortly before he passed away — שחררו את פלסטין (@SultanAlQassemi) April 17, 2014
Mohamed AbdelRahman uses the occasion to poke fun at Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been in power for 15 years, and who won his fourth term today (April 19, 2014) despite his failing health [ar]:
جميع رؤساء العالم ينعون ماركيز ماعدا بوتفليقة نظرا لوفاته أولا — Mhmd AbdelRahman (@MhmdAbdelRahman) April 17, 2014
All the world leaders mourn Marquez except Bouteflika, who had died before him
Bahraini Eyad Ebrahim adds:
RIP Gabriel García Márquez. Your books will inspire for centuries to come. pic.twitter.com/edb64MCTyG — إياد Eyad (@eyade) April 17, 2014
And Omani Nabhan Salem concludes [ar]:
وداعاً #ماركيز يبقى الإبداع وتموت الأجساد ومثلك لا يموت وقد أشعل الدهشة بنار الفكر والأدب — Nabhan Salim (@Nabhan80) April 17, 2014
Farewell Marquez. Your innovation continues to live after your body is dead. Those like you, who have ignited amazement with the fire of intellect and literature, never die