Turkish actor Ismail Haki embodied the character of Palestinian grandfather Khaled Nabhan, known for his famous saying "Soul of Soul" which he used to describe his granddaughter Rim, one of the most famous victims of the Israeli attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Emotional moments envisioned and experienced by the Turkish actor took place at the event organized by "Palestine Initiative" in Taha Akül Sports Hall in the Turkish capital Ankara on Monday.
The most challenging moments came when actor Ismail Haki played the role of the Palestinian grandfather Khaled Nabhan, as he recalled saying goodbye to his granddaughter Rim, where both the actor and the audience were in tears in a poignant scene detailed as follows:
"My daughter was my soul…
And today, she has become the soul of the soul…
Before her death Rim asked for apples and bananas, she never got them, Allah is sufficient for me and He is the best trustee…
It's sad to say that I lived through the hardest moments of my life while kissing the eyes of Rim…
Oh my little Rim, oh…
Oh, the soul of the soul…
Oh, if only you knew how much I miss you…
Should I tell you something? I am fortunate compared to other families who lost their children…
Even if she is dead, her body is intact, thank God…
At least she will have a grave…
In the morning, we heard the sounds of shells and explosions in the area where my daughter lived…
As they say, my soul first, then the lives of others…
But when it comes to my loved ones, I unconsciously leave for the streets…
As I ran into the smoke-filled streets…
And with the dawn, I realized that I was standing in front of my house, which was just a pile of rubble…
I started to lift the debris with my hands and with the help of those around me…
At first, I heard my daughter groaning and said, 'Ah, praise be to God' to myself…
Because usually, Tariq and Rim would sleep with my daughter…
But when I heard the groans of Tariq and Rim, I said 'Oh no' – I asked my daughter Maisa, where are they? She said, 'In the other room.'
They wanted to sleep and they were scared of the bombs, and I couldn't convince them to sleep by my side, thankfully we were able to rescue my daughter, and then we started to search near the adjacent room…
Then I saw Rim and Tariq as if they were sleeping next to each other after the bombing; that's what I thought at first…
Could they be sleeping? I called Rim and shook her shoulder; it seemed to me as if she opened her eyes and said to me, 'Grandpa, what happened?'
I tried again hoping she would respond, but she did not answer… She did not answer…
Rim and Tariq have become birds of paradise…
When I embraced Rim in my arms, most of those present recorded the video with their phones…
I can't express how I kissed you and how I smelled your scent…
I can swear that you did not die… That beautiful scent and the way you lay in my arms, you are a martyr, and I said, 'How beautiful the martyrs are, my Lord…'
How great their smell is…
Her hair, I plaited it…
I left Tariq and Rim for the best of guardians, 'We belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return'…"
"Soul of the Soul"
On November 25, 2023, a video spread on social media platforms documenting the Palestinian grandfather Khaled Nabhan's farewell to his granddaughter Rim (5 years old), which was met with global sympathy.
The video showed the difficult moments lived by the grandfather during the farewell to his granddaughter whom he described as "Soul of the Soul," as he held her hand and put her between his arms, trying to soothe her even after her martyrdom when he was wrapping her in the shroud.
The Palestinian grandfather and his granddaughter became the talk of social media, where some drew artistic paintings embodying the Palestinian grandfather and his granddaughter with the phrase "Soul of the Soul" inscribed on them. The grandfather later appeared in a video speaking about keeping his granddaughter's earring as a forever memory.
As for the Turkish actor Ismail Haki who portrayed the stance of the Palestinian grandfather, was born in Istanbul in 1976, and worked at the Konya Anatolian Theater between 1986 and 1989, then worked as a program producer at "KON TV" – the first local television channel in Turkey- which he contributed to establishing between 1991 and 1995.
Haki studied International Relations at the International Islamic University of Malaysia between 1991 and 1998, and studied documentary cinema at the Ludwigsburg Film Academy in Germany between 1998 and 1999.
He participated in several television series including "The Price", "The Devil Lies in the Details", "Ghazi", "Big Family", "Sakarya Fırat", "Brave Heart", and appeared in many films among them "Recep İvedik", "Password", "Free Man", "Long Story", and "Moscow".
