Dubai: “My father finished the Haj paperwork before he left. He told me, ‘I am going to leave now. Pray that I will come back and go to Haj’. But God intended for him to go as a martyr,” said the eldest son of martyred soldier Jamal Majid Al Muhairi.
Jamal, 42, was martyred on September 4 in Yemen, along with 51 other soldiers while performing their national duty in the Saudi-led Operation Restoring Hope.
Jamal, who left for Yemen on August 18, is survived by five children, twin siblings Majid and Mahra, 16, Maha, 13, Zayed, 8, and Hamed, 2.
Majed said he is proud of his father who martyred himself for his country and religion.
“May God bless the souls of UAE martyrs who gave their lives for their country. May He also protect the UAE forces who are currently in Yemen and bring them back safe and victorious to their families,” he said.
Jamal’s mother, Umm Jamal, recalled that last time she saw her son, “He seemed happy and light. It was like he knew he was going to heaven for sacrificing his life for his country,” she said.
“My son was a strong man. He believed in fairness and always tried to help others. He once saved the life of a man whose cruise control got stuck, by crashing his car into the man’s car [to bring it to a stop]. When I scolded him for risking his life, he said it’s his national duty,” Umm Jamal said,
Umm Jamal was visited by UAE leaders who shared their condolences with the family, including His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Lt Gen Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.
“When Shaikh Saif visited, he said, ‘If your son is gone, we are here, we are your sons’ and kissed my hand. The leadership and government did not leave our side from the time my son was martyred. No other leaders will do what our leaders did and of course we will sacrifice our lives for such leaders. God can take all my eight children if it’s for the UAE,” she said.
The martyr’s eldest daughter, Mahra, said she felt she had lost her soul when she heard of her father’s passing away and prays that God will bless his soul and take him to heaven.
Maha, Jamal’s 13-year-old daughter, said she is proud of her father who she believes is a hero for sacrificing his life for his country and religion. “I am proud of him and I will never forget him. I pray that God will reunite us in heaven,” she said.
The martyred soldier’s sister, Nada, remembers her brother as a passionate and committed man who loved his job, respected his parents and always lent a helping hand to his friends.
“Of course we are sad,” she said. “We are human and we will always miss him. But we are proud of him. We are happy that he died fighting for his religion and country.”
