‘Dear Rayan, you suffered so that we may remember all the Rayans everywhere who are fighting to survive’

I have known about you for only five days, shortly after you fell down the 32 meter well of your poor Moroccan village. But I know more about you than you could have possibly imagined. You are all of our children, from Gaza to Sanaa’ to Rabat.

I know that we may seem to have assigned you with a much larger role than your young age could possibly allow, but please pardon us, Rayan, we were desperate for hope, for anything to hold onto just to keep going, fighting for justice, for equality and for dignity.

Every breath you have taken under the sand and rocks, will keep us breathing for much longer after your death. We needed you more than you needed us. We wanted to rescue you because we needed you to rescue us. You brought us together despite our irrational hate for one another. You united us, however momentarily and, then, just like that you left. It is as if you existed to merely make a point. You suffered so that we may wake up to remember all the Rayans everywhere, the Syrian refugees, the besieged Palestinians, the suffering Yemenis, and the millions of children who are simply fighting to survive, to breathe and to live without fear all over the world.

Now that you have left, we are still trapped and we must dig our way out.

We love you little guy as we love all the little Rayans of this troubled world. I am sorry that your stay with us was short. But you shall never be forgotten.

*Dr Ramzy Baroud is a US Palestinian journalist, media consultant, an author, internationally-syndicated columnist and Editor of Palestine Chronicle (1999-present).