Death of Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb
Encyclopedia
Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb (October 24, 1997 – May 2011) was a 13-year-old Syrian boy who died while in the custody of the Syrian government in Daraa during the 2011 Syrian uprising
. On April 29, 2011, he was detained during a protest. On May 25, 2011, his body was delivered to his family, having been badly bruised, along with burn marks, three gunshot wounds, and severed genitals. Hamza's family distributed photos and video of his body to journalists and activists. Shocked by what those depicted, thousands of people showed their support for Hamza online and in street protests. Many news organizations described Hamza as the new symbol of the Syrian revolution.
.
Hamza's family reported that he was not interested in politics, but on April 29, 2011, he joined his family in a rally to break the siege of the city of Daraa. "Everybody seemed to be going to the protest, so he went along as well," said his cousin. Hamza walked with friends and family 12 km along the road from his Al Jeezah north-west to Saida
. Firing began almost as the protesters reached Saida. Hamza's cousin reported: "People were killed and wounded, some were arrested. It was chaotic we didn't know at that point what had happened to Hamza. He just disappeared." Sources confirmed that Hamza had been among 51 protesters detained by Air Force Intelligence
, which detainees described as having a reputation for brutal torture.
summarized: "His jaw and both kneecaps had been smashed. His flesh was covered with cigarette burns. His penis had been cut off. Other injuries appeared to be consistent with the use of electroshock devices and being whipped with a cable."
After Al-Jazeera broadcast a portion of a narrated video showing Hamza’s mutilated body in the last week of May, outrage broke out online and in the protests in Syria.
In response to Al Jazeera
's story, the chief of Syria's medical examiners association, Dr. Akram El-Shaar, denied that Hamza was tortured. El-Shaar said that he supervised the autopsy in Damascus and that the boy did not have any sign of torture. He also claimed that Hamza had been shot in the Daraa riot and that all signs of disfigurement were due to decay.
page honoring his death currently has more than 105,000 connections by the end of July 2011. Following the pattern of demonstrators calling Fridays a "day of rage", Saturdays in Syria are being called the "day of Hamza".
On May 31, 2011, U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton marked the boy's death as a turning point in the Syrian uprising, indicating that it "symbolizes for many Syrians ... the total collapse of any effort by the Syrian government's to work with and listen to their own people".
The current wave of political upheaval in the Middle East has been driven by public shock in response to several deaths. Hamza joins Neda Agha-Soltan
in Iran, Mohamed Bouazizi
in Tunisia, and Khaled Saeed
in Egypt as ordinary citizens who were turned into martyrs.
2011 Syrian uprising
The 2011 Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal conflict occurring in Syria. Protests started on 26 January 2011, and escalated into an uprising by 15 March 2011...
. On April 29, 2011, he was detained during a protest. On May 25, 2011, his body was delivered to his family, having been badly bruised, along with burn marks, three gunshot wounds, and severed genitals. Hamza's family distributed photos and video of his body to journalists and activists. Shocked by what those depicted, thousands of people showed their support for Hamza online and in street protests. Many news organizations described Hamza as the new symbol of the Syrian revolution.
Background
Hamza lived with his parents in a village called Al Jeezah or Al Giza in Daraa Governorate. He was a seventh-grade student who enjoyed swimming and watching his collected homing pigeons fly above his house. He had a reputation for being generous. "He would often ask his parents for money to give to the poor. I remember once he wanted to give someone 100 Syrian Pounds ($2), and his family said it was too much. But Hamza said, 'I have a bed and food while that guy has nothing.' And so he persuaded his parents to give the poor man the 100," his cousin told Al JazeeraAl Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
.
Hamza's family reported that he was not interested in politics, but on April 29, 2011, he joined his family in a rally to break the siege of the city of Daraa. "Everybody seemed to be going to the protest, so he went along as well," said his cousin. Hamza walked with friends and family 12 km along the road from his Al Jeezah north-west to Saida
Saida
-Places:* Saida, a village in Barkote Block, Deogarh District of Orissa, India* Saida, a village in Mandi Bahauddin District of he Punjab province of Pakistan* Saïda, Algeria, a city in Algeria* Saïda Province, a province of Algeria-Other uses:...
