15 Year Old Pakistani Boy Dies Stopping Suicide Bomber

Pakistani boy who died trying to stop suicide bomber is hailed as hero
Aitizaz Hasan, 15, is praised for saving classmates' lives by tackling bomber outside his school in north-western Pakistan
Thursday 9 January 2014 16.11 GMT

A 15-year-old who died while tried to defend his school in Pakistan's troubled north-west from a suicide bomber has been hailed as a hero for saving the lives of many of his classmates.

Aitizaz Hasan tackled the bomber as he stood outside as a punishment for being late to school in Hangu, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Monday.

His two companions fled the scene after spotting the bomb being carried by the man, who was trying to gain access to the school, but Aitizaz grabbed the bomber.

Unable to stop him from detonating his bomb, Aitizaz later died of his wounds in hospital.

Hangu has a large community of Shias, an Islamic sect which many militant groups regard as heretics who should convert to the majority Sunni faith or be killed.

Aitizaz's actions are thought to have saved the lives of many of the 2,000 students who were believed to be in the building at the time.

"My son made his mother cry, but saved hundreds of mothers from crying for their children," his father, Mujahid Ali, told the Express Tribune newspaper.

"There are a handful of people in the world who are martyrs; I am now one of those proud fathers whose son is among them."

Praise has poured in for Aitizaz's efforts, with some calling for him to be posthumously honoured.

On social media the young boy has been embraced as a national hero for fighting back at a time when most politicians are desperate to pursue a negotiated settlement with militant groups – a strategy condemned by many terrorism experts.

"We live in a land where a young child had to give his life fighting a scourge that our own leaders bend over backwards in an attempt to appease," wrote Zarrar Khuhro, a journalist for Dawn newspaper.

Suicide bomb attacks are increasingly common in Pakistan. A report earlier in the week by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies said suicide attacks had increased by 39% in 2013 to a total of 46.

On Thursday a crusading policeman famous for battling militants in the troubled city of Karachi was killed by a Taliban suicide bomber who rammed his car with an explosive-packed vehicle.

Chaudhry Aslam, who as head of Karachi's Criminal Investigation Department had survived numerous other assassination attempts, died alongside several other police officers in the Essa Nagri area of Karachi despite the protection of the bullet-proof car he was travelling in.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/09/pakistani-boy-suicide-bomber-hero

Brave, brave boy.

Incredibly heroic -- it's a tragedy for him to die so young, but I really think I'd choose a short life where I saved thousands of people over a long life where I didn't really make a difference.

I think I agree, but it takes a lot of guts to actually take the action. Bless him.

isn't this a shame a very brave young lad
My heart goes out to his family who can be very very proud of him I know not a good word or even a word from the right wing hatemongers who prefer to ignore acts of heroism as it doesn't fit their worldview I just saw on the news that there are calls for it to be given the highest military honour for saving all the 500 children

Personally I think it's well-deserved

So do I.

Ben_Reilly wrote:Incredibly heroic -- it's a tragedy for him to die so young, but I really think I'd choose a short life where I saved thousands of people over a long life where I didn't really make a difference.

I agree. You only have one life make it a good one.

Hi SM, bless him, very, very brave. Most people's first instinct would have been run like hell.

No greater love has any man, that he lay down his life for another

Sassy wrote:Hi SM, bless him, very, very brave.   Most people's first instinct would have been run like hell.

Hi Sassy yes thats very true, especially at that age. I cant imagine how the parents must be feeling right now. Do you feel proud of such a great selfless act or grieve for the loss?

grumpy old git wrote:No greater love has any man, that he lay down his life for another

Wise words.

got that slighty wrong mate.it's "lay down his life for a friend"

nicko wrote:got that slighty wrong mate.it's "lay down his life for a friend"

Does it matter?

Korben Dallas wrote:
isn't this a shame a very brave young lad
My heart goes out to his family who  can be very very proud of him I know  not a good word or even a word from the right wing hatemongers who prefer to ignore  acts of heroism as it doesn't fit their worldview I just saw on the news that there are calls for it to be given the highest military honour for saving all the 500 children

Personally I think it's well-deserved

 

IN Australia, the USA, Britain and most other Western countries, the highest military honours are ONLY ever given to serving military personnel, or for actions during that service.

OUR countries have equivalent civilian awards that are presented by the country's leaders in such circumstances..