Abdul Halim Attar and Gissur Simonarson

telephone interview: But who was this man, and how could people help Within 30 minutes, I was pointed to a person that lived right by where he usually hung out selling pens, Simonarson told the Star in a telephone interview from Norway on Friday morning, according to Toronto Star. The man name is Abdul Halim Attar, Simonarson found, and he is a single father of two and a Palestinian-Syrian refugee originally from the Yarmouk refugee camp on the outskirts of Damascus. The heartbreaking images, posted online earlier this week by Icelandic web developer Gissur Simonarson, drew an outpouring of support and concern. After co-ordinating with local activists, Simonarson launched a fundraising campaign and Twitter account, #Buy Pens, to help the family. I’m just humbled and overwhelmed really by the response, Simonarson said. The response was immediate: While an initial goal was set at $5,000, over $60,000 U.S. was raised in less than 24 hours. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.