DUBAI: The father of a three-year-old who was killed in the recent terror attack in Barcelona has spoken out about his loss and hugged a local imam in an emotional gesture caught on camera.
Javier Martínez, father of Xavi, spoke about the moment his son was killed when a vehicle rammed into a crowd in La Rambla, Barcelona, on August 17.
“Thank you all. I love to see that the Rambla is full again. There is no place for fear or rancor,” he said, according to local news site El Periodico.
Los padres de Xavi,el niño de 3 años que murió en las Ramblas,consuelan al imam de Rubí.¡Gracias @localpres! Es la mejor información del año pic.twitter.com/vmfWAGBBZV
— Ana Martín-Pintado (@AAna7777) August 24, 2017
“I know there’s another dead child. I have not been able to meet anyone, but I share the pain with them. With everyone. I also share the pain with the relatives of the terrorists. I share it. We are people,” he continued.
Martínez added: “I need to hug a Muslim. These people should not have fear.”
The embrace was captured on camera and has been watched thousands of times on YouTube since it was posted on Friday.
Concluding his speech, Martínez told the doctor who autopsied his son: “You know that you have done an autopsy to an angel.”
