Grieving mom remembers ‘kind-hearted’ son
Brock holds vigil, establishes scholarship in Al-Hasnawi’s memory
Amal Alzurufi said she has “endless” memories of her son.
“He had a beautiful soul and smile that would light up any room,” she said. “His smile was contagious. If he was smiling, you were smiling.”
She described her 19-year-old son, Yosif Al-Hasnawi, as a “kindhearted” and “brave” young man.
“His encouraging bravery showed through his actions,” she said.
It was that bravery that inspired him to step in to help an older man that was being harassed near the Al-Moustafa Islamic Centre on Dec. 2.
The 19-year-old Brock University student from Hamilton was shot and killed while attempting to intervene in the confrontation.
“He had a beautiful life ahead of him that was just taken away like this,” Al-Hasnawi’s grief-stricken mother told a gathering of about 150 faculty, students and members of the community at a vigil at Brock University Friday afternoon.
“To my Yosif, we will always cherish the good memories and I will always love you and think of you,” Alzurufi said, struggling with emotion as her younger sons, Ahmed and Mahdi Al-Hasnawi, stood at her side.
Along with her overwhelming loss, the tragedy left Alzurufi feeling frustrated and angry.
“He loved his sisters, his brothers, and I miss him so much,” she told reporters following the vigil. “It’s tragic what happened, and I want justice for him.”
While Alzurufi said she was pleased that two suspects, Dale Burningsky King, 19, and James Matheson, 20, had been arrested, she said she remains “very disappointed” with the response of paramedics that have been criticized for the length of time it took to bring her son to hospital.
“It’s shocking. It should not happen, especially here in Canada. It shouldn’t happen,” she said, adding she has asked for a thorough investigation of the emergency response.
Hamilton paramedics, she added, are co-operating with her.
“I just want justice for my son. He had a whole bright life in front of him, and it was taken,” she said.
Brock University Students’ Union president Faisal Hejazi said the “heartbreaking tragedy” has weighed heavily on him since he first learned about the death of the first-year student of Brock’s medical sciences program who hoped to one day become a doctor.
“He had dreams. He had goals just like any other young, ambitious and intelligent and driven 19year-old would have,” Hejazi said.
“This tragedy is sickening and frustrating in multiple ways. Not many have the bravery that Yosif demonstrated that day. He exemplified selflessness and did not hesitate to take action when he saw the mistreatment taking place.”
Brock president Gervan Fearon said Al-Hasnawi “has left us all with a deeper understanding of the great qualities we should all strive towards attaining.”
“Indeed, he has set the bar high,” Fearon said.
He said the university has established a scholarship in Al-Hasnawi’s memory, but “each of us will find our own way of honouring him” and “thanking him for the inspiration that he has left us all.”