Hussein al Farakh, d. March 17, 2012

Hussein al Farakh was a security guard at the American Language Center in Damascus when I worked there.  I didn’t know him very well but he always gave me his serious head-nod whenever I passed him on my way into the building.  Quiet, unassuming, but charming and clever.  On March 17, 2012, he was one of the 27 casualties resulting from double explosions in the capital.  It didn’t matter that we weren’t best friends, or even good friends for that matter.  It still went straight to the heart to find out that an innocent civilian was in the wrong place at the wrong time and this time “it” had a name that I knew.

Every time I read about another explosion ripping through the capital I worry about my friends and former students that are still there.  I check facebook right away to see if the usual people have posted something to let us all know they escaped this one.  And this time there was the announcement that Hussein was a victim.  I wish I could write more about him and give people a name and face to a situation that is miles away for most of us.  Instead, my friend, Yakoob, wrote a piece that came from sadness, but also admiration and friendship.  It’s worth taking your time to read it, not only because it reminds us that life can be ripped away in a second, but also because it’s a beautiful story of a many faceted gentleman who made a lasting impression on those around him.  Read the story,  Hussein, by Yakoob Ahmed.