Fears over SA man kidnapped in Syria

Shortly before he was seized by armed men, the South African photographer kidnapped in Syria this week, warned his family that he might be abducted, it emerged yesterday.

Shiraaz Mohamed last communicated with his family on Tuesday, as he was leaving for the Turkish border, the first leg of his journey home.

He told his ex-wife, Shaaziya Brijlal, that she should check on him if she had not heard back from him by 8pm that day.

"He knew already on Monday that there may have been the possibility of detention," Brijlal told the Sunday Times from her home in Johannesburg.

In a separate family statement, Brijlal went into more detail about Mohamed's last words: "He texted me [on Monday] saying he was leaving Syria the next day, saying: 'There's a risk I might be detained tomorrow, no big deal, SA government and [relief organisation] Gift of the Givers will get me out. I need you to communicate with my family please. But, wait for my message to tell you what to do.'"

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The following day he sent a text message asking her to wait until 8pm before raising the alarm. "By 9pm I was frantic," Brijlal said.

Mohamed was visiting a rebel-held portion of Syria at the invitation of Gift of the Givers, which regularly supplies humanitarian aid to disaster-hit areas. He arrived on January 4 and was supposed to have returned on Thursday or Friday.

By late yesterday the identities of those holding him, and their motives, remained unclear.

Gift of the Givers CEO Imtiaz Sooliman said that initially Mohamed and two staff of the relief organisation were kidnapped. The charity workers were later released.

"When they passed the Gift of the Givers Al Hilal Hospital two cars suddenly boxed them in. Our driver hooted at them to move out of the way," Sooliman said.

"A few men with guns got out, were very calm and came to the car. They opened the doors, put a gun to the head of our two people and looked at Shiraaz."

He said the three men were blindfolded and driven around for about an hour, after which the two staff members were freed. But the gunmen refused to release Mohamed.

"They said they only want to question him and will return him in two days to the Gift of the Givers Ar Rahma Hospital. They wanted to 'clear a misunderstanding'. What misunderstanding, we don't know," Sooliman said.

Mohamed owns two community newspapers in Gauteng. A passion for photography has led him to get involved in journalism, and he has gone on several overseas trips to take photographs.

Brijlal said Mohamed had travelled to Syria in the hope of focusing attention on the plight of Syrians affected by the civil war.

"He is passionate about his photography and you never saw him without a camera," she said.

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"He is very bubbly, very good with people and kids. This should stand him in good stead to sweet-talk his way out of wherever. He is a good guy - not somebody who gets involved in politics."

Mohamed's friend and photography colleague Ihsaan Haffejee said they had spoken the day before he left for Syria. "He was really excited. He said as photographers we can use our images to raise awareness. It is why a lot of us do this work."

Haffejee said the detention was puzzling because it happened in a relatively secure area.

"I'm pretty positive [that he will come back]. If he was an American or European then maybe it would be a bit different. But South Africa is generally neutral in this kind of thing."

In their statement the family appealed to the gunmen to return Mohamed unharmed. "His mom, Shireen Mohamed, begs anyone who may have him to please let him return safely to us," the statement said.

Department of International Relations and Co-operation spokesman Clayson Monyela said he was aware of the abduction, but had no further information. "We put out a call to our consular people. They haven't responded yet," Monyela said.