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Aylan Kurdi Memorial Placed In Sydney Morning Herald

There's A Memorial For Drowned Syrian Boy Aylan Kurdi In A Sydney Newspaper
Fairfax Media/Supplied

The heartbreaking images of a drowned Syrian boy washed up on a Turkish beach have sparked global outcry as the planet grapples with how to solve the growing asylum seeker problem. Debate is raging over how to deal with the exodus of people from the Middle East to Europe and the west, with fierce arguments exploding on issues from humanitarian and resettlement responses to whether media is justified in broadcasting the powerful images.

But hidden in an otherwise quiet corner of the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, came perhaps the most beautiful and poignant response; a memorial to Aylan Kurdi, the three-year-old whose body was photographed lifeless and face-down on a Bodrum beach.

(Sydney Morning Herald)

In the deaths and funerals section of the paper's classifieds on Friday is a large memorial notice dedicated to Aylan. His five-year-old brother Galip and their mother were among at least 12 who drowned after their boat -- en route to Greece -- capsized off the Turkish coast.

Headed by an image of a cartoon teddy bear, the memorial's unknown writer penned a touching tribute to a boy they never knew.

"You did not deserve to drown in the coldness of water and in the coldness of human indifference," the memorial read.

"You were not a migrant. You were not a refugee. You were a 3yr old little boy wanting to play safely, away from the threats of violence and war.

"Rest In Peace Aylan Kurdi. May God forgive us for failing you."

(Sydney Morning Herald)

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