Remembering Walid Daqqa, a prisoner with a ‘heretical belief in life’

On the wall in my study hangs a large picture. Swirling silver Arabic letters, delicately drawn on black cloth and decorated with green leaves, spell out a phrase based on the commandment of Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib: لا تستوحشوا طريق الحق لقلة السائرين فيه — “Do not despair of the path of truth, even if few follow it.” 

This handiwork was created by my friend Walid Daqqa while he was in prison. Walid passed away earlier this month at the age of 62, following complications of various diseases, including cancer. As far as…