Helping Fallen Freelancer Yasser Faisal

“Having survived the war in Iraq, Yasser sadly met his end on December 4, 2013 at the age 34 while covering the Syrian civil war. He was kidnapped and executed by militants loyal to Al-Qaeda in the northwestern province of Idlib while on assignment. This kind of tragic and dispiriting news is frequenting headlines more and more often. According to Reporters Without Borders, Yasser is the eighth foreign journalist killed in Syria since the start of the conflict in 2011. Twelve Syrian professional journalists and more than 90 citizen journalists have also lost their lives in the midst of this conflict.” – Ed Kashi

I first encountered the mention of Yasser Faisal on Ed Kashi’s blog. It’s true, the world of photojournalism is getting smaller, and more than often it does not get the time and recognition it deserves.

We at Lintroller thought it’d be appropriate to share the word on the story of Yasser Faisal so then maybe it could convince you, our readers, to extend a helping hand to his family.

A lot of people who didn’t know Yasser Faisal know a part of Iraq through him. His images were the ones we saw in almost every story from Fallujah and Ramadi and the most volatile places in Iraq. Yasser’s courage and passion were the reasons we saw any of those images at all. From the dragging of the charred U.S. contractors through the streets of Falluja to the unforgettable news conference where former U.S. President George W Bush ducked shoes hurled by an Iraqi journalist, Yasser was there, camera in hand.

In December this year, Yasser was tragically killed, while working in Syria.

Yasser didn’t have the support or security of a full-time job – as a freelancer he was always juggling assignments – many of them in places considered too dangerous for foreigners. When he hurt his shoulder on the job last year, he didn’t get paid and he didn’t work. When he recovered, he threw himself back into it, as he had three small children to feed.

There is nothing we can do to bring Yasser back, but we can, at least, ensure that his family’s needs are taken care of, especially the education of his children.

Yasser’s death leaves our world that much darker, but with your help, we can ensure that his family have a brighter future.

Please click here to learn more about Yasser and the fundraising efforts for his family.