Abd Alkader Habak is an Aleppo-based activist-videographer. On April 16, he was among those hit by a suicide attack on a convoy of buses carrying Shia residents in Syria.
At least 126 people died in the attack, among them 68 children.
This image shows buses at the evacuation point where an explosion hit at the Rashideen area near Aleppo. Thiqa News via AP
This tragic incident was a perfect opportunity for Habak to do his job – take pictures and send them for publication.
But Habak was more than just any other photojournalist. He was more than just any other human. He was a hero. So the Syrian decided not to waste time by clicking pictures and instead help the wounded.
Habak told CNN:
“The scene was horrible — especially seeing children wailing and dying in front of you. So I decided along with my colleagues that we’d put our cameras aside and start rescuing injured people.”
He ran from one dead child to another trying to find anyone who was breathing. He did found some of them and carried them to the nearest ambulance.
The photograph in which he is seen running with a wounded child in his arms was taken by Muhammad Alrageb.
Muhammad Alrageb
Alrageb also clicked this photo of a grieving Habak beside a dead body of a child.
Muhammad Alrageb
Though Alrageb, too, was helping the wounded but he thought to spare a moment to take a few pictures for the sake of accountability.
Thanks to his decision of clicking at least two pictures, internet now knows Habak as a hero.
Free Syrian journalist Abd Alkader Habak rescuing a child from Fua. No words.#Syria #syrianchildren #journalist pic.twitter.com/EgZJU83dpM
— Aisyah Gozali (@Aisyah_Gozali) April 16, 2017
@Marvel has some great heroes but none of them have achieved this level. #syrianchildren #AbdAlkaderHabak #travelban pic.twitter.com/ckhXfORtTI
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Top Most Characters of Mahabharata— Marcus Darpino (@MarcusDarpino) April 18, 2017
When humanity seems to spin out of control, true inspiration to watch #AbdAlkaderHabak save a child in Syria. Salute to a #TrueHero. pic.twitter.com/Uv0u29s5jA
— Anushree Vaidya (@anushree_vaidya) April 19, 2017
There are 2 types of #photographers
1- With #photographer mentioned in twitter bio2- Like #AbdAlkaderHabak (If there is any)#photography
— Meghna (@Queen_Meghna) April 19, 2017
#AbdAlkaderHabak is a heroe
— DubraskaEsteves (@DubraskaEsteves) April 17, 2017
This is the only photograph that Habak took just to capture that carnage a bunch of fanatics unleashed on humanity:
Abu Alkader Habak
And this is what he has to say to all those hailing him:
What I and my colleagues have done today is what inspires our humanity to those who were partners in killing the children of #Khan_Sheikhan
— Abd Alkader Habak (@AbdHabak) April 15, 2017
Give him a Pulitzer. Not for taking the best photo of a conflict, but for not losing his humanity in the face of a career-defining opportunity.
