And whoever saves a life, it shall be reckoned as though he has saved the life of all humankind. (Qur'an, Surat Al-Ma’idah 5:32)
GHOUTA, Syria—Ghouta’s deadly rain of bombs and bullets killed three Zakat Foundation relief workers seeking to enroll new orphans for care and rescuing women and children buried in the rubble of exploded building shelters.
“This is a devastating loss for the young families of these utterly brave and selfless men – husbands and fathers – martyred for their truly heroic humanitarian valor,” says Amal Ali, Zakat Foundation Communications Director.
“They fearlessly entered Ghouta to rescue orphan children from this dystopian apocalypse and register them in our Orphan Sponsorship Program. Now, their own children are registered in it.”
Muhammad, 30, known affectionately as Abu Salama (a teknonymic, or kunya in Arabic, a name derived from one’s eldest child), leaves behind three children in addition to his wife. He gave his life locating 50 orphans in Ghouta and signing them up for the Zakat Foundation’s Orphan Sponsorship Program.
An aerial bombardment killed Abu Salama Muhammad as he worked to free women, children, and men trapped in a bombed out building shelter.
Aerial assaults have showered Ghouta virtually nonstop for four weeks, leaving at least 1,350 dead, including children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Contact remains extremely difficult with Ghouta sources. We will provide updates, including names and personal information about the martyred Zakat Foundation workers, as these become available.