"The first thing I want to say is thank you. Both to you and mum for everything you have both done for me as parents; for everything you have taught me, shown me and experienced with me. I cannot imagine the strength and the commitment it has taken to raise a son like me, but your love and patience are things that I am so deeply grateful for."
Abdul Rahman worked briefly as a US Army Ranger, but then felt the "call to be a peacemaker", his parents said.
The young man travelled to Lebanon and trained as a medic and a humanitarian aid worker to help victims of war.
The parents of Peter Kassig
He then moved to Turkey and founded Special Emergency Response and Assistance (SERA).
Along with a close group of friends Abdul Rahman worked to deliver aid to civilians whose lives were blighted by the ongoing Syrian civil war.
It was while working on a project for SERA that, on October 1, 2013, he was captured as he was heading to Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria.
For almost a year Mr Kassig's parents heard nothing of the fate of their son. They suffered in silence, abiding by the news blackout that had been imposed in the hope that it would facilitate negotiations with the captors.
Then, in a realisation of his parents' and friends' worst nightmares, Abdul Rahman appeared, shaven headed and wearing an orange jump suit in a video in which his captors promised his imminent murder.
The footage appeared immediately after the killing of British aid volunteer, Alan Henning, the fourth western hostage to be killed in this manner by their Isil captors.
Whilst in captivity Abdul Rahman converted to Islam. His parents said in their statement that, based on his letter, he prays every day and takes the religion's practices seriously, including adopting the name Abdul Rahman.
"We see this as part of our son's long spiritual journey," they said.
Abdul Rahman wrote: "I am in a dogmatically complicated situation here, but I am at peace with my belief."
In the heart-wrenching final paragraphs Abdul Rahman said: "I wish this paper would go on forever and never run out and I could just keep talking to you. Just know I am with you. Every stream, every lake, every field and river. In the woods and in the hills, in all the places you showed me. I love you."
Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://ift.tt/1troYUG
0 comments:
Post a Comment