Ayman Dahduh was known for many things. He was the most prominent revolutionary singer in Harasta; he chanted at protests, spoke at funerals and wrote songs. He organized a number of demonstrations, including one that was headed to the Abbasid Square of Damascus before security forces opened fire onto it. He was passionate about freedom, and was eventually killed for the sake of it.

In an interview with Syria al-Shaab, Dahduh said that he was part of a delegation from Harasta that met with President Bashar al-Assad. He said, “The delegation from Harasta met with Bashar al-Assad, and we told him that his media is full of lies. He told us that he was busy, and did not pay attention to the news. He also said that it is you who is inciting the Syrian people, and you must stop them.” Dahduh said that after meeting with the President, he became more insistent on following the path toward freedom.

Dahduh was often referred to as Harasta’s Qashoush, an homage to Ibrahim Qashoush, a famous singer from the city of Hama who was killed for defying the regime.

Eventually, Dahduh, who was known as Abu Said, became wanted by security forces for encouraging others to join protests. He started hiding out and sneaking around to stay safe, but he still managed to lead demonstrations. Security forces raided Dahduh’s house at least 13 times. Mahmud Mudallal, known as Abu Murshid, was Dahduh’s friend who clearly remembers these incidents.

“Security forces had a problem with the fridge in Abu Said’s house,” Mudallal said. Every time they raided his house, they yanked out the door to the fridge. Eventually, we began asking him about the door to his fridge before asking about his family every time they raided his house.”

It no longer became safe for Dahduh to remain in Harasta, so he left his home for Daraa, where he stayed for a few days before leaving to Jordan. He stayed in touch with activists in Harasta, and continued to join their protests over the telephone.

But Dahduh was not able to stay away from his home for long. He eventually left Jordan and returned to Harasta, where he rejoined the protest movement. On Feb. 5, 2012, security forces raided his apartment in Qusour, Damascus. They shot at Dahduh and his friends, killing Dahduh and two others, and injuring the rest.

Even after his passing, the people of Harasta continue to remember the man who brought their anti-regime demonstrations to life. They still repeat the chants he used to lead them in, and have added a new one: “He is a person that cannot be forgotten; Harasta will not forget him.”