The World Grieves! Hundreds Of People Take Rayan To His Last Rest

Photo via Maghreb Arabe Press

JAKARTA - Rayan Awram is only five years old. But his grievous death was able to unite hundreds of Moroccans to accompany and feel the grief of the boy's passing.

Rayan Awram, 5, fell into a well in the hills near the northern city of Chefchaouen on Tuesday last week. The tragedy sparked a massive rescue effort. The child died before rescue teams could reach him on Saturday night

Quoted from Al Jazeera, Monday 7 February, a large crowd gathered in the village of Ighran to mourn Rayan's passing. Messages of support, concern, and sadness for the boy and his family poured in from around the world as news of Rayan's death spread on Saturday night.

On Monday, hundreds of mourners hiked the hilly, unpaved road to the cemetery at Ighran in the Chefchaouen province of northern Morocco. They were willing to wait hours for the funeral.

“I am over 50 years old and [have never] seen this many people at a funeral. Rayan is our son," said a resident.

There were so many mourners that they could not enter the village cemetery and the place of prayer. Two large tents were set up in front of the grieving family's home, where mourners could stop to offer condolences.

"Rayan's death has renewed faith in humanity as people in different languages and from different countries express solidarity," said another villager.

On Saturday, condolences to the parents also came from King Mohammed VI, Pope Francis, French President Emmanuel Macron, Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and others.

Egyptian and Senegalese football players observed a minute's silence on Sunday before the kickoff of the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament final.