The case of the kidnapped child in Daraa, southern Syria, Fawaz al-Qutayfan, has taken to social media in Syria. This comes amid Arab solidarity and demands to collect the amount of money required to pay the kidnappers for his release.
The hashtag “#أنقذوا_الطفل_فواز_القطيفان” (#save_the_child_Fawaz_Qutayfan) is issued on communication sites of Syrian users. Several Arab figures have joined forces with the child’s family in the past hours, while activists have launched a campaign to demand action and speed up his release.
Fawaz, six years old, was kidnapped by masked men in the town of Ibtaa in the Daraa countryside, three months ago.
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Interaction with the case of the child Fawaz Qutayfan began, after the spread of a recording filmed by the kidnappers, showing the child being beaten half-naked, while crying and begging, “For God’s sake, do not hit me.”
According to sources in the Daraa governorate, the kidnappers demanded that the child’s family pay a ransom of up to 500 million Syrian pounds for his release.
“The Qutayfan family has decided to collect the required amount and pay the kidnappers in exchange for the release of the child,” Syrian actor Abdul Hakim Qutayfan said in a Facebook post.
Fawaz’s case was met with Arab solidarity, especially since it coincided with the case of the child Ryan al-Maghribi, who was declared dead on Saturday, five days after he fell into a well.
Lebanese singer Carole Samaha called on her Twitter account to speed up the rescue of Fawaz “before it is too late”.
While the Lebanese artist Cyrine Abdel Nour said: “You see now that demons live among us, you see that the war exists between the innocent and the impure. May God forgive you and give you mercy for your unjust hearts, you have no conscience. You are posturing as if you are powerful, by using a child. You are accountable to God, you demons.”
Daraa governorate has been in a state of insecurity and constant tension since Assad’s forces and Iranian militias, backed by Russia, took control of it in July 2018.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
