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Over the past two years, here in Amman, Jordan, I've regularly visited the family of Umm Hamdi, an Iraqi woman forced out of her native Iraq four years ago by terrifying death threats after her husband, very likely prey to that same threatened violence, disappeared. Although often met with the proverbial "cold shoulder" when trying to improve conditions for her family, she persists,--in the daytime she does child care for another family and, in the evening, she knits, sews, and makes handicrafts to sell in a local market. Umm Hamdi is tough, strong and fiercely determined to provide for her children. Nevertheless, she's wretchedly insecure as a single mother and one more refugee among thousands in a country where resources to cope with her anxious needs are very slim. And she is worried for her son who is still in Iraq.
Two nights ago, I turned up to her small bare apartment during an evening when her young daughters were out in the care of a local charity and she was home alone. I saw how worn out she was from working to support them - but more telling on her is the frustration and remorse she feels for Hamdi, her teenage son, who is barred from entering Jordan because he is a young man over 15 years of age, and whether for fear of spillover violence or from a wish to concentrate its taxed charitable resources among women and children, Jordan's policy strictly bars him entry. In Iraq, Hamdi lives with a family that resents him for his unemployed status, (there are no jobs), and can barely spare the little support they offer him.
Umm Hamdi is stricken with remorse over separation from her son. In regular phone calls, he learns that his sisters are going to school, that one has completed a vocational training program, and that when the oldest daughter was recently married the family did everything they could to give her a traditional wedding. The anguish overwhelms her as she recounts their latest conversation: "You do everything for your daughters," he had shouted, over the phone: "everything for them, but what about me? What about me? I am your son!" She clutches her hands over her eyes. Between sobs, she repeats, "My son, my son."
Her son is one of many thousands in Iraq who are out of luck, out of work, undereducated, and lonely for parents and siblings lucky enough to escape to neighboring countries.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that poverty is driving Iraq's boys and young men, out of desperation, into the militias. A 2007 IOM report noted that "militant fighters sometimes buy the loyalty of displaced persons by providing them some of the things they need, such as food and shelter. More and more children are joining these armed groups, the militias and the insurgents," said IOM officer Dana Graber Ladeck. "Sometimes they do it for money and sometimes for revenge, but we're finding more and more child soldiers, so to speak." (January 30, Voice of America interview)
Some youngsters agree to carry guns and to man checkpoints for the strongest and most heavily armed militia in their country, the U.S. military. Reporting for Reuters, Adrian Croft recently wrote about a "ragtag band of men toting AK-47s at a checkpoint in Baghdad's Sadr City," some of 500 youngsters the US had recruited as part of a new plan to "strengthen the Iraqi army's hold" in the backyard of U.S. rival Moqtada Sadr. (Jordan Times, June 27). New recruits risk their lives to earn $300 a month, guarding these checkpoints. It's undoubtedly one of the best jobs in town. Will this option, will one like it, attract Umm Hamdi's son?
Other Iraqi youngsters have been swept up by the U.S. military and sent to prisons, without charge, as a measure to prevent them from joining an Iraqi militia. On May 19, 2008, Fox News reported that the U.S. military is holding about 500 juveniles suspected of being "unlawful enemy combatants" in detention centers in Iraq. In August of 2007, in anticipation of the "troop surge," CNN reported that the US had imprisoned, without charge, 800 Iraqi youngsters (or "security risks") between the ages of 11 and 17, in a "prison school," to prevent them from lending their bodies to militias as decoys or snipers. The CNN reporter said that, within the school, textbooks and classrooms were another "weapon" against terror. Commanding officer Lt. Glenn expressed his goal: "We ensure that when they are released that they don't - they pick up a book instead of an AK-47 or laying an IED. And that's what this really gets back to." And when it gets back to young men like Hamdi, the message is perfectly clear: the U.S. will supply plenty of guns and explosives as long as the attacks are done in the name of protecting U.S. "security."
Umm Hamdi doesn't want her son to pick up a gun or lay an explosive device, for Iraq or for anyone. She would rather see him pick up a book. She cries herself to sleep at night wishing she could just see him. But she can't bring her daughters back to the maelstrom of violence her native country has become with the U.S. invasion. And with Jordan straining to contain the refugees it has absorbed, she can't bring her son out of Iraq.
Would it reassure her to think that Hamdi might find more secure shelter and achieve some educational goals if U.S. military jailers could imprison him for a year or so? Would it help if I told her that millions of impoverished parents in the U.S. worry that their sons might land in jail, and that many see the military as a better option?
