Daughter Honors Aid Worker David Haines Ten Years After His Murder by Islamic State

Bethany Haines, the daughter of a Scottish aid worker murdered by so-called Islamic State terrorists, honored her father, David Haines, at a memorial service held to observe the 10-year anniversary of his death, recalling him as a compassionate man who “loved life.” Ms. Haines stated that her father, David Haines, would prefer to be remembered for his love of family rather than as “the man in the orange jumpsuit.” The service, organized by Ms. Haines to commemorate her father’s life and to remember all other hostages, saw friends and family gather in Perth. Mr. Haines, a resident of Perth, was seized by militants in Syria in March 2013 while delivering humanitarian assistance to the conflict-ridden nation. The father-of-two was beheaded in 2014 after being held captive by a terrorist cell known as “The Beatles” due to their English accents. Footage of Mr. Haines’ murder was disseminated online, and his remains have not yet been located. During the service, Ms. Haines remarked: “It’s hard to believe it is 10 years since my world was shattered and I had to accept that I was never going to see my dad again.” She continued: “It has been a long and hard 10 years with many ups and downs. The pain has never gone away and probably never will but I learned to cope with it and channel my energies into positive things.” Ms. Haines shared that she drew inspiration from a brother and sister she encountered during a 2019 trip to Syria. Despite witnessing the massacre of several family members in their home, they had created a positive outcome by transforming their living room into a library and community center. She conveyed: “This inspired me to keep living my life to the best and enjoying myself, that’s exactly what my dad would want me to do.” Ms. Haines added: “He would not want to be remembered as the man in the orange jumpsuit, he would want to be remembered as the man who loved his family, who was generous, who wanted to help in any way he could and who loved life.” She characterized her father as “strong, kind and caring” and expressed that he would have cherished becoming a grandfather and spending time with her son. Ms. Haines also emphasized that her father’s death was not religiously motivated but was the result of “bad men doing bad things.” The ceremony additionally paid tribute to six other hostages who met fates similar to Mr. Haines: aid workers Alan Henning, Kayla Mueller, and Peter Kassig, along with journalists James Foley, Steven Sotloff, and John Cantlie. A slideshow featuring photographs of these individuals and Mr. Haines was displayed during the service at Perth Congregational Church. Minister Gordon Campbell, who presided over the service, stated: “We are here to remember David and all the other hostages and it’s important that we do so.” He referenced accounts from other former hostages who shared captivity with Mr. Haines and spoke highly of him. Mr. Campbell noted: “In the most difficult of circumstances David was supporting others, mediating in disputes, keeping spirits up and being strong for others.” Two British nationals, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, are currently serving life sentences in US jails for their involvement in the conspiracy to kill hostages. A third individual, Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John – believed to have appeared in disturbing videos of IS beheadings of numerous captives – was killed in a drone strike in 2015. Ms. Haines extended her gratitude to those who have provided support over the past decade, including the families of other hostages, the US government, and the charity Hostage International.