Darwish to be buried in Ramallah

Ramallah: Flags were lowered to half-staff at West Bank government buildings on Sunday, ushering in three days of mourning for poet Mahmoud Darwish, who gave a voice to their yearning for independence.

Darwish died yesterday, at age 67, following a heart surgery at a Houston hospital. The poet will be buried tomorrow in Ramallah, rather than near his home village in what is now Israel, according to his brother Ahmad.

The family had initially considered seeking burial close to home. However, this would have required Israeli approval, and would have made it difficult for Arabs to visit the grave.