Kenji Goto's own words have provided a powerful message for those mourning his loss after the journalist was kidnapped and executed by Islamic State (ISIS) militants, shown in a video released over the weekend. Goto, 47, was killed despite negotiations by the Japanese and Jordanian governments. 
 
 A tweet posted by Goto in 2010 offers an insight into his time spent reporting in Syria and Iraq, clarifying the deep connection he felt to the people of the region. Thousands have shared the comments after the news of Goto's death spread internationally. 
 
 See also: Wife of slain Japanese hostage Kenji Goto expresses grief and pride 
 
 The tweet, from Sept. 7, 2010, reads (translation): "Closing my eyes and holding still. It's the end if I get mad or scream. It's close to a prayer. Hate is not for humans. Judgment lies with God. That's what I learned from my Arabic brothers and sisters." 
 
 The tweet had tens of thousands of retweets at the time of writing, and the numbers keep growing. 
 
 The account was verified as Goto's by his friend Toshi Maeda, who heads Tokyo-based venture Pacific Bridge, which created the mobile-video application Goto used for some of his reporting from Syria. 
 
 During his time in Syria, Goto posted dozens of video reports on YouTube and tweeted regularly about his experiences in the region. Goto's final tweet was sent in October, around the time he travelled back to Syria to search for his friend Haruna Yukawa, who went missing last summer. Yukawa was also beheaded by ISIS, seen in a video that circulated last week. 
 
 This footage shows Goto's last journey to Syria in October 2014. He is seen reporting from the outskirts of Kobani as the town was under siege from Islamic State militants. 
 
 Other footage from 2012 is described as showing Goto crossing the border into Syria during an earlier trip to the region. 
 
 Additional reporting by the Associated Press. ||||| TOKYO (AP) — Social media users have embraced a 4-year-old tweet by Kenji Goto as a poignant memorial to the slain freelance journalist. 
 
 This screen shot made Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, shows a tweet posted by slain Japanese journalist Kenji Goto on Sept, 7, 2010, that states in Japanese, "Closing my eyes and holding still. It’s the end if... (Associated Press) 
 
 On his Twitter account, 47-year-old Goto mused about French wine, complained about his tired eyes, and talked to camera, reporting live from Syria. But one tweet has captured imaginations, seeming to sum up the character of the journalist who was beheaded by Islamic State extremists after a months-long hostage ordeal. 
 
 The tweet gone viral is from Sept. 7, 2010: "Closing my eyes and holding still. It's the end if I get mad or scream. It's close to a prayer. Hate is not for humans. Judgment lies with God. That's what I learned from my Arabic brothers and sisters." 
 
 It had 20,000 retweets on Goto's Twitter account by Monday, and was being repeated by others by the minute. 
 
 The account was verified as Goto's by his friend Toshi Maeda, who heads Tokyo-based venture Pacific Bridge, which created the mobile-video application Goto used for some of his reports from Syria. 
 
 Yuki Watabe, a 15-year-old high school student in Sapporo, northern Japan, and among those retweeting, said the tweet gave him heartache. 
 
 "He was such a wonderful person," he said. "He had a strong sense of doing the right thing." 
 
 The message of tolerance seemed to resonate with the thousands of Japanese Twitter users, expressing admiration for Goto's reporting about the suffering of children in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. 
 
 An English translation of that tweet, originally in Japanese, was also circulating on Twitter. 
 
 Goto was shown with another hostage and his friend, Haruna Yukawa, in a video purportedly by the Islamic State group last month. Despite negotiations by the Japanese and Jordanian governments, Goto was depicted as dead in a weekend video released on social media accounts affiliated with IS. Yukawa was shown apparently dead in an earlier post. The authenticity of the videos has not been independently confirmed by The Associated Press. 
 
 Goto's last tweet was in October, about the time he left for Syria, to rescue Yukawa, who went missing last summer. 
 
 Maeda recalled how Goto believed in citizen journalism. 
 
 "He was like a brother to me," he said. "He was an inspiration. He was a friend and a colleague." 
 
 ___ 
 
 Yuri Kageyama on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yurikageyama ||||| TOKYO (AP) — Whether in tsunami-stricken northeastern Japan or conflict-ridden Sierra Leone, the stories of the vulnerable, the children and the poor drove the work of journalist Kenji Goto. 
 
 People walk past a TV news program reporting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center right, hold a Cabinet meeting in Tokyo Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, after the release of an online video that purported... (Associated Press) 
 
 Japanese women react as they read extra newspapers in Tokyo reporting about an online video that purported to show an Islamic State group militant beheading Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, Sunday morning,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Junko Ishido, mother of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, speaks during a press conference at her home in Tokyo, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015 after the release of an online video that purported to show an Islamic... (Associated Press) 
 
 Worshippers participate in a morning service at a church in Tokyo which Japanese hostage Kenji Goto sometimes attended Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015 after an online video purporting to show an Islamic State group... (Associated Press) 
 
 The news of his purported killing by Islamic State militants sent Japan into shock and mourning early Sunday morning, days after his plight as a hostage in Syria united many people in praying for his release. 
 
 "I want to cuddle with the people. That's the best way to express my approach," Goto, 47, said about his work. "By cuddling with them, I can talk with the people. I can hear their views — their pain and their hopes." 
 
 A pony-tailed man with a friendly, carefree laugh, Goto was a veteran freelance reporter, working often with other filmmakers and Japanese TV producers. His comments were sometimes featured on Japanese mainstream media. 
 
 The 2005 book he wrote about the suffering of children in Sierra Leone was titled "We Want Peace, Not Diamonds." 
 
 But Goto had always stressed he was not a war reporter. He had insisted he was instead devoted to telling the story of regular people, one step removed from the war zone. 
 
 That took him to refugee camps and orphanages. He told the stories of children suffering violence, hunger and nightmares. 
 
 In a testament to his charm and integrity, people responded with an outpouring of support to try to win his release. 
 
 A Facebook page, set up immediately after the first video released by militants last month, quickly drew tens of thousands of "Likes" and photo postings that showed people, from not just Japan but around the world, holding up hand-written signs that said: "I am Kenji." 
 
 "Kenji lives on — in all our hearts. In our daily work. Every time you smile with those around you, you will be sure to remember that big smile Kenji always gave us," wrote Taku Nishimae, a filmmaker living in New York and the page's creator. 
 
 An online petition demanding the government do more to save Goto collected thousands of signatures. Crowds have gathered outside the prime minister's office, holding up "Free Kenji" and "I am Kenji" signs. 
 
 Those who knew Goto said he was a gentle and honest man. On the streets of Tokyo on Sunday, many people were clutching the Yomiuri newspaper extra with the latest news, expressing disbelief that his captors went as far as to kill a reporter. U.S. reporter James Foley and American-Israeli journalist Steven Sotloff were among several Westerns who had been killed by the militants last year. 
 
 "Kenji has left us on a journey," said Junko Ishido, 78, Goto's mother. "It is my only hope that we can carry on with Kenji's mission to save the children from war and poverty." 
 
 Goto had been captured at least once before by militants in the Middle East, but had convinced them to let him go by showing that he was a reporter. 
 
 According to Goto's wife Rinko Jogo and others who had spoken with him, Goto had gone to Syria late last year to try to save the other Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa, 42. Yukawa was shown as killed in an earlier video purportedly released by the militants. 
 
 Yukawa's father, Shoichi Yukawa, could not hold back his tears at the news of Goto's killing. 
 
 "He was kind. And he was brave," he told reporters. 
 
 Goto went to Syria just three weeks after his youngest daughter was born. Before his last trip, he made a video recording. 
 
 "No matter what happens to me, I will always love the people of Syria," he said calmly, looking straight into the camera. 
 
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 Follow Yuri Kageyama: https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
– More than four years ago, journalist Kenji Goto tweeted a message whose power has only grown after he was apparently killed as an ISIS hostage. The tweet, the AP reports, has gone viral both in Japanese and in English. A translation of the Sept. 7, 2010 message: "Closing my eyes and holding still. It's the end if I get mad or scream. It's close to a prayer. Hate is not for humans. Judgment lies with God. That's what I learned from my Arabic brothers and sisters." The tweet, which has been retweeted nearly 22,000 times, reflects on Goto's experiences as a journalist in Syria and Iraq, Mashable reports. His wife issued a statement today about his mission: "I remain extremely proud of my husband, who reported the plight of people in conflict areas like Iraq, Somalia, and Syria," the statement says. "It was his passion to highlight the effects on ordinary people, especially through the eyes of children, and to inform the rest of us of the tragedies of war." The AP yesterday also noted a message from a video Goto made before he made his last trip to Syria: "No matter what happens to me, I will always love the people of Syria," he said.