Palestinian young men recall childhood memories with Sheikh Yassin

Palestinian young men recall childhood memories with Sheikh Yassin

Six years have passed since his assassination and the young people of Gaza still recall Sheikh Ahmad Yassin. When they were children, Sheikh Yassin used to care for and teach them about their religious and daily life affairs. Those young people have grown up in custody of faith with their quadriplegic Sheikh Yassin, the founder of the Islamic Resistance Movement in Palestine “Hamas”.

Sheikh Yassin was renowned of his sense of humor and kindness to children. He loved and sympathized with them and they considered him as their tenderhearted father.

PIC correspondent wanted to recall this aspect of Sheik Yassin’s life, so he interviewed a number of Young men who were children at the time of his martyrdom after praying the Dawn prayer together in Islamic Complex mosque in As-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza where he was living.

Favorite Sermon
Musbah Shaghnoby, a 15-year-old, recalls his memories when he was 8 years when Sheikh Yassin used to spoil him and his neighborhood children. They considered him as their compassionate father, may Allah bless him, as “he was a father of all the Palestinian people and a grandfather for their children”.

He added “we used to accompany Sheikh Yassin either in the mosque or in his humble home, and he used to reward us when we pray the Dawn prayer in the mosque and memorize the Holy Quran”.

Musbah continued: “frankly, I didn’t like to listen to sermons except those of Sheikh Yassin, not because he’s Yassin, but because his words stemmed from his heart and were full of fun and pleasantry. He used to call people for learning, persistence and diversification of knowledge”.

Musbah also talked about Sheik Yassin’s martyrdom when he and his family were sleeping and woke up to the horrible explosions that led to the death of the Sheikh and other civilians with him. He said: “We were all very saddened by the death of Sheikh Yassin. I love him more than my family. I consider him as a grandfather, leader and highest role model. I haven’t seen and will never see anyone better than him.”

Even in his martyrdom… He loves his neighbors
Ahmad El-Mozainy, another young man who knew Sheikh Yassin, said: “Sheikh Yassin loved to die a martyr in the way of Allah, but not on his bed as he didn’t want his neighbors to be harmed by his assassination that may cause the fall of many victims.”

El-Mozeny added: “Sheikh Yassin has passed away, may Allah bless him and grant him His spacious paradise. All youth of the Islamic Complex Mosque will follow Sheikh Yassin’s path in every way”.

Sheikh Yassin is an Islamic, national and social icon that will remain engraved in the memory of all the Palestinians and Muslims around the world, especially those who were close to him as they remember him for his influence and favors on them in all aspects of their life. May Allah bless him and lead the Palestinian people and Muslims in the world to follow his way. 

His Martyrdom
Abel Qader Abdel Aal, a 19-year-old youth who lives in a house close to  Sheikh Yassin’s, says: “I was with Sheikh Yassin a few moments prior to his martyrdom when we prayed the Dawn prayer together in the Islamic Complex Mosque next to our home. A few minutes after the end of prayer, Sheik Yassin asked all the young men in the mosque to go to their homes and so they left the mosque. Once they arrived to their home, they were shocked with the bombs that targeted the virtuous quadriplegic body of Sheikh Yassin”.

Abdel Aal mentioned some activities that Sheikh Yassin used to do in the Islamic Complex Mosque near his home: “Sheikh Yassin used to encourage us as Young boys to practice sports, reward us, and hold sermons. Also, he used to organize activities that encourage youth and children to come to mosque as well as encouraging competition which encouraged youth to be more responsible. He was generous and didn’t turn back any panhandler who approached him. Further, he loved Jihad and resistance to liberate Palestine from occupation.”

In the moments before Sheikh Yassin Assassination, Abdel Aal tearfully said “I was sitting with my cousin, the martyr Ameer Abed Aal, and the martyr Mo’men Al Yazouri who were martyred with Sheikh Yassin. Behind the Shiekh, there were two of his bodyguards, so Sheikh Yassin asked them: “How is the weather outside?” Silence prevailed. Then one of them answered: “the weather is too cold. So do not go out as not to become ill”. This was an attempt by the young men to prevent the Sheikh from going out, so the planes could attack him.”

He painfully proceeded: “The sky was full of dozens aircraft of all types, if I am not exaggerating, we only realized later that they were waiting for Sheikh Yassin to attack him. I said to the Sheikh: “the sky is clouded with aircrafts and the situation is very dangerous. The Sheikh quietly answered: “My son…. No one can escape from his destiny”

The Palestinian boy said that the Sheikh insisted that all the young men who were in the mosque to go to their homes for their safety. The Shiekh waited until all of them have gone to their homes, except Mo’emn Al Yazouri, Ameer Abed Aal and the bodyguards stayed with him. Then, as they got out of the mosque, it was not too long before the Zionist planes attacked them. Sheikh Yassin was killed with his companions as well as Mo’men and Ameer.