An Israeli missile was dropped onto the house of Ahmed Shaher (13 years old) at 10 p.m., Saturday, January 3, 2009. It shattered his head into pieces. The shrapnel burned everything inside his house including the “space” books he was fond of reading. The fires got downstairs to his father’s store and burned all the items in it. Ahmed’s mother thought that the room where she and her six children were sitting was safe. So, she made the beds for all and Ahmed got ready like everybody to go to bed. Yet, the missile denied him even drowsiness. His parents cried for help, but there was no response. They had to carry Ahmed and his injured brother to their grandfather’s house which was nearby. There Ahmed father took Ahmed and his brother in their uncles car to hospital. In the car, Ahmed was dying while yelling, (Allahu Akbar); “Allah is the greatest”. According to his father these were his last words.

His grandmother “Um Shaher” was happy when Ahmed had slept beside her for three nights. On his last day, he went to her house to give her milk for his ailing grandfather. He said to her, “How’re you granny? This is the nicest milk. Boil it for grandpa.” He left and returned in a few minutes carrying eggs for his grand father. This time his grandmother asked him to stay with his brothers in her house; lest they should be hurt due to the Israeli’s bombarding the mosque near their house. However, he preferred to sleep in his house hoping to fulfill his martyrdom dream.

Mohammed misses his elder brother and his mischievous activities. Ahmed was the houses “sweet voice” The martyr’s mother says, “Today, Mohammed, Ahmed’s brother woke up from his sleep crying. When I asked him why, he answered that he saw Ahmed in his dream.”

Now, All that Ahmed’s mother wishes is that Allah almighty grants patience to anybody who loses someone dear. She says, “ I realize how hard it is for anybody to lose someone dear. I remember how our noble prophet (PBUH) was orphan and I remember all the people who were bereft and pray Allah to grant them patience.”

Ahmed Shaher had been interested in the lesson of “stars and planets” in his science book of his seventh grade. He asked his mother to buy him more books on “space” so that he might have a full image of an astronaut as he had wished to be one. His mother says that when he was young, he was truly naughty but when he grew up he was completely changed. He became the quietest of my children and the dearest to my heart; he was kind and extremely benign. She still remembers how little Ahmed used to hurriedly wash up after his mother despairs of her daughter’s Ala’s promises. He would say to her, “I’ll do the washing up for your sake.” Then he comes back and says, “Mum. I have done the washing up.” His mother used to say to him, “Your wife would be lucky to have you, Ahmed. You will make her truly comfortable.” His mother’s words made him laugh.

His grandmother remembers how Ahmed used to pick the figs and offer them to her to eat. He did not eat figs as he was allergic to them.

His mother says, “He used to tell me about his hope to be granted martyrdom. He asked if she would shed tears then. She only asked him to shut up. She says, “When I conceived him, I saw a TV interview with Mohammed Farahat’s mother addressing Gaza’s women saying, “Why do refuse to see your children martyred. Martyrdom is better for them than leading a life full of troubles. Then, I wished I would give birth to a child that would be martyred. The hope was fulfilled. Praise be to Allah.