His uncle was killed in April 2004, and his brother was kidnapped in Kufra on 1 December 2005, just prior to the 2009 governorate elections, in which Zurfi was running.
Zurfi's life was affected by two significant events: the murder of his relative in April 2004, and the disappearance of his sibling in Kufra on December 1, 2005, which occurred just before he ran in the 2009 municipal elections.