The father of the boy gives his message. Photo / via Facebook
The father of the boy gives his message. Photo / via Facebook
The father of one of the boys killed after a car crashed into a Sydney school has delivered a powerful message of forgiveness to the driver.
In an remarkable video uploaded on Facebook on Thursday from the hearse travelling from eight-year-old Jihad Darwiche's funeral to the burial site, his fatherand a male relative appeal for calm.
The pair say they would like to sit down with driver Maha Al-Shennag and discuss the tragedy that left two boys dead, and how to move forward.
Jihad Darwiche's funeral was held on Thursday. Photo / Supplied
"This boy was loved by everyone," says Ahmad Hraichie from the driver's seat of the car travelling from the Lakemba mosque behind a police escort. "The road is closed for this boy."
Translating for the boy's father, Mr Hraichie says the pair have a "special message" to "the lady that was involved in the accident". Al Shennag has been charged after the Toyota Kluger she was driving slammed into a year three classroom at Banksia Road Primary School in Sydney's south-west on Tuesday.
"This is the way a proper Muslim acts in a time of calamity and tribulation," says Mr Hraichie in the video, which has already had 57,000 views.
"The father says, all this stuff happening about the threats to this lady and the abuse is not from them. No retaliation is coming from the family of the boy, they have forgiven. If anything, they want to sit with this lady and talk with her and tell her, we forgive you.
"But as you know, right now, it is a hard time with funeral and all the people that are visiting. But, inshallah, once it's over, she is welcome to come and sit with the family, to have a meal and to talk about how they can move forward with this problem, what's happened.
Funeral for Jihad darwich 8 year old killed at school on Tuesday. Listen to the father talk. This is the true example of patience when a tribulation affects your life
"So please brothers and sisters, nobody abuse the school.
"The school had nothing to do with it. This is the will of the creator, he has ordained this, this was written."
Mr Hraichie said the boy's family had been hearing of Al-Shennag receiving abuse and that they didn't want that to happen. "They are telling everyone out there - forgive her, it's an honest mistake, it could have happened to any of us.
Message of forgiveness from the father of Jihad Darwiche. Photo / via Facebook
"We don't throw the world down on our brothers and sisters when an accident happens, we forgive."
The father, who runs a fruit shop in Punchbowl and has another son and daughter, said this was a test for the family, thanking everyone from the school to the police to the highway patrol for their support and for attending the funeral.
He sent his condolences to the other boy who died, who they said was Greek. "We can't forget that another angel has gone back to his creator because this boy was innocent and pure," said Mr Hraichie.
"What a champion this man is.
The coffin of a schoolboy killed in an accident at Banksia Road Primary School in Greenacre is carried by mourners into Lakemba Mosque in Sydney. Photo / AAP
"You heard it from the father himself: When a calamity hits you, you say ... to Allah we belong, to Allah we return.
"This is what we forget these days is that when our brother feels pain, we must feel pain too."
He finished by encouraging everyone to have "love for each other", as the Prophet said.
"As we make our last drive to the burial site, inshallah, the father will be there to bury his own son and this is never ever wished upon anyone, that we bury our own kids," Mr Hraichie concluded as they arrived at the grveyard.
The emotional video has had thousands of reactions after it was posted on Facebook this afternoon.
New South Wales emergency services personnel are seen attending a vehicle accident at the Banksia Road Primary School. Photo / AAP
"God has given him the will power to be strong," wrote one commenter.
"My heart breaks for everyone involved," added another.
"RIP little angel," said another.
Al-Shennag has been charged with two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, driving in a dangerous manner and negligent driving occasioning death.
Police on Thursday morning announced she had been hit with extra charges relating to children who survived the incident but sustained injuries and were taken to hospital.
Two eight-year-old girls were taken to the same hospital in a stable condition, and another girl, aged nine, was taken to hospital in a serious condition.
Hundreds of mourners gathered at Lakemba mosque to honour Jihad's life at aroudn 12pm on Thursday after a funeral procession by the Lebanese Muslim Association. More than a dozen pallbearers carried the green coffin seen in the hearse into the mosque as women followed, wiping away tears and hugging each other.
