Tribute to Eman Abu Saeid, our colleague who was tragically killed in Gaza

With a heavy heart, Muslim Aid is sad to announce the death of three members of our partners in Gaza. They were more than just our partners in saving lives and delivering assistance to an already traumatised, yet resillient Palestinian community; they were our family with different stories to tell.

One of them is Eman Abu Saeid. She worked for our partner Tamer and was active in helping children, teenagers and families across the Gaza Strip. Her work was her purpose and before she was killed, she was working on a project for children titled “The Magic of Seashells”, in which she’d take children to Gaza’s breathtaking beaches to collect seashells and talk about the history of her beautiful home.

One of her favourite parts of her job was to see the glow on the faces of those she’s helping. It’s heartbreaking to know that Eman would not get to see the smiles of the children when they find their special seashell, or watch their eyes widen as she talks to them about Gaza’s rich history.

The thought of Eman not being able to see the cheeky smiles of the faces of these children run back to her after they are told to not go too far at the beach is purely agonising. She deserved to see the fruits of her labour, but a cruel fate meant she was gone too soon.

Eman was also a loving wife and was killed with her husband Iyad and two children, Judy and Ziad. While death and grief have become standardised in Gaza, the emotions that follow are just as raw. We pray for the loved ones of Eman, Iyad, Judy and Ziad and ask Allah to easen the burden of grief and keep them safe in these circumstances, along with the rest of Gaza.

“Eman left with no goodbyes. She left without the goodbye that might have given us a last glance or last words in her presence. We won’t be able to share a warm cup of tea over small chitchats together anymore”, her colleagues at Tamer said.

They described her as “a woman with the biggest heart that fits all children and adults in Gaza and in the entire world.”

Our partners have worked relentlessly over the years to serve humanity and the ones who passed were part of our emergency response and education projects in Gaza.

We ask Allah to raise their ranks in paradise and grant their loved ones sabr as they navigate this loss during extremely violent circumstances.

May Allah make it easy for those who are still in Gaza. We ask Allah to send his angels to protect the innocent, and we ask Allah to decree peace with His power of ‘kun fa yakun’ (be and so it is).

The situation in Gaza is terrifying. Civilians have not been spared, and we are hearing that many have died in just a such space of time. It is time for a ceasefire now. Civilians and their infrastructure are not a target. We call upon all governments and international institutions to call for a ceasefire.

Inna lillah wa inna illahi raji’oon -- to Allah we belong and to Allah we return.