In March 2017, a terrorist attack outside the Palace of Westminster in London resulted in injuries to 50 people, including 5 casualties. People watched in horror as policemen and emergency personnel worked around the clock that day and night, securing the area. All businesses and shops were ordered to evacuate the nearby surrounding area to be safe, to keep the people safe in case there were further attacks.
One man, however, refused.
36 year old Ibrahim Dogus - who had come to London as a refugee from Turkey at the age of 14 - wanted to help. He had watched the officers work non-stop as the hours went by. Shutting down two of the three restaurants he owned, Ibrahim insisted on keeping the third restaurant, Troia, open for one purpose only - to feed all the police and emergency workers and give them a place to rest.
By the time the restaurant finally closed, it was 11.30 pm in the night. Ibrahim's restaurant fed between 300 to 500 members of the police, ambulance and fire brigade service in that period. Throughout the night, despite being repeatedly offered, Ibrahim refused to take any money from the workers.
It was just his way of thanking them.
Final thoughts:
A victim of gang violence for fighting the drug menace with the bullet scars to show for it, Ibrahim - who did not know a word of English when he entered UK - remained determined to lead by example. In 2017, shortly after the terrorist attack, he entered politics and stood as the parliamentary candidate for the Labour Party for the cities of London and Westminster.
One man, however, refused.
36 year old Ibrahim Dogus - who had come to London as a refugee from Turkey at the age of 14 - wanted to help. He had watched the officers work non-stop as the hours went by. Shutting down two of the three restaurants he owned, Ibrahim insisted on keeping the third restaurant, Troia, open for one purpose only - to feed all the police and emergency workers and give them a place to rest.
 |
| The restaurant Troia shut down on that eventful night only after the last police and paramedic service man had finished having their dinner. |
By the time the restaurant finally closed, it was 11.30 pm in the night. Ibrahim's restaurant fed between 300 to 500 members of the police, ambulance and fire brigade service in that period. Throughout the night, despite being repeatedly offered, Ibrahim refused to take any money from the workers.
It was just his way of thanking them.
“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.”
- Ibrahim Dogus
Final thoughts:
A victim of gang violence for fighting the drug menace with the bullet scars to show for it, Ibrahim - who did not know a word of English when he entered UK - remained determined to lead by example. In 2017, shortly after the terrorist attack, he entered politics and stood as the parliamentary candidate for the Labour Party for the cities of London and Westminster.
Author's note:
This is part of my #AtoZChallenge where I will be focusing on Real Life Heroes of Kindness and Compassion.
Of course, I have been tracking these lovely human beings for years now and have found children as young as six years old and old women in their eighties from across the world who will restore your faith in humanity. You can find the entire list of Real-life Heroes of Kindness and Compassion here.
Each story reaffirms faith in humanity and kindness
ReplyDeleteHere is mine , a fictional tale of a girl growing up in urban India https://akswrites.com/2018/04/10/i-am-a-big-girl-out-in-the-big-bad-world-atozchallenge-blogchattera2z/
I just hope like Indian politician it was not his political stunt. Each story is so reassuring. Thanks for curating them.
ReplyDeletehttps://trinalooksback.com/2018/04/10/indrani/
Wow! What a noble way to give back to the society. Thanks for sharing this wonderful story of kindness and compassion, Roshan!
ReplyDeleteThis is just amazing Doc. what selflessness Ibrahim displayed and how. Blown away by today's story too.
ReplyDeleteAn awesome act of kindness . Food for those who need it the most at the time of crisis!!!
ReplyDeleteSuch a selfless act. Hats off to him!
ReplyDeleteThis takes me back to a day during my college days. As I walking back home, there was a sudden drizzle and I walk into a hardware shop for shelter as I did not have an umbrella. The man there shooed me away saying that unless I buy something, I cannot stay in. Well, I'm sure he's rotting in hell now.
Another wonderful tale that highlights the good in human nature. This is a place to drop by when in need of reassurance.
ReplyDeleteThat requires a heart of gold and a faith in the goodness of others.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this story, Roshan!
That’s one special messiah from Gods. He sure lit up so many lives and hearts. And continues to do so with this lovely story. Thank you Doc.
ReplyDeleteWhere do u find these stories from? These are all so sweet and inspiring which makes us think about humanity on a different level.
ReplyDeleteVery inspiring. We often want to make a difference but tend to overlook the fact that we could do so in simple ways. This story is an example of the same.
ReplyDelete