Although I know he died a martyr, a source of pride for his country, I can’t help but cry to quell that sense of loss. You just can’t help it, especially if you knew Ali.”
Tareq Al Beloushi was speaking of his lifelong friend, Ali Hussain Al Beloushi, who was among the 45 Emirati soldiers who were killed fighting Al Houthi rebels in Yemen on Friday, making it the highest battlefield death toll in the country’s history.
Ali’s last phone call had been to his mother, who had had a car accident that same day. The 30 year-old martyr, who was from Ras Al Khaimah, had said he was preparing to come home early this week to finalise the procedures of sending his three-year-old son abroad for medical treatment.
“He had already been dispatched to Afghanistan twice and to Bahrain before being deployed in Yemen,” Tareq said. “He said he wasn’t scared of the war but was worried about his son’s health.”
Tareq said he knew Ali since he was “knee high”, saying their children had had become inseparable like them.
“We grew up together,” he said. “We were inseparable and thought of ourselves as brothers. We exercised together, rode quad bikes and jet skis together. I can’t believe he’s gone...”
Tareq takes a moment to look at Ali’s photo, which is set as his phone’s wallpaper, and takes a deep breath before trawling through his media folder to show a video Ali had sent through Snapchat.
“Listen to him, listen to how brave and proud of his country he was,” Tareq said. “He’s telling us not to worry about him and that he’s fulfilling his national duty and responsibility.”
According to Ali’s uncle, Abdul Aziz Eisa Al Amiri, Ali had taken the role of the head of the family when his father died in 2001.
“He was the eldest of the eight,” Al Amiri said, “so naturally he took on that role and never faltered from ensuring his siblings were on the right track, morally and spiritually. In many ways, he became their father.”
Al Amiri said although the family was proud of his martyrdom, they still needed time to cope with his loss.
“We feel a mixture of sadness and pride,” he said. He was speaking near a tent the family had set up near their home to accommodate the multitude of Emiratis coming from across the country to pay their respects.
“In the beginning we didn’t know whether he was one of those who were martyred in the conflict. His mother was in a state of extreme anxiety, constantly trying to call him but his phone was off. When we finally knew, we had to take her to the hospital.
“In time, her sadness will transform into the pride known to mothers of martyrs, of those who fought and died in their country’s name.”
Also among those martyred in Yemen, Rashed Mohammad Mattar Al Musaferi, 25, was married just over a year ago and had a four-month-old son.
“He named his son Mohammad after his own father who died while he was young,” Mattar, his eldest brother, said.
To welcome those who wanted to pay their respects, the family had set up a tent near their Ras Al Khaimah home.
“Rashed was one of the most gregarious people I’ve ever known,” he said. “Even those who newly made his acquaintance feel like they’ve known him for 50 years!”
After his father died, Rashed took on the respon

Source: Gulfnews