I talked with her for a while longer. Her daughters returned from the event the charity had hosted for them, their faces sparkling with glitter and their arms colorful with painted designs. Umm Hamdi wiped away tears from a suddenly, forcedly, cheerful expression. She fetched a small ball of yarn - royal blue - and started rapid work to knit me a sweater, a parting gift I will take with me when I leave here. "It's cold in Chicago, very cold!" she said, laying down the needles and yarn. She grabbed her shoulders to help me understand that she didn't want me to have cold shoulders. "No, we don't want you to be cold."
Kathy Kelly (kathy@vcnv.org) co-coordinates Voices for Creative Nonviolence (www.vcnv.org)
17 Comments so far
Show AllAgronomo:
I thank you for the constructive and courageous things you have done to help make this a safer and better world. Having signed and sent hundreds of petitions over the years, contacted my congressman and senators, supported progressive candidates, and so on, as you and thousands, maybe millions have done, nothing has changed for the better.
The next step, which I have posted on CD many times is...and I have to jumble the words for you to unscramble so the censor doesn't kick in is the Glerane Skrite across this nation. I'm doing my best to build the momentum. In the meantime, your efforts have not been futile, Agronomo. Keep speaking and maybe only one in twenty will listen, but that one person will change and come over to our side.
Ref: Peaceman July 7th, 2008 10:46 am
Not bragging, but I did try. I was a Peace Corps volunteer, refused induction during the Vietnam aggression, worked with farmers in Sandinista Nicaragua, demonstrated against all our wars from then to now, signed hundreds of petitions, contacted my congressman and senators, supported progressive candidates, and so on. My point is that even when 20 million or so demonstrate world wide we are ignored. Now the press has relegated Iraq and Afghan to the inner pages and agrees with bush and company that things are improving, and therefore we should stay the course. Regular folks, as intelligent as they might be, are willing to go along. I try to talk to neighbors and acquaintences about these issues and their eyes glaze over.
Sure, we can raise hell at recruiting stations, refuse to pay that portion of our taxes that goes to the military, teach our children... but that will just get us on one of their lists for retribution when the time comes. The clown at the wheel is insane and the ship of state is headed for the rocks.
Hooray for sheroes and heroes like Kathy who walk the talk, build bridges and are voices for others.
P.S. There are many families that she is helping and funds are always appreciated to keep this work going.
Sorry for the double posting, folks. It was either me or the computer?
Siouxrose: Good points. I remember in 5th grade US History class when our teacher told us about brother against brother, and father against son in some families in both the North and the South over the issue of slavery. It had quite an impact on us eleven year olds at the time.
agronomo: "Please, someone tell me how we can stop the next aggression?"
By not participating in it! My father used to tell me, "it takes two to tango," and I'm not referring to dancing, agronomo. As long as men and women are willing to sell their souls for a paycheck, the murder and mayhem will continue until the beast is defeated.
It starts with the INDIVIDUAL...ME, YOU, and everyone else, thinking about each action we engage in for good or evil and for what purpose. Ignorance is not bliss, and cannot be excused in this day and age of instant information.
The American people are already paying and will pay even more of a price for continuing on with crimes against humanity.
May I offer three things to read and watch?
The book, 'Johnny Got His Gun' written by the heroic screenwriter, Dalton Trumbo, about a First World War combat casualty.
Second reference is a good film by The History Channel titled, 'The Christmas Truce of 1914' and what is possible when "so-called enemies" decide they are not enemies. I have a DVD of it and it is being passed around in the Peace and Justice group in my area.
Third film is called, 'Sir, No Sir!' about the resistance to our other invasion of Vietnam, and how civilians and active military united in finally ending our transgressions against another country that did nothing to us.
Remember, agronomo, it starts with YOU; your THOUGHTS followed by your action if we are to stop this sadistic and destructive behavior. Then my THOUGHTS followed by my actions, and everyone else doing likewise. It's really that simple!
agronomo: "Please, someone tell me how we can stop the next aggression?"
By not participating in it! My father used to tell me, "it takes two to tango," and I'm not referring to dancing, agronomo. As long as men and women are willing to sell their souls for a paycheck, the murder and mayhem will continue until the beast is defeated.
It starts with the INDIVIDUAL...ME, YOU, and everyone else, thinking about each action we engage in for good or evil and for what purpose. Ignorance is not bliss, and cannot be excused in this day and age of instant information.
The American people are already paying and will pay even more of a price for continuing on with crimes against humanity.
May I offer three things to read and watch?
The book, 'Johnny Got His Gun' written by the heroic screenwriter, Dalton Trumbo, about a First World War combat casualty.
