The internet can be a mean, scary place. People can abuse you, mock you and be most insensitive behind the anonymity it provides.
But sometimes, it has its moments, making you smile and thanking the stars for this technology which connects people across borders. One such moment was when Twitter users in Saudi Arabia united to locate a Bangladeshi man who was photographed looking at the window of a jewellery store, longingly.
According to reports, the original photograph, which was posted on social media went with this deriding caption: “This man deserves to only look at rubbish”.
The photo was noticed by Abdullah Al-Qahtani, a wealthy businessman in Saudi Arabia, who then posted his picture from a Twitter account called “Ensaniyat” (which translates to humanitarianism) on Sunday, and asked people to help him identify the man.
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
— انسانيات (@ensaneyat) December 3, 2016
ارجو ممن يعرف هذا العامل ان يتواصل معي.
فله طقم ذهب مجاناً . pic.twitter.com/Md3fVUjqUB
The tweet went viral, being shared over 6,800 times and the Bangladeshi man was identified as Nazer al-Islam Abdul Karim, a cleaner, merely three hours later. And guess how people located him? From a reflection of a shop which was visible on the glass!
After being identified, the story of the man has changed completely – he is being showered with gifts and even had a chance to buy jewellery.
اللهم لك الحمد والشكر والف شكر لمن قدّم الخير https://t.co/sHRd7DWqGj pic.twitter.com/pp0Mb48nnp
— تركي الدعجم (@turkialdajam) December 4, 2016
Al-Qahtani told CNN that people wanted to donate gold, iPhones and a rice company even wanted to send him bags of rice. Later, Turki al-Dajam, who works at a sports channel in Saudi, posted videos of Nazer choosing a gold set from the very same jewellery shop. Reportedly, he was also given tickets to return home.