Dubai: Gulf News spoke to Jawdat Kaseasbeh, the brother of Muath Al Kaseasbeh, the Jordanian pilot taking part in anti-Daesh air strikes who was captured by the radical group and eventually burnt alive while being filmed.
Gulf News: We got to know Muath through the eyes of the media, but who is Muath through your eyes?
Jawdat Al Kaseasbeh: Muath was a pious man; a true Muslim in every sense of the word. He was 26 years old. Muath used to pray Fajr (dawn prayers) at the mosque and fast even when he was travelling despite the military saying that pilots do not have to fast during Ramadan so their sugar levels don’t drop. Muath is a martyr. I can’t believe this terrorist organisation took him away from us. These have been the worst days of our lives. We previously thought that the media was distorting the image of [Daesh] but now we know that they truly are a terrorist organisation.
This organisation is calling itself an Islamic State, what is your view on that?
There are a lot of weak Muslims looking for someone to protect them or for someone to follow, and Daesh thought that if they called themselves an Islamic State, they would gain a lot of supporters.
A large number of Jordanians used to sympathise with them because they claimed to follow the principles of Islam. But thankfully, what happened to my brother has proven to the world, and especially to the Jordanian people, that [Daesh] is nothing but a terrorist, criminal organisation — and it should be stopped This terrorist organisation tried to incite hatred in Jordan and within the people. But we, Muath’s family, will not allow them to ruin our country. We will stand strong, all Jordanians will stick together, we are one family, and hopefully this group will be [destroyed].
Do you think the execution of Sajida Al Rishawi, a convicted suicide bomber sought by Daesh, will help your family and the Jordanian people begin to heal?
Sajida Al Rishawi, Ziad Al Karbouli, and all the other terrorists don’t even equal part of Muath’s shoe. Doing this is not enough
Jordanians are backing the coalition and I will be volunteering and working with them. What [Daesh] has done is awful. Jordan will not just stand by and watch. We have full faith in Jordan’s intelligence and the coalition.
What message do you have for the Jordanian government who are sending their people to fight Daesh with the international coalition?
My message to the Jordanian government: we are all your soldiers and will fully support your involvement. You lead the way and we will follow
— Malak Harb is head of the reporting team at Radio 1
