The Legacy of Khaled Bakrawi

The merciless murder of Palestinian activist Khaled Bakrawi by the Syrian regime should serve as a wake-up call to all Palestinians who think that this regime will not hesitate before it kills one of our own. His memory should be honoured by increasing our vehement opposition to this murderous regime and its cronies in Lebanon and Iran.

When Bakrawi committed to his activism and adamant refusal to stay idle as his friends, family and comrades in the Yarmouk refugee camp where targeted and killed, he was not doing anything more than his moral duty to fight for what is right.

Rejecting all forms of oppression no matter who commits it and regardless of its political implications is not only worthy of approbation and commendation, but should also serve as an example for people who continue to second-guess their opposition to the Syrian regime.

Bakrawi is a hero by all standards. His opposition to oppression, and his relentless humanitarian support to the victims of this oppression, can only be conducted by those who have one fundamental principle in mind: freedom cannot be attained by busying yourself with secondary political considerations that only benefit the powerful elite. It is a long process that requires moral resolve and persistence even if the cost is your own life.

One cannot make the claim that Bakrawi was not aware of the consequences of his actions, for surely he was an observant young man who knew what the regime is capable of. He knew about the torture chambers in the regime's jails, and he knew about the horrifyingly high number of political prisoners who were stripped from their dignity and lives in order to protect the interests of the rich and elite in Syria. But his determination to alleviate the suffering of his people was unscathed by threats to his life.

His position as a political and humanitarian activist renders considerations adopted by the so-called leaders of the Palestinians factions meaningless and irrelevant. He taught us the meaning of working outside the narrow definitions of power politics and factional allegiances; and this is a lesson that we shall never forget

The legacy of Bakrawi's resolve offers a framework that allows us to rejects the normalization of regressive political conduct within Palestinian politics. It is not enough to muse into mere condemnations and roaring rhetoric of resistance especially when they are not coupled with proper honourable action.

The murder of Bakrawi will not pass as yet another story of the death of a Palestinian activist. To me, despite not knowing this young Palestinian hero personally, his memory will be forever engraved in the minds and hearts of every human being who fights for freedom and justice everywhere in the world.

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