Honoring a Martyr

The murder of a Jordanian pilot exposes the evil of Daesh

UNIPATH STAFF

History is full of tales of bravery. But every once in a while, a story transcends the usual narratives. It’s a story of a hero who displayed the stature of a lion before vicious killers, who faced death with dignity and honor as a noble warrior. That is the story of the martyred pilot of the Royal Jordanian Air Force, 1st Lt. Mouath al-Kasasbah. His untimely sacrifice on January 3, 2015, earned him a place of honor among all Jordanians.

People know the horrific crimes of Daesh, but few know Mouath the young Muslim, the faithful friend, the good son, the humble brother and the ingenious student. Unipath was honored to meet the family and a friend of Mouath to explore the legacy of this 21st-century martyr.

Unipath spoke with his father, Saif al-Kasasbah. Here is a condensed version of his interview:

Unipath: Mouath has become a universal example of honor and bravery. How do you feel as the father of the hero?

Saif al-Kasasbah: Mouath became a source of honor not only in Jordan, but across the entire Arab and Islamic world. His song is on the lips of many people. As a father, I am very proud of him and his heroism. He made us stand tall as a family and as Jordanians. I pray that one day we will be reunited in paradise.

Every day of his life is a story. Even after he passed away, his story was one of heroism and pride for all Arabs, Muslims and pilots. Mouath was unique in everything he did, handsome and calm. Mouath was the first pilot killed by Daesh. He exposed the lies of Daesh to the entire world as they showed their hyena teeth of hate in the vicious crime that was the first of its kind. There was no example of burning people alive throughout the history of Islam, with the exception of one historical case, and today we see Mouath the True Believer burned at the hands of Kharijites. Mouath was subjected to torture and viciousness because Daesh has such evil intentions against Jordan.

Unipath: Daesh likes to produce videos of its victims to force them to renounce their principles and beg for forgiveness. But that didn’t happen with Mouath. Why?

al-Kasasbah: My son would never do that. Let me tell you something about his personality. Mouath was a man who never feared death; he had amazing tolerance for pain and resisting threats. There is no way he would compromise or weaken in front of terrorists. He was blessed with a strong belief in God and knew that when his time came, he was ready to go. I know my son very well. He would never read a cheap statement written by terrorists even if all of Daesh gathered to intimidate him.

Unipath: Describe Mouath’s devotion to Islam.

al-Kasasbah: His belief in God was pure. He was well-known for his attendance at the neighborhood mosque. Even on his wedding night, Mouath woke up at dawn and walked half a mile to pray in the mosque. He never skipped prayers. He was devoted since childhood. He always used to walk with me to the mosque. I don’t recall a day in which he failed to fast during Ramadan.

Unipath: When did you see him last?

al-Kasasbah: Mouath lived about 20 kilometers away, but he always came to our home an hour after he left work. He always asked if we needed any help. Our last meeting was December 23, 2014. He was on medical leave after twisting his ankle during a soccer game at the base. Before the end of his leave, he received a phone call requesting that he report immediately to his post. As a great officer, he obeyed orders and curtailed his leave to join his comrades.

Unipath: How did Jordan receive the horrific news of his death?

al-Kasasbah: Mouath became a symbol of honor to Jordanians; his martyrdom was a point that united all Jordanians. All Jordanians became the family and tribe of Mouath. Everyone strongly condemned the brutal crime of Daesh. Jordan cried for its great loss.

Unipath: How important was being a pilot for Mouath?

al-Kasasbah: Mouath’s childhood dream was to become a fighter pilot. I wanted him to become a doctor and got him admission to medical school in Moscow, but he never gave up his dream. He asked his uncles and his mother to make me change my mind and allow him to join the Royal Jordanian Air Force. It was very hard to decide, as we received both letters of admission at the same time. After I saw his determination, I agreed to let him choose his journey and become a pilot.

Unipath: What can you say to the world about these savages who murdered a devoted Muslim?

al-Kasasbah: Islam was never viewed as a religion of killing; our Prophet always released captured enemy combatants. This is the spirit of Islam. But the videos we see today of slaughtering human beings like sheep and putting innocents in the mouths of cannons or beheading people or burning them like they did in Mouath’s case, these are terrorist crimes that have nothing to do with Islam. They are not only Kharijites but are violating basic human rights and are far from being Muslims. I wish to send a message through your magazine to the world — Islam is a religion of tolerance and forgiveness; the ideology of wars, mass execution and violence is not part of Islam. I encourage the whole world to unify against terrorism that aims to distort the image of all religions. The killing of Mouath, the young devoted Muslim who was known for the purity of his belief, is not only a crime, but attempts to distort the true image of Islam. Daesh is the enemy of Islam.

Unipath also talked to Lt. Mouath al-Kasasbah’s brother, Jawad, who shared his memories of Mouath:

Unipath: Describe your relationship with Mouath.

Jawad: I am older than Mouath by seven years. I almost felt like he was my son. I watched over him when we played in the neighborhood and taught him computers in high school. I was also his comrade in the Air Force. I, too, was an officer and we were close friends in addition to being brothers.

Unipath: How do his classmates remember him?

Jawad: Mouath had excellent relations with everyone. He was known for being polite, quiet, respectful, determined in pursuit of a goal, and strict in his refusal to do anything he didn’t agree with. I think Daesh failed to get any information out of him and failed to force him to spread its propaganda. The terrorists got angry and tortured him cruelly.

Unipath: Tell us about his schooling.

Jawad: Mouath was a great student that every teacher dreams of having: smart, polite, responsive and never missed a session. Even after he became a pilot, Mouath would study the manuals and absorb all the important details. He was detail oriented and possessed the ability to remember information and formulas. He was an elite pilot. His relationship with his classmates was very good. I don’t remember getting complaints from his teachers or classmates. As for his military instructors, there is no word to describe the great relationship between them and Mouath. He upheld high standards. He received the highest grade achieved by a Jordanian pilot from Al-Amir Al-Hasan College, which specialized in F-5 training.

Unipath: Is it true that Mouath used to serve as a substitute imam?

Jawad: That is true. He used to serve as imam when the usual imams were absent from mosques and was known among his pilot friends as a devoted Muslim. They asked his help when they had something to take care of. He had a great voice for reading the Quran and other Islamic texts.

Unipath: What would you like to tell the world about the crime of killing such a devoted Muslim loved by his community?

Jawad: I don’t think this crime even qualifies as human behavior. There is no faith that allows burning human beings alive. These criminals have no Islamic values. They are flocks of outlaws who gather for disgraceful acts and executing a suspicious agenda. They aimed for revenge against Jordan by viciously killing Mouath to intimidate the free world from fighting them. Nevertheless, this cowardly crime will never stop us from defeating Daesh. Their goal is to distort the image of Islam and invent an ideology of killing and mutilating dead bodies and beheading. Islam suffered great loss with the death of Mouath. The international community looked upon Islam suspiciously because of the crimes of Daesh.

A childhood friend, Maqdad Abdul Wahab, was also interviewed by Unipath:

Unipath: Tell us about your memories of Mouath. 

Maqdad: I am reliving the smallest details of our friendship every day. He left his fingerprint everywhere, in the places we used to play, running through the small streets and filling the air with our laughter. I remember our school field trips, soccer games and nights out. We grew up in a working-class neighborhood at a time when there were no electronic games or smartphones. Our lives were relaxed and simple. Our primary game was soccer, which we played almost daily. We would fight to have Mouath on our teams, because he was a very good player, displayed good sportsmanship and had a big role in empowering whatever team he joined. He was a charismatic leader from an early age. The interesting thing about Mouath was that he always went to clean the neighborhood mosque after he finished his homework so that the mosque would be clean during prayer. I never recall him forgetting to pray because of soccer or homework. He never rushed his prayers to catch up with other stuff and refused to gossip or criticize people.

Unipath: What are the consequences of Daesh’s crime?

Maqdad: The majority of Daesh’s victims are Muslims. These killers enjoy murdering innocents, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims, like the Western and Japanese journalists. Islam is innocent of their crimes. We learned that Islam is a religion of mercy and tolerance, so how can it be a religion for rolling heads and humans being burned alive or drowned in streams. Such heinous crimes can’t be party to any faith. Before Mouath was killed, there were a lot of foggy stories about Daesh. But after Mouath, it became clear to all Muslims that these people are criminals. Before the killing, many young men were confused and thought that Daesh might be true mujahedeen and that the media tried to discredit them. But after Mouath, it was widely rejected and lost any Muslim-based sympathizers. The credit of that all goes to our hero, Mouath.