Dr. Yahya was an exceptional person in every sense of the word. He stood up to those who wanted to create sectarian strife in the city of Homs and went out alone with his weapon to stop the waves of chaos, reactions and mobilization against the people of the same city. He was present in a number of international meetings to clarify the Syrian society’s point of view on the war, the path of the required solution, and the necessity of building deep societal reconciliation and addressing the repercussions of the past with the required boldness that does not compromise rights or the sovereignty of the state. He participated with the movement in many workshops and meetings on local reconciliations and peacebuilding, and spoke with all boldness about the remote and near causes of the Syrian war and what we have reached. His intervention in the Syrian Dialogue Platforms ​ session held by the movement in the city of Homs at the end of 2016 was a historic and important intervention, especially since it came from the city of Homs at a time when emotions were high. The gist of his intervention was that there are several internal reasons for the current crisis, which can be summed up as people’s loss of hope for any change, the military defeat of the Muslim Brotherhood project in 1982 without addressing its social and cultural effects, which kept the embers under the ashes, in addition to the fragility of the Syrian social structure and the strict security system.

May God have mercy on him. He was a frank and clear man who was not afraid of being blamed for the sake of truth. He was humble and kind, a native of Homs par excellence, quick-witted and had a good sense of humor.