Salute, Faraaz Hossain

“WE salute you for setting an example for the world to follow. Faraaz, you have always wanted to make me a proud mother; today you have made me the proudest mother in the whole world,” wrote Simeen Hossain, the mother of Faraaz Ayaz Hossain. She wrote this message to the Milan-based organization Garden of the Righteous Worldwide (GARIWO).

We want to echo this message with Faraaz’s mother. He has not only made his mother and his family proud, but has made all of us proud. Today Faraaz’s sacrifice and love is being lauded the world over.

A commemorative garden was inaugurated on 15 July in Tunis, Tunisia. Five Muslim persons have been honoured here for their sacrifice, courage and ideals. Faraaz Ayaz Hossain is one of them.

GARIWO chairman Gabriele Nissim wrote that a number of Italian nationals were victims of a horrific carnage at a Dhaka restaurant. Faraaz Hossain was there for dinner at the time with friends Abinta and Tarishi. The terrorists gave him the chance to flee, but he could not accept such a Nazi mentality that only a person of a certain faith would live. To the contrary, he believed in everyone’s right to live. He chose death to uphold this ideal.

Faraaz’s sacrifice has raised high the flag of humanity, courage and ideals. Faraaz has shown us how great a person can be in the final moments of life, rising above all self interests. The true colours of humanity emerge in times of distress, when a human stands up and protects a fellow human being. Our faith in mankind has been restored. The world now knows that Bangladesh stands for such human values. We are filled with pride.

Faraaz will never die. In death he lives on forever. The person who can sacrifice his life for others, is immortal.

Faraaz, we salute you.