This is Shad Mohammed, she’s a six year old girl from Baghdad. On Monday March 27th 2006 she became an orphan. “Shad” is a contraction, a nickname, her full given name could be either “Shadha” which means “Aromatic,” or Shadiya which means “Singing, as in ‘Singing for Joy’ ” or perhaps Shadmani which means “Joy or happiness.” Either way she was given her name by two people in joy and love and happiness that she’d been born and nurtured her as best they could.
Look carefully at her. She’s been dressed with care and love by her parents, her hair has been dressed, and now she’s covered in blood and being comforted by a neighbour. Look at her face - the poor child is numb. So would you be if the two most important people in your world had just been killed in front of you. God help her when the numbness wears off. I doubt if her life is going to be aromatic, or joyful, or one with much singing in it for a hell of a long time. She is now an orphan in an impoverished society being callously and wantonly ripped apart by the “Multi National Coalition.” Her prospects are grim.
Her parents were killed in an attack by what the Western media obediently taking their cue from US and UK military spokesmen refer to as “insurgents.” We’ll probably never know who killed her parents. Or why. They were just more “collateral damage” as is Shad. Whoever murdered her parents was doing just what George W. Bush his corrupt henchmen and his ally Tony Blair wanted them to do. The blood covering this child is on their hands quite as much, if not more, as on hands of the men who murdered Shad’s parents.
markfromireland
Indexed under: Children, Orphans
Mark what will happen to all the orphans - what is the culture?
seconding Grania’s question - and is there an NGO that we can support who will help the children? Marla Ruzicka’s CIVIC has been my choice so far but if you know of a better one …
http://www.civicworldwide.org/dia/organizationsORG/civic/pressRelease.jsp?press_release_KEY=166
Grania it’s a very tough question. The situation for children in Iraq is disastrous. Quite literally you see children scavenging for food in the garbage dumps, and as Fayrouz has pointed out there are two problems in Iraq now that never existed previously.
1: Narcotics.
2: Child prostitution.
3: Luring young Iraqis away with false adoptions or promises of work. Then they’re promptly sold into brothels or as concubines or catamites.
Those are some of the worst case scenarios.
That being said Iraq is very much an extended family culture. If you’re a child that’s been orphaned irrespective of whether you’re a Muslim, a Chistian, or some other religion, you probably have relatives who’ll take you in. Of course those relatives are likely to be dirt poor themselves.
There are also various charities run from the Mosques etc. I’m going to pass over in furious silence the “charities” who target Iraqi kids aimed at converting them to fundamentalist Christianity. The consequences of such a conversion for any child are becoming increasingly grim.
I’m trying to discover more about reputable charity’s but I keep on smashing into brick walls.
To sum up - Shad has a reasonably good chance that she’ll be looked after. But things like her education and marriage prospects died along with her parents.
That is heartbreaking news for sure - when we finally ‘eff off’ out of there I presume that the various children’s organizations will flood back in. I know that the Holy Family orphanage in Bethlehem used to redirect alot of children to Lebanon - the guise was that children were Christian orphans but not necessarily the case. (My sister was there when Holles Street were doing their stint with Medicins Sans Frontieres in the 90s) The Pollyanna side of me was hoping to hear that there are decent people in Jordan or elsewhere etc., who just want to give a child or children a good home and a lot of love.
Oh there are lots of decent people. But basically if she has relatives it’s up to them to look after her. - That’s a duty that’s taken very seriously.
I’m doing a fair bit of research on this at the moment but it’ll be a while before I come up with a list:
One thing though for God’s sake don’t give to anything associated with the US army.
At present if you’re in the US I’d suggest anything associated with the Quakers is your best bet.
Don’t worry re giving money to US army -we create the orphans silly not take care of them! Any input you can give would be most appreciated. What about Catholic organizations?
Still checking Cafod and Caritas are both still doing good work there. AFAIK.
A big big part of the problem is that the place is now simply too unsafe for foreigners.
Cafod have a local charity shop very near me. I’m one of their best customers. I buy several books a week from them. When they’re read, they go straight back, so they can sell the same ones all over again.
Not exactly big bucks, I know — but I am a great believe in “every little helps”.
(As for commenting directly regarding the kid pics, Mark — each time I see one, I’m consumed rage, pity and can you believe even guilt, because I can’t do more than I do. Meaning, more to help, more to stop it all and more to bring those responsible to justice.
Yeah, Cafod, Caritas, Concern, War On Want, Save the Children, all do excellent work. As do many others including of course MSF or “doctors without borders” as they’re called in the States. I make an especial effort to buy “Fair Trade” produce when I can. That way I know somebody may have sweated but at least they won’t have been ground down into the dirt by a multinational.
As to what you’ve said:
“As for commenting directly regarding the kid pics, Mark — each time I see one, I’m consumed rage, pity and can you believe even guilt, because I can’t do more than I do. Meaning, more to help, more to stop it all and more to bring those responsible to justice.”
Believe me Richard I know how you feel. It’s why we (peacekeepers) have such a massively high suicide rate. There’s the horror of what you’ve seen and smelt, especially the smell. Coupled with guilt and rage that you failed to protect whoever it was. - There are other reasons for it too but that’s the primary one.
MFI, You are doing a great service here. I’m supposed to be the one working on this angle and I have neglected it. Quakers sounds good.
Question: What are the chances that, if we should be some miracle get the “Coalition” forces out of Iraq a more appropriate force could serve as peace keepers? I know that this is a naive question, but it seems to me the only way to separate the internicene faction in Iraq.
[…] Aromatic, Joyful, Singing […]