Friends and family of Ali Mustafa, a York alumnus, photojournalist, and activist, who died in a bombing in Syria, are raising funds to retrieve his body.
Mustafa was killed on March 9 while covering the ongoing civil war in Aleppo, Syria.
His family has had to take out a loan to pay for the funeral and retrieval of his body. As Mustafa was a freelancer, he didn’t have any financial protections or insurance.
OPIRG-York is among the organizations helping Mustafa’s family raise funds.
Kole Kilbarda, an OPIRG-York member, says Mustafa’s body is on the way back to Toronto, and that they have received help from people in both Syria and Canada.
“It’s a difficult process, long and costly. Fundraising efforts are underway, and it is approximately $20,000,” says Kilbarda. “We are reaching out to as many people and organizations as possible. Folks can donate different ways by checking our website.”
Hugo Rodrigues, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists, says an unfortunate tragedy like this one reminds us of the perils faced by many journalists working in conflict zones.
“Increasingly, they have to be the ones to make sure they and their families are prepared for any eventuality,” says Rodrigues.
“Our hearts go out to Mustafa’s family, who are now left trying to independently raise the funds needed to repatriate Ali.”
The Canadian Media Guild grants committee voted unanimously to make a $500 donation to Ali’s family, and the Freelance Executive will be putting another $500 in Ali’s name to support CMG freelance members on assignment in high-risk areas.
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression also donated $1,000 from their “journalists in distress” fund.
Mustafa was a longtime organizer on and off the York campus, and was a member of Students Against Israeli Apartheid, a co-founder of the YU Free Press, and a member of the No Sweat working group at OPIRG-York.
He was killed when the Syrian government bombed the Hadariyeh area of Aleppo, according to the Associated Press.
Ryan Moore
Staff Writer
