an exile no more

Before he went into exile in 1975, he last was a worker in the smelting furnaces of Alba in 1972-1974. By then, the dream of “a free homeland and a happy people” had taken hold of him. And no 965 C of Aluminum “bathroom” would deter the Hammam/Hatab son from that. Abroad, he was a salient voice for the cause of the workers at home. The “Voice of Workers” andpublications and interventions before forums like ILO bore testimony to that. He had to wait for almost a quarter of a century to pass for his circle of exile to complete.

Last Saturday, his long, labourious journey came to its destination. He was laid to rest in the last soulful part of his city, Al-Hoora cemetery.

Hameed Awachi (1946-2006) is now free, and one day –if metaphysics proves right- he will be happy. And if meta-history proves right, his people will be free and happy too.