Ghiath Matar is a Syrian political activist born in 1986 in the city of Daraya (the city of grapes and blood) in the Damascus countryside.
He won second place in the national bodybuilding championship.
He worked as an upholsterer in his hometown of Daraya.
He was one of the first activists and demonstrators in the Syrian revolution movement.
He was nicknamed “Little Gandhi” as he criticized the criminal behavior of the regime that was applied to the children of Daraa, and his mother’s words and insistence that he not go out and participate in the demonstrations did not dissuade him, as he would respond by saying: “It’s either martyrdom or arrest.”
He participated in organizing the demonstrations demanding freedom in the city of Daraya, which were part of the nationwide protests that swept Syria in 2011.
Ghiath was known for his initiative of offering water and roses to security and army forces during the demonstrations.
He was arrested on September 6, 2011, in an ambush set up by the Syrian security forces, who arrested Moan Shurbaji, the brother of the wanted political activist Yahya Shurbaji, and forced Moan to call his brother Yahya, pretending he was injured. Yahya, accompanied by Ghiath Matar, went to the location only to find the security forces waiting for them.
Four days later, his body was returned to his family, showing scars and wounds from severe torture.
His funeral was attended by the ambassadors of the United States, Japan, Germany, France, and Denmark.
When Ghiath died, his wife was expecting their first child, who was named after his father.
Ghiath Matar became a symbol of the peaceful resistance of the Syrian revolution.
A documentary about Ghiath, directed by Sam Kadi and titled “Little Gandhi,” won the Ahmed Khadr Award for Excellence in Arab Filmmaking at the European Independent Film Festival in April 2016.
His immortal words spread among Syrians before his martyrdom: “Remember me when you celebrate the fall of the regime… remember that I gave my soul and my blood for this moment.” And here we are, remembering you and all your comrades, Ghiath.
We in the Syrian Future Movement, in recognition of his revolutionary and moral effort, and for standing with his people in their revolution against injustice and tyranny, and in gratitude for the great figures and dignitaries of Syria,
We present the Syrian Future Movement’s shield this week to the Ambassador of the Roses, “Ghiath Matar,” as a symbolic Syrian shield carrying our vision and our inclusive national approach.
