Ghiath Matar, also known as “Little Gandhi,”, was one of the first Syrian pacifists to be arrested by the Assad Regime in order to suppress the Syrian Revolution. Matar was famous for his initiative of giving out red roses and water to the security forces during demonstrations in his home town of Daraya, a suburb of Damascus. 

On September 6, 2011, he was arrested by the Syrian Air Force Intelligence and his dead body was returned to his family four days later. His funeral was attended by many different ambassadors from Japan, Germany, France, Denmark and the US, who were still in the country at the time.  The 25-year-old activist left behind a widow pregnant with their first baby. 

Matar’s initiative to keep demonstrations peaceful and his support towards non-violent activism soon formed his iconic stature. Matar quickly became a symbol of the peaceful Syrian Revolution. A film was made of his life called Little Ghandi.