By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent
In the Greater Manchester street where Alan Henning lived the number of yellow ribbons have been growing steadily in the past few weeks.
They are tied to gates, lampposts and door-knockers in an expression of community solidarity with the taxi driver's family.
Bill Green, pastor in Mr Henning's home town of Eccles, told Sky News: "Eccles is waking up to this horrific news this morning and I think the community is going to be devastated. It is a close knit community, especially where Alan and his family lived." He said the news was "gut-wrenching".
One neighbour told Sky News: "We feel so helpless but the least we can do is let Alan's wife and children know our hearts are with them."
Few words or gestures can provide comfort to the family of the father-of-two now, but so deep is the sense of local support that they are sure to be surrounded by heartfelt goodwill and sympathy.
Just days ago Mr Henning's wife Barbara made a direct appeal to his captors to spare her husband's life.
Her plea came after she had received an audio message in which her husband begged for his life.
Mrs Henning said: "I ask Islamic State please release him, we need him back home."
She added: "Some say wrong time, wrong place. Alan was volunteering with his Muslim friends to help the people of Syria. He was in the right place doing the right thing."
Mrs Henning said the family were at a loss as to why those leading IS could not open their hearts and minds to the truth about Alan's humanitarian motives for going to Syria.
She told news channels: "Surely those who wish to be seen as a state will act in a statesmanlike way by showing mercy and providing clemency."
A few days earlier in 47-year-old Mr Henning's home town of Eccles, hundreds of people gathered for a prayer vigil in the local town hall.
At the event he was described as a compassionate and caring man who was willing to give up his own family Christmas to help others less fortunate in Syria.
Many signed a book of prayers for his family.
1/6
-
Gallery: Profile: Alan Henning
Alan Henning, 47, was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. Friends gave him the nickname "gadget" due to his love of technology
-
He was married for 23 years and he had a teenage son and daughter
-
He worked as a self-employed taxi driver
-
Mr Henning saw the plight of Syrian people and volunteered with a Muslim charity. He had been to the region at least three times
-
He drove life-saving medical equipment from the UK to Syria in old ambulances. He left in December 2013 to make the 4,000-mile trip
-
He was kidnapped by IS in Syria by masked men. He may have been held in Ad Dana near Aleppo, then Raqqa
On the same evening a group of friends and neighbours gathered in the darkness on a nearby recreation ground.
They stood in silence as the name "Alan" was formed in candles on the ground.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Eccles Wakes Up To 'Gut-Wrenching News'
Dengan url
http://gagalcoba.blogspot.com/2014/10/eccles-wakes-up-to-gut-wrenching-news.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Eccles Wakes Up To 'Gut-Wrenching News'
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Eccles Wakes Up To 'Gut-Wrenching News'
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar