In just 82 seconds, fifty people were injured and three died last Wednesday when a 52-year-old man named Briton Khalid Masood drove a car into pedestrians along the side of Westminster Bridge and Bridge Street in London. As chaos erupted, authorities worked to care for the injured and traumatized by ordering an evacuation of the exclusion zone. One man, however, insisted on staying so he might care for the law enforcement and emergency personnel workers who were present.
His name is Ibrahim Dogus, and he is a Muslim-born man who owns three Kurdish restaurants in the Westminster area. Upon learning about the tragic occurrence, Dogus closed two of his restaurants but kept a third open to provide food and sanctuary for the emergency workers – 500 of them, to be exact. Police officers happily complied with his desire.
After serving the law enforcement workers hot meals, the owner of the Kurdish restaurant declined all payment. He insisted that all personnel working to keep the are secure and serve the local community eat for free.
Reportedly, between 300 and 500 members of the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade were served until the restaurant closed at 11:30 PM. Describing the reasoning behind the generous gesture, Ibrahim told The Independent:
“We wanted to play our role in terms of supporting the emergency crew. This was happening right at our doorstep. If you walk two seconds on my doorstep I would be on the bridge. I use the bridge to take my kids to school, not on that day, but I live next to the area, I work next to the area.”
“It’s so terrible, but London has pulled together very quickly. The first day after business was quiet, but now it’s back to normal,” he added.
Even in the face of terror, one can choose to be an activist and make the world a better place. What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!
