The kidnapping of British aid worker Alan Henning by ISIS shocked the world and devastated the community of volunteers who had traveled alongside him to deliver humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees. In this emotional appeal, Alan’s close friend and fellow aid convoy member recounts the harrowing events that led to his capture and pleads for his release, offering a deeply personal window into who Alan Henning truly was: not a spy or a political operative, but a compassionate man who held refugee babies in his arms and refused to turn back when given the chance.
A Humanitarian Heart in a War Zone
Known to his friends as “Gadget” for his technical skills, Alan Henning volunteered to join an aid convoy traveling to Syria because he had witnessed firsthand the suffering of refugees that even the United Nations could not reach. After visiting refugee camps and holding children in his arms, he was forever changed. When the convoy reached the Turkey-Syria border and his friends offered him the chance to stay behind, he insisted on continuing, saying he had come all the way to help those children and would not stop now.
When he held that baby in his arms in the refugee camp, it changed his whole life. When we tried to tell him he could leave at the border, he insisted. He said, “I’ve come all the way here and I want to see those children again.”
The Moment Everything Changed
- After crossing into Syria, the convoy was ambushed by armed gunmen at a former school compound
- Passports and phones were confiscated as the group was interrogated one by one
- Alan was singled out because his British passport contained an electronic chip, which his captors mistakenly believed indicated he was a spy
- His friend volunteered his own passport to prove that all British passports contain the same chip, but the effort was unsuccessful in securing Alan’s release
Please, please show him some mercy and understand he is a humanitarian aid worker. He is not a fighter. He has not come there for any political reasons. He came strictly to help the people. Please don’t kill him.
Alan Henning’s story exposes the profound injustice of extremist groups who claim to act in the name of Islam while violating its most sacred principles. Islam forbids the killing of innocent civilians, the harming of aid workers, and the betrayal of trust. The overwhelming majority of Muslims worldwide condemned his kidnapping and called for his release. His friend’s tearful plea stands as a testament to the bonds of humanity that transcend religion and nationality, and as a reminder that the true spirit of Islam is mercy, compassion, and the protection of innocent life.
