Legendary NY Times journalist Anthony Shadid dies of an asthma attack while reporting in Syria.
Anthony Shadid was one of my favorite journalists. His reporting on the Middle East was incredibly informed, balanced and nuanced. He showed incredible bravery not only in the process of reporting from volatile situations (even being captured by Gaddafi soldiers during his time in Libya) but also in his writing, which was honest, wise and gave justice to those whose stories he told. He was never exploitative or sensational but his work was always beautifully-written. I’m shocked and saddened by his passing. Inna lilahi wa ilayhi raji’oon.
Well-said. RIP.
Wow, what? I pull my head out of my Arabic homework and this is what greets me? Huge, huge loss. Significant. Many of us have relied on Shadid’s reporting on the region for a long time. He’s also been a huge inspiration, not just for his bravery and honesty, but for his decision to learn Arabic as an adult, partly to communicate directly with the people about whom he was writing.
This is a weighty loss, and may Shadid continue to be an example to current and future reporters.
الله يرحمه
(Source: abudaii)
