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Tribute To Deyda

Dec 16, 2009, 12:58 PM | Article By: Marie Hydara

Today marks the 5th anniversary of your cold-blooded and cowardly killing.

It should have been a day for us to celebrate since it's our mum's birthday and the anniversary of the paper (he was so proud of). But for some reasons we wish it's omitted in the calendar as it's a day we dread waking up to see or still wish this horrid ordeal was just a bad dream.

No one should have to go through trauma.

We have experienced the worst 5 years of our lives, and watched each year passing by without any hope of finding your killers.

While we struggle to move on and are left in limbo, your killers walk the street as free men with no skin of their nose, and still in search for a conscience and lack of a heart for compassion. We wonder how long it would take to have a morality attack.

There's no act without consequence. Do you ever stop to think what had warranted for you to kill this great man? If you are the person you thought you were or someone less, there is nothing greater than Allah and He brought us to this and would surely see us through it Inshalla.

Pa, as much as we try to get on with our lives without you around to lead the way, we sometimes find it hard and are left broken to pieces bringing back the numbness of that fateful Thursday night all over again.

We are lost most of the time without you here to fix everything.

A lot has happened in the last 5 years, most of which we would have handled better with you here.

What right did your killers have to snatch you away from all of us?

What good was achieved by your killing?

How can anyone benefit from your brutal murder, which leaves us horrified with hurt and pain beyond any limit...

We will never recover from this tragedy but the continuous support of friends and family keeps us alive.

We support and appreciate the actions of the independent media and journalists for upholding the principles of journalism and press freedom, which Deyda stood for.

We also commend each and every one of you who has gone the extra mile in his name. Your continued support, efforts and solidarity is registered in our hearts and we are forever grateful to you.

May Allah guide and bless you all wherever you may be.

After all said and done, and as said before if we had to choose, we would be honoured to choose you Pa all over again. For we believe you were best and took the ultimate sacrifice and left this world as a champion of free expression and press freedom.

Nothing is going to change that feeling or take that away from us, rest assured.

The sum of a man is not how much you leave behind but what you leave behind. We are blessed that you chose a profession, gave it all you had and left this world serving your purpose for which you will always be remembered for.

We will never stop, and wish you were here, loving and missing you forever.