Umm Hamza al-Khateeb narrates the story of her son, Hamza, who was...
DOAM@doamuslims
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Jun 06, 2025
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Umm Hamza al-Khateeb narrates the story of her son, Hamza, who was brutally tortured to death by Assad regime forces in 2011.
She’s currently performing #Hajj in Mecca, alongside many Syrian victims of the Assad regime.
"I am the mother of the first martyr, I am the mother of Hamza al-Khateeb.
Thirty years ago, his father went on Hajj, he was 40 years old at the time.
During which he visited the grave of Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib (ra), uncle of the Prophet (pbuh).
On the Day of #Arafah, he prayed: “O Lord, bless me with a child, and I will name him Hamza. May he grow to have even a small part of what Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib (ra) had.
He told this to us the day Hamza's body was brought. And that prayer was answered, though it came with great pain and hardship and patience.
When they arrested Hamza, he was just 13 years old, still so young. He went out with the people, he joined them in their movement (protests.
For about forty days, we had no news of Hamza. Then the news came, there was a body at the National Hospital in government controlled Daraa, under the Assad regime. Hamza's cousins went to verify if the body was really Hamza’s. They went and yes, it was him.
They brought him home from the hospital. I didn’t see him first, he remained outside, and I stayed inside. They didn’t wanted to show him to me or anyone. Later, I entered the room with my children.
His brothers took pictures of the body, and shared them. There was a huge uproar in #Syria, the army started to move in. Then they besieged the city of Daraa from the inside. People began to stand in solidarity with Hamza and with Daraa.
Later they took his brother too, his name was Umar. He was martyred as well, named after Umar bin Khattab. He died in detention of Sednaya Prison.
He remained missing for seven years. I searched for him. I looked, I travelled, I came back, but I couldn’t find him. Then people told me, “Auntie, stop going back and forth. Leave it to Allah, then I said if Allah wills.
When the revolution triumphed, Alhamdulillah, the records were released. Records with the name of Umar and those who were taken with him. They had all been killed, martyred under torture.
So you could say: Hamza Alhamdulillahi, I entrusted him to the Lord of the World's Allah.”
- Abbas Zead
Hamza was arrested during a protest in Saida, east of Daraa, on April 29 2011, Hamza's body was returned to his family on Tuesday 24th May, horribly mutilated.
Hamza had spent nearly a month in the custody of Assad's security forces, and when they finally returned his corpse it bore the scars of brutal torture: Lacerations, bruises and burns to his feet, elbows, face and knees, consistent with the use of electric shock devices.
Hamza's eyes were swollen and black and there were identical bullet wounds where he had apparently been shot through both arms.
On Hamza's chest was a deep, dark burn mark. His neck was broken and his genitals severed.
She’s currently performing #Hajj in Mecca, alongside many Syrian victims of the Assad regime.
"I am the mother of the first martyr, I am the mother of Hamza al-Khateeb.
Thirty years ago, his father went on Hajj, he was 40 years old at the time.
During which he visited the grave of Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib (ra), uncle of the Prophet (pbuh).
On the Day of #Arafah, he prayed: “O Lord, bless me with a child, and I will name him Hamza. May he grow to have even a small part of what Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib (ra) had.
He told this to us the day Hamza's body was brought. And that prayer was answered, though it came with great pain and hardship and patience.
When they arrested Hamza, he was just 13 years old, still so young. He went out with the people, he joined them in their movement (protests.
For about forty days, we had no news of Hamza. Then the news came, there was a body at the National Hospital in government controlled Daraa, under the Assad regime. Hamza's cousins went to verify if the body was really Hamza’s. They went and yes, it was him.
They brought him home from the hospital. I didn’t see him first, he remained outside, and I stayed inside. They didn’t wanted to show him to me or anyone. Later, I entered the room with my children.
His brothers took pictures of the body, and shared them. There was a huge uproar in #Syria, the army started to move in. Then they besieged the city of Daraa from the inside. People began to stand in solidarity with Hamza and with Daraa.
Later they took his brother too, his name was Umar. He was martyred as well, named after Umar bin Khattab. He died in detention of Sednaya Prison.
He remained missing for seven years. I searched for him. I looked, I travelled, I came back, but I couldn’t find him. Then people told me, “Auntie, stop going back and forth. Leave it to Allah, then I said if Allah wills.
When the revolution triumphed, Alhamdulillah, the records were released. Records with the name of Umar and those who were taken with him. They had all been killed, martyred under torture.
So you could say: Hamza Alhamdulillahi, I entrusted him to the Lord of the World's Allah.”
- Abbas Zead
Hamza was arrested during a protest in Saida, east of Daraa, on April 29 2011, Hamza's body was returned to his family on Tuesday 24th May, horribly mutilated.
Hamza had spent nearly a month in the custody of Assad's security forces, and when they finally returned his corpse it bore the scars of brutal torture: Lacerations, bruises and burns to his feet, elbows, face and knees, consistent with the use of electric shock devices.
Hamza's eyes were swollen and black and there were identical bullet wounds where he had apparently been shot through both arms.
On Hamza's chest was a deep, dark burn mark. His neck was broken and his genitals severed.