. Firing began almost as the protesters reached Saida. Hamza's cousin reported: "People were killed and wounded, some were arrested. It was chaotic we didn't know at that point what had happened to Hamza. He just disappeared." Sources confirmed that Hamza had been among 51 protesters detained by Air Force Intelligence
Air Force Intelligence Directorate
The Air Force Intelligence is an intelligence service of Syria. Idarat al-Mukhabarat al-Jawiyya is possibly Syria's most powerful intelligence service, owing its importance to Hafez al-Assad's role as the Air Force commander....
, which detainees described as having a reputation for brutal torture.
Torture
A video of his body filmed several days after his death showed numerous injuries, including broken bones, gunshot wounds, burn marks, and mutilated genitals. The Globe and MailThe Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
summarized: "His jaw and both kneecaps had been smashed. His flesh was covered with cigarette burns. His penis had been cut off. Other injuries appeared to be consistent with the use of electroshock devices and being whipped with a cable."
After Al-Jazeera broadcast a portion of a narrated video showing Hamza’s mutilated body in the last week of May, outrage broke out online and in the protests in Syria.
In response to Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
's story, the chief of Syria's medical examiners association, Dr. Akram El-Shaar, denied that Hamza was tortured. El-Shaar said that he supervised the autopsy in Damascus and that the boy did not have any sign of torture. He also claimed that Hamza had been shot in the Daraa riot and that all signs of disfigurement were due to decay.
Backlash and impact
Hamza's name has become a rallying cry for protesters. A FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page honoring his death currently has more than 105,000 connections by the end of July 2011. Following the pattern of demonstrators calling Fridays a "day of rage", Saturdays in Syria are being called the "day of Hamza".
On May 31, 2011, U.S. Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Hillary Clinton marked the boy's death as a turning point in the Syrian uprising, indicating that it "symbolizes for many Syrians ... the total collapse of any effort by the Syrian government's to work with and listen to their own people".
The current wave of political upheaval in the Middle East has been driven by public shock in response to several deaths. Hamza joins Neda Agha-Soltan
Death of Neda Agha-Soltan
Footage of the death of Neda Agha-Soltan drew international attention after she was killed during the 2009 Iranian election protests. Her death was captured on video by bystanders and broadcast over the Internet and the video became a rallying point for the opposition...
in Iran, Mohamed Bouazizi
Mohamed Bouazizi
Mohamed Bouazizi was a Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire on 17 December 2010, in protest of the confiscation of his wares and the harassment and humiliation that he reported was inflicted on him by a municipal official and her aides...
in Tunisia, and Khaled Saeed
Death of Khaled Mohamed Saeed
During an interview with the opposition party, El-Ghad's, newspaper, Mosbah described, "They dragged him to the adjacent building and banged his head against an iron door, the steps of the staircase and walls of the building...Two doctors happened to be there and tried in vain to revive him but ...
in Egypt as ordinary citizens who were turned into martyrs.
See also
- 2011 Syrian uprising2011 Syrian uprisingThe 2011 Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal conflict occurring in Syria. Protests started on 26 January 2011, and escalated into an uprising by 15 March 2011...
- Death of Khaled Mohamed SaeedDeath of Khaled Mohamed SaeedDuring an interview with the opposition party, El-Ghad's, newspaper, Mosbah described, "They dragged him to the adjacent building and banged his head against an iron door, the steps of the staircase and walls of the building...Two doctors happened to be there and tried in vain to revive him but ...
- Death of Neda Agha-SoltanDeath of Neda Agha-SoltanFootage of the death of Neda Agha-Soltan drew international attention after she was killed during the 2009 Iranian election protests. Her death was captured on video by bystanders and broadcast over the Internet and the video became a rallying point for the opposition...