The father of drowned Syrian boy Alan Kurdi, who was photographed lying lifeless on a Turkish beach after he drowned, has recorded a Christmas Day television message calling for the world to “open its doors to Syrians”.
Abdullah Kurdi, who lost his wife and two sons when the boat they were travelling on from Turkey to Greece sunk, has recorded the short film for Channel 4’s annual Christmas Day message.
Kurdi, who lost his family while attempting to flee the war ravaging his Syrian homeland, calls for empathy and understanding for those caught in the current refugee crisis.
“My message is I’d like the whole world to open its doors to Syrians,” he will say. “If a person shuts a door in someone’s face, this is very difficult. When a door is opened they no longer feel humiliated. At this time of year I would like to ask you all to think about the pain of fathers, mothers and children who are seeking peace and security. We ask just for a little bit of sympathy from you.”
Channel 4 has a 22-year history of providing unexpected but relevant figures to deliver a message as an alternative to the Queen’s annual Christmas speech shown by other UK broadcasters.
The video will feature the images of the body of his three-year-old son, Alan, which came to symbolise the horror of the refugee crisis in which more than 4 million people have fled Syria.
“I was a barber. We Syrians leave our country due to war,” he says. “We all are afraid for our children, for our honour. There are barrel bombs, explosions and also Daesh [Islamic State]. We have hundreds of thousands of problems.”
It is estimated that more than 250,000 Syrians have been killed during the conflict, and that 500,000 have attempted the often treacherous journey to Europe and the US this year alone.
The video will be aired by Channel 4 on Christmas Day at 3.35pm; the Queen’s message is broadcast at 3pm.
Kurdi is a Kurdish Syrian who had been in Turkey for three years but returned to his home of Kobani to bury his sons beside their mother.
He gave up his attempt to relocate to Europe and now lives in Erbil, Iraq, with plans to start a charity project running a hospital and school for Syrian Kurds.
“We were in the sea for four or five minutes when the boat capsized and what happened, happened,” he says. “My sons Alan, Galeb and my wife Rehanna drowned. I buried them and thank God. I’m happy I buried them at home. I want to help children because they know nothing about life except for laughing and playing. Hopefully, next year the war will end in Syria and peace will reign all over the world.”
Channel 4 first aired its alternative Christmas message in 1993 with a broadcast from the writer and gay activist Quentin Crisp.
Since then it has featured a huge variety of guest speakers including then-Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2008, whistleblower Edward Snowden, Katie Piper who suffered an acid attack in 2008, Reverend Jesse Jackson, The Simpsons and, most recently last year, William Pooley, the British nurse who survived Ebola.
