This is an email I just received from my best friend. Please read and contribute if you are able: This is not a thing I normally do, but I feel rather strongly that this is something that would be helpful to pass on. Below is some more information about Alan Henning, a lovely man who lived in Eccles, the community where I lived when I was living in Manchester in 2011-2012. He was beheaded on Friday in Syria, where he was visiting as an aid worker to help those affected by the war there such as refugees and those fleeing political and religious persecution. He was a local cab driver in Eccles, and he and his wife Barbara would save up their income through the year, and then use everything they could spare to help those abroad affected by war and conflict. Theyd done this for many years and for many places in the world, but in the last year he became especially concerned about the people of Syria because of the massive volume of innocents, especially young people and children, who were being displaced, raped, tortured, and killed by the spreading radicalism alongside the dispassionate actions of the local governments. This is the British newspaper The Guardians writeup about the lovely people of Eccles and their response to his beheading by the ISIL terrorists and how rather than divide them from each other it is has just made all of them appreciate even more that they all came from the same place as this lovely man, no matter if they are Christian or Muslim. It also shows the lovely Eccles Cross in the middle of town centre, which has now become an impromptu memorial to his murder: theguardian/uk-news/2014/oct/05/alan-henning-home-town-mourns And here is the photo my old boss Edwina sent Sunday of the Cross (which is apparently overflowing with bouquets and lovely signs now expressing solidarity with the Henning family and his work abroad): pinterest/pin/268667933995846368/ Finally here is the Go Fund Me page that was begun by Dr. Shameela Islam-Zulfiqar, a doctor at Tameside Hospital where I received what ended up being life-saving treatment for the severe norovirus, gastroenteritis, and resulting intestinal infection I contracted and developed while I was living there. She was a friend of Alan Henning, and travelled with him late last year to Syria to help those displaced and injured by the ongoing war, and knowing that he left behind two children of his own wanted a way for them to be taken care of in his absence considering how little the family had to begin with, and how much of their own they gave to others. In three days it has already raised nearly US$30,000, but perhaps youd like to share it in the hopes that they will have lesser things to worry about as they move forward and will be able to focus instead on the great deal of good their father did during his life. gofundme/alanhenningmemorialfund If you just wanted to pass along any of that to people you know who might be interested in it or would want to contribute, thatd be super. And if not, thats cool too. But Eccles is a lovely place with lovely people, and theres a reason I so loved it and continue to, and I think Alan Henning is very emblematic of the character of the community and what it meant and why it means so much to me. That so many people in Manchester have given so much, in a very poor region of England that already has so much poverty and suffering of its own, is pretty terrific and a radical way of living.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 00:14:23 +0000
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