He made us proud

November 18, 2015 5:10 PM

On November 12th, 2015, Adel Termos threw himself at the second suicide bomber approaching a mosque in the Bourj al-Barajneh district in southern Beirut, minutes after the first bomber struck. He saved potentially hundreds of people.
posted by numaner (100 comments total)

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posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:12 PM on November 18, 2015 [5 favorites]

. indeed
posted by tavella at 5:21 PM on November 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

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posted by bonobothegreat at 5:21 PM on November 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

There are martyrs and then there are martyrs...

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posted by jim in austin at 5:27 PM on November 18, 2015 [22 favorites]

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posted by blob at 5:30 PM on November 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

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posted by pemberkins at 5:30 PM on November 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

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Also: Total hero.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 5:31 PM on November 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

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posted by une_heure_pleine at 5:34 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by glhaynes at 5:36 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by cairnoflore at 5:42 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by adamsc at 5:43 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by The Michael The at 5:44 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by moira at 5:46 PM on November 18, 2015

The very definition of dying a hero's death.

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posted by Pope Guilty at 5:48 PM on November 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

I'm crying. What a good man.

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posted by rtha at 5:51 PM on November 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

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posted by chasles at 5:52 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by runincircles at 6:01 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by supercrayon at 6:07 PM on November 18, 2015

Nobel Peace Prize, Congressional Medal of Honor, Man of the Year, give him all the awards.

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posted by benito.strauss at 6:08 PM on November 18, 2015 [7 favorites]

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posted by oceanjesse at 6:16 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by jameaterblues at 6:19 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by lord_wolf at 6:21 PM on November 18, 2015

His kids have a lot to be proud of.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:29 PM on November 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

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posted by eckeric at 6:31 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by Joe in Australia at 6:35 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by mephron at 6:40 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by domo at 6:42 PM on November 18, 2015

You can't read this without asking yourself: would I have done it?
posted by escabeche at 6:43 PM on November 18, 2015 [27 favorites]

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posted by Rabarberofficer at 6:44 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by Oyéah at 6:53 PM on November 18, 2015

Hey republicans: These are the type of people that are trying to find refuge on our shores.
posted by notsnot at 6:53 PM on November 18, 2015 [81 favorites]

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posted by bile and syntax at 7:09 PM on November 18, 2015

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May his children live long lives and see this madness end.
posted by valetta at 7:11 PM on November 18, 2015 [29 favorites]

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posted by wotsac at 7:32 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by Monsieur Caution at 7:39 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by Token Meme at 8:08 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by Xavier Xavier at 8:10 PM on November 18, 2015

(better human being than me, probably).
posted by Brian Puccio at 8:10 PM on November 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

Came here hoping there'd be a bunch of .

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posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:30 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by lester at 8:30 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by you're a kitty! at 8:35 PM on November 18, 2015

I long for the day when heroes like Adel Termos may rest easy knowing the need for their kind of bravery has passed.

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posted by Diagonalize at 8:37 PM on November 18, 2015 [8 favorites]

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posted by threecheesetrees at 8:39 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by hototogisu at 8:44 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by Sing Or Swim at 8:46 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by olya at 9:13 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by jessian at 9:14 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by key_of_z at 9:18 PM on November 18, 2015

Better human being than me, definitely.

I will not observe a moment of silence for his death. I will have many moments of screaming STOP THIS BARBARITY.

Or in mefi parlance, he gets

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Not

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posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:18 PM on November 18, 2015 [11 favorites]

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posted by pt68 at 9:46 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by HighTechUnderpants at 10:09 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by special agent conrad uno at 10:24 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by tychotesla at 10:24 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by mark k at 10:29 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:41 PM on November 18, 2015

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posted by town of cats at 12:19 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by LeRoienJaune at 12:21 AM on November 19, 2015

He can have all the emotion-filled punctuation MeFi has to offer.

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posted by LMGM at 12:49 AM on November 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

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posted by yueliang at 1:03 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:20 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by infini at 1:25 AM on November 19, 2015

No clever jokes today, just taking off my hat and standing silently to witness, and to write

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posted by wenestvedt at 3:10 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

"The kids and I are all doing fine. He made us proud, put our heads up high, what more do I need? He gave me dignity, pride, and respect."

