It was a senseless death, brutal and unexpected. An Iraqi cameraman tragically killed while on assignment in northern Syria. The exact circumstances are murky, but the reality his death is not: At the age of 35, Yasser Faysal Al-Joumaili is gone. He leaves behind a wife and three beautiful young children -- two daughters and one son.
I had the honor of working closely with Yasser Faisal on a reporting trip to Iraq earlier this year. He was my cameraman. It’s a label that I’ve clung to tightly in his passing, as if that possessive determiner -- “my” cameraman -- could somehow keep him here just a bit longer. But it’s a selfish urge and one that doesn’t reflect reality. Yasser was a freelancer who’s worked with a wide number of journalists, filming for Reuters, Al Jazeera, CNN and countless others.
You may not have not known Yasser, but you have probably seen Iraq through his eyes. His pictures documented some of the most dangerous moments of that decade-long war. Yasser was courageous, talented, passionate and kind. He was always quick with a joke and generous with his smile. He was special, and it hurts to have him suddenly ripped from our lives.
As a freelancer, Yasser lacked the stability of a full-time job as well as the safety net that could have been provided by a major news organization. While there is nothing we can do to bring Yasser back, we can try to ease the financial burden for his family. Some of us have set up a fund to try and do just that. Please contribute if you can. Any amount will go a long way.
http://www.youcaring.com/other/help-the-family-of-yasser-faisal-al-joumaili/116106
FURTHER READING:
Jihadi group kills Iraqi cameraman in northern Syria http://tinyurl.com/n4cgmdq
The dashing Yasser - Al Jazeera Blogs http://tinyurl.com/lvg3skt
Adieu, Yasser Faisal al-Joumaili http://tinyurl.com/lrxeqk8
The Tragic Death of an Iraqi Cameraman in Syria http://tinyurl.com/k2q8rxy