A shining light in Arab arts and sports has faded.
Ala’a al-Din Al-Zibaq, the Syrian actor who starred in the show Behind the Sun (“Wara’a al-Shams”), has passed away.
Al-Zibaq had Down syndrome, which he acted in spite of and which, in turn, boosted his popularity. Behind the Sun explored some difficult moral questions: namely, if you knew your child would be born with disability would you still have that child?
Al-Zibaq ‘s interests went beyond acting: he became an accomplished cinematographer, working with lighting, photographer (old city of Damascus frequently showed-up in his work, which became part of exhibitions), and painter.
He was also an accomplished athlete, having competed, and taken gold in, the Special Olympics: Middle East North Africa as a swimmer. He was also a noted hockey player and horse-rider.
He passed away yesterday afternoon. He was 30.
What a life.