I can't help but imagine that there is another widow, or mother, or daughter who is just as proud of the other guy and thinks him a hero too and I don't really know what to do with that.
posted by three blind mice at 3:18 AM on November 19, 2015 [8 favorites]

I can't help but wish that you would keep such imaginings to yourself, at least in this kind of thread.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:25 AM on November 19, 2015 [11 favorites]

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posted by RiemannZetaGambit at 3:28 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by SpacemanRed at 3:54 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by UbuRoivas at 3:55 AM on November 19, 2015

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I see things like this, and wonder: could I have done that? Could I react as fast as this man did, could I react as correctly as Adel Termos did, as intelligently and as heroically as he did?
posted by easily confused at 4:12 AM on November 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

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posted by longdaysjourney at 4:53 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by Ziggy500 at 5:12 AM on November 19, 2015

This shouldn't need to be said but since it too often does, I'm keeping his name handy for the next time someone implies that Muslims support terrorism (or are not the most common victims of these extremists):

His son had stopped by the mosque at about 5 p.m. for prayers on his way home from work

posted by adamsc at 5:15 AM on November 19, 2015 [3 favorites]

Heartbreaking.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:23 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by oneironaut at 5:24 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by brevator at 5:24 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by VW at 5:37 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by Rock Steady at 5:45 AM on November 19, 2015

That we could all be so brave, and that we could all live in a world where such bravery is unnecessary.

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posted by chrominance at 5:57 AM on November 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

. for a hero.
posted by Gelatin at 6:05 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by nerdfish at 6:06 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by Billiken at 6:21 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by anya32 at 6:22 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by Benway at 6:34 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by Lina Lamont at 6:45 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by janey47 at 6:51 AM on November 19, 2015

Escabeche, I had the exact same thought as you - wondering if I could have (or rather, would have) done what Adel Termas did. What a selfless courageous act.
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posted by biggreenplant at 7:04 AM on November 19, 2015

. Thank you. We will remember you.
posted by Pardon Our Dust at 7:06 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

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I salute his name; I salute his memory.
posted by seyirci at 7:08 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

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posted by acb at 7:35 AM on November 19, 2015

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Blessings be upon him.
posted by mondo dentro at 7:43 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

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posted by theefixedstars at 7:57 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by chicainthecity at 8:40 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by Smedleyman at 8:57 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 10:04 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by Mitheral at 10:29 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by Cpt. The Mango at 11:55 AM on November 19, 2015

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posted by XtinaS at 2:34 PM on November 19, 2015

May his memory be a blessing.

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posted by Kinbote at 3:17 PM on November 19, 2015

Many lives are better for one man deciding that he would not be a bystander, regardless of the personal cost.
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posted by smirkette at 4:47 PM on November 19, 2015

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posted by pecanpies at 9:02 PM on November 19, 2015

My initial reaction to this was that what Adel did was a singular act of heroism and that I could answer escabeche's comment with an easy "no way". But I've been thinking about it since then and there's a possibility that if for example my kids or another family member were in the mosque then I may have done something similar. It may not be a high possibility because I really do not want to die, but throwing yourself in front of harm to protect family seems to be a more common thing.

Now Adel had just finished praying at the mosque and there is a good chance he had friends, or at least acquaintances there, and even if they were complete strangers they were still people who just moments ago he was praying side by side with, so he had a connection with them and would not want to see them hurt. When we pray we stand shoulder to shoulder so that we are touching those beside us. We prostrate ourselves before god together and we try to move in unison with each other. It is more than being members of the same audience, we participate and act ourselves, which is why I say there is a connection.

So with this in mind I'm not saying that you or I would definitely do what he did, but at the same time it shouldn't be too surprising because it is a very human thing to do, just as running away for our own safety would be. We should be proud of his sacrifice and celebrate it, but at the same time I think it would be good if we could think of it not as the acts of some hero or superhero, but as the acts of a person like you or me with the same daily concerns, and keep ourselves open to the possibility that we too could act to help our fellow humans should the need arise. Look to the helpers yes, but be aware that helpers don't need to be other people, we can be helpers too.

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posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 9:51 AM on November 20, 2015 [3 favorites]