Feature: Murdered Afghan journalist laid to rest amid tears
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Xinhua, June 8, 2016
"Oh, Zabi, you have gone forever and left us alone here," said a crying mourner in the graveyard Shuhada-e-Salehen in the eastern edge of Kabul city Tuesday afternoon.
It was the funeral for Afghan veteran journalist Zabihullah Tamana, 38, known as "Zabi" among his friends and relatives.
He was killed together with David Gilkey, the photographer of U.S.-based National Public Radio in Afghanistan's troubled southern Helmand Province by a Taliban ambush on Sunday afternoon when they were travelling with an Afghan army convoy.
His funeral was held in a downtown mosque in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, shortly after his body was shifted back to his apartment. Hundreds of mourners came to the ceremony.
"Zabi was a sample of morals, a friend with decency, a relative with honesty and a good father and the only breadwinner of the family," one of his relatives muttered.
"Zabi was part of a crew in Helmand to report security and military activities, living condition and human rights situation there for the rest of the world," another mourner said while paying tribute to late Zabi at his grave.
Most mourners at the ceremony were too sad to share their names and feelings. But Zabi's eldest son Mohammad Mustafa was strong and brave to face the journalists and express his feelings.
"It was Friday morning that my father kissed me and promised to bring some toys from a mission he is going for," Mustafa, 10, told Xinhua on Tuesday.
With a bachelor degree from the Faculty of Law and Political Science, Kabul University, Zabi joined Xinhua News Agency Kabul Bureau in 2002, first as an interpreter of Farsi, Pashto and English, then a photojournalist between 2003 and 2010.
After leaving Xinhua, the ambitious man launched a private business, which continued for a couple of years, but he abandoned it due to worsened security situation and returned to media as a freelancer in 2014.
Zabi was a father of three children ranging from 3 to 10 years old, and also the breadwinner of a six-member family, including his wife and mother.
"Although we did not suggest him to go to the problematic Helmand, Zabi insisted on doing so last Friday for his career. Before leaving, he told us this would be the last mission to Helmand and he would be back home on Tuesday," Zabi's brother-in-law, Mohammad Yusuf told Xinhua, whispering "unfortunately it was his coffin that returned home on Tuesday, which was buried here on the same day."
Wiping away his tears, the saddened Yusuf said softly: "Zabi was a symbol of humanity, morality and he had never created problems with family members and relatives, and that is why it is difficult to forget such a man."
The brutal murder of Zabi and his colleague has withdrawn condemnation from home and abroad.
Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has condemned the murder of Afghan journalist Zabihullah Tamana and American photographer David Gilkey in strongest term.
"History will remember the two journalists as fighters for freedom of information and expression. And those who committed the heinous crime will be remembered as forces of hatred," the president lamented in a statement.
"By indiscriminately targeting journalists, the Taliban show their increased atrocity against harmless civilians. Tamana and Gilkey, who were on the front line to report about the truth, themselves became victims of Taliban brutality," President Ghani said in the statement released by his office.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has also denounced targeting the journalists and killing Zabi and his American colleague in Helmand on Sunday.
Joining the condemnation, the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan also slashed the attack on the two journalists as a coward action.
"We have the utmost respect for their work as well as those others that endure the hardships that come with reporting from conflict zones," Resolute Support Commander John W. Nicholson said in a statement released here.
Afghans involved in social media expressed their grief over Zabi's sudden death and paid tribute to him by posting comments on their Facebook accounts.
Zabi's murder took place a day before Ramadan, the holy Muslim month during which adult Muslims neither eat nor drink from dawn to dusk.
"Usually in past years during the holy month of Ramadan we had Iftar party (break fasting party) with Zabi at least once during the month, but we have lost the chance forever with Zabi's murder," Zabi's old friend Abdul Shah told Xinhua.
Some of Xinhua's journalists who had worked with Zabi in the past decade also recalled his professionalism and personality, expressing sympathies and condolences to his family.
Xue Yongxing, the then president of Xinhua Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau in 2002, called Zabi a good friend, a good colleague and a capable photojournalist, wishing him to rest in peace.
Mi Ligong, the then chief correspondent of Xinhua Kabul Bureau who brought Zabi into the Xinhua team in 2002, said he was shocked when learning about his death on Monday morning.
In an article memorizing Zabi, Mi said Zabi's first impression to him was a handsome and energetic young guy and then a capable and helpful reporter.
Wen Xinnian, who also worked with Zabi in Xinhua Kabul Bureau in 2002, felt deeply sad about Zabi's decease.
Wen said he has maintained close contact with Zabi over the years, and they just chatted via Facebook only several days ago.
"Buddy, where can I see you again if I ever returned to Kabul," he wrote as the title of his short article in remembrance of Zabi. Endit
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)