BEIRUT: An actor from the popular television series Bab al-Hara was brutally murdered over the weekend in Damascus, setting off a debate over whether he was killed for his opinions or his alleged actions in support of the regime.
Mohammad Rafeh, 30, was kidnapped Friday night from an area near his home in Masaken Barzeh, a northern neighborhood of the capital, and found dead the following day, according to a source close to the family.
In Bab al-Hara, set in the early 20th century, he played the character of Ibrahim, a young merchant – ironically, the character meets his end as a “martyr” during clashes between Syrian rebels and the French occupation forces.
The Facebook page of the Masaken Barzeh Coordination Committee announced the killing of Rafeh and said it was carried out by the Grandsons of Al-Siddiq Battalion, affiliated with the Free Syrian Army rebels.
The Facebook post, citing the battalion, said Rafeh was killed because he was a “shabbih,” or member of a pro-regime militia, although the claim was strenuously disputed in other social media and by friends of the actor.
The group said a weapon and a “military ID” were found in his possession when he was abducted, and posted what it said was a piece of paper also found with him.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Nov-05/193896-bab-al-hara-actor-murdered-for-alleged-pro-regime-activity.ashx#ixzz2Bfk2EwWD