Yahya Hassan was a Palestinian-Danish poet who rose to national prominence in Denmark in 2013, when he published his collection of poetry Yahya Hassan. The poems expressed sharply critical attitudes towards the Islamic faith, as well as what Yahya saw as a hypocritical and irresponsible culture in some of Denmark’s Muslim immigrant communities. Writing of his upbringing, he disparaged his father, accusing him of abusing Danish welfare and physically abusing his offspring. He argued that these practices were somewhat endemic among Danish Muslims. Widespread refusal to integrate into Danish society, Yahya said, created an “orphaned generation” of which Yahya was a part, dropping out of school at age 13.

“As soon as our parents landed in Kastrup, it was as if their role as parents had ceased. And then we saw our fathers rot passively on welfare, lying on the sofa with a remote control in hand, accompanied by a disillusioned mother who never said a thing one way or another.” - Yahya Hassan 

The collection of poems, written entirely in capital letters, was highly successful, unusually so, selling more than 120,000 copies. Yahya became known not only for his distinctive style of writing but his distinctive style of recitation at in-person events. Many of his poems went on to be translated into other languages, including German and English.

However, in that period in late 2013 when Yahya Hassan had just been released and he was receiving enormous amounts of attention for the first time, not all of it was positive. Some Danish Muslims expressed displeasure at the poetry book, and some went so far as to threaten Yahya’s life. In the immediate wake of the book’s publication, Yahya, an atheist, received at least 27 death threats, and his poetry readings required police protection. 

One man, an Islamist also originating from Palestine who had before been sentenced for terrorism, physically assaulted Yahya at a Copenhagen train station in November 2013. The attacker called Yahya an “infidel.” He sustained a head injury.

“The assailant hit him in the head from behind with a closed fist several times and shouted that he was an infidel and should die.” - Kenneth Jensen, Copenhagen police

In subsequent years, Yahya attempted to run for political office, but after repeated problems with substance abuse (with which he had struggled since his teenage years) and run-ins with the law, these efforts ended. In 2019, he released another collection of poetry which was also well received. 

Tragically, however, in April 2020 Yahya died in his apartment. He was 24.

I SPILL TWENTY LITERS OF DARKNESS

AND A CHILDHOOD UP AGAINST THE WALL

A STONE AGE HAND A PAPERBACK QUR'AN

MAYBE I COULD HAVE LOVED YOU

IF I WAS YOUR FATHER AND NOT YOUR SON

- "FATHER MY UNBORN SON," poem by Yahya Hassan, translated by Kuku Agami and Al Agami