An anonymous person has taken out an obituary in The Sydney Morning Herald to farewell a three-year-old Syrian boy who drowned trying to reach Greece.
The obituary notice, which appeared in Friday’s edition of the newspaper, featured a picture of a teddy bear and a tribute to Alan Kurdi, who died after the boat he was on capsized at sea.
"You did not deserve to drown in the coldness of water and the coldness of human indifference," the notice said.
"You were not a migrant. You were not a refugee. You were a 3yr old little boy wanting to play safely, away from the threats of violence and war."
"In heaven, you will be nursed by those who held you, by those who kissed you and by those who risked everything in the hope of you reaching the shores of safety."
Aylan, his five-year-old brother, Galip, and mother, Rehan, 35, were among 12 people, including other children, who died after two boats capsized while trying to reach the Greek island of Kos.
The notice that appeared in today's edition of The Sydney Morning Herald. (Fairfax)
In a statement to police obtained by the Hurriyet newspaper, Alan's father Abdullah said he had twice paid smugglers to take him and his family to Greece but their efforts had failed. On their final attempt, the boat began to take in water and when people stood up in panic, it capsised.
"I was holding my wife's hand. My children slipped away from my hands. We tried to hold on to the boat," he said in the statement.
"Everyone was screaming in pitch darkness. I couldn't make my voice heard to my wife and kids."
- With Reuters
