© Rajaa Al Talouli
"I have seen my brother Vik's body and his death certificate, but Vik is not dead".
It is hard to imagine that a year has passed since Ken O'Keefe said those words from Gaza. There were a few hours when the famed Italian peace activist Vittorio 'Vik' Arrigoni, remained missing, and that was a tense period, but it didn't last long enough and soon came the word that this courageous man and friend of so many, was dead, brutally murdered.... gone.
Vik wanted to remind people that at the core of each one of us is our humanity, it is what we have in common, a starting point.
His favorite slogan; words he will always be known for... 'Restiamo Umani' -
'Stay Human', has taken off all over the world.
Few people who ever walked the face of this earth were more human or more humane than this man who was a member of the group, ISM, International Solidarity Movement, and it is Vik who revived the movement after the loss of two other western ISM members, killed by Israeli military.
US national Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in March 2003, and a month later Briton Tom Hurndall was shot and critically injured by an IDF sniper, dying from the wound in January 2004.
Comment: Yes, this 'Salafi' group of Israeli Musta'ribeen decided Vittorio's peaceful nature was too much of a threat and had to be made an example of. What's more, they knew they would get away with it.
Rest in peace Vittorio. Let it be known that some at least were paying attention.