Second reference is a good film by The History Channel titled, 'The Christmas Truce of 1914' and what is possible when "so-called enemies" decide they are not enemies. I have a DVD of it and it is being passed around in the Peace and Justice group in my area.
Third film is called, 'Sir, No Sir!' about the resistance to our other invasion of Vietnam, and how civilians and active military united in finally ending our transgressions against another country that did nothing to us.
Remember, agronomo, it starts with YOU first; your THOUGHTS followed by your action if we are to stop this sadistic and destructive behavior. Then my THOUGHTS followed by my actions, and everyone else doing likewise. It's really that simple!
dudleydoright July 7th, 2008 12:54 am
That was good Dudley. Needless shot at those that love America though.
agronomo July 7th, 2008 7:10 am
A small point in your excellent post. The military was adamently opposed to the Iraq invasion and said so. You can be assured that they oppose any strike against Iran. So please don't blame them for Bush and the Corporations actions.
thanks, dudley...
It's interesting how war turns (some) women into heros. Kathy Kelly is a case in point, and I would add Cindy Sheehan to the list, too.
One thing that's notable from this poignant chronicle is that the son is turned on his sister. War divides and conquers families and in the case of ONLY protecting women/children, naturally the young males will carry enormous resentment. I wonder how much this factors into long-term misogyny? Any who argue that sexism is not already a problem in most nations is not looking at the truth; and this wound has lasted centuries, nor do the spoils of war help it heal.
curmudgeon: Of course it was cynical! The sad thing is there are still a lot of people who actually take that view, mainly right wing koolaid drinkers. Kind of sick to see their thought processes isn't it! And yet many would change their view if they were shown the truth! And by the way it wasn't meant to be funny. There is nothing funny about the cult currently occuping the white house and Iraq!
Please, someone tell me how we can stop the next aggression?
Vietnam taught the military and those that profit from war that a citizen army of conscripts would be a problem for future endeavors, so they dealt with that. They have even gone a step farther than the "volunteer" army of rural poor by employing equal numbers of mercenaries. Unless their wars hurt the whole population they can do what they want. Now the dem congress appears poised to impose additional economic sanctions on Iran and even a naval blockade. The impending attack, whether by our minion Israel or our own forces, is universally condemned, by the rest of the world, anyway. But our ignorant citizenry appears to have accepted the same disproved lies that were used to gin up the Iraq aggression. Apparently 50% of us still don't know where Iraq is on the map after 5 years of war.
If Americans are so stupid perhaps it would be better for everyone if we auto-destruct and so thoroughly wreck our economy and military that we can no longer do harm? So if we can't stop the bush clique of criminals, maybe we should cheer them on?
Hot damn, Vietnam.
In January we spent time on Damascus with a group of Iraqi women who have banded together for mutual support in dealing with their anguish and loss. Some are widows,some have been held in Abu Ghraib, the rest separated from their families.
We have tried to get publicity for these and other refugees not receiving assistance in Syria. No dice - but our local paper does publish a story about getting an Iraqi turncoat into the US by his former US Marine commanding officer.
I wish all the sheepies who are doing nothing to stop these insane fascists could be forced to see first-hand the agonized suffering caused by our illegal actions.
@dudleydoright - if your piece was meant to be cynical and satiric, ok BUT it was too close to the attitudes that exist to be funny.
If you really feel this way - you're one sick MF.
Thank God we are bringing these people hope and freedom. So many years under this brutal dictator Saddam. It's a shame we had to do the embargo for so long but Saddam was using it to build weapons of mass destruction. Maybe now that he is gone these Iraqis can now know what its like to be really free with a government that truly wants them to prosper. And we can finally find those weapons of mass destruction which I'm sure are stashed in some building somewhere. If only Iranian terrorists would stop all their bombing (because they don't want the Iraqis to be free.) They hate all freedom. Then we could go and really look for those WMD's and prove that they really were there. I see the future as bright for these Iraqis I just hope we don't cut and run and ruin all the good that we have done like rebuilding this war torn country. McCain says we may need to stay a hundred years. That's commitment folks! Oh, I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free! Everbody sing along!
I am so ashamed to be an American.
We have GOT to stop this coming attack on Iran.
15 year old male? Define all of them that age or older as terrorists, and then all US attacks are against terrorists, and the other victims are merely collateral damage.
It is easy to be successful when you can define anything you do as success after the fact.
kathy kelly is doing an heroic job. dealing with these abandoned, desperate, impotent refugees takes it's toll on anyone's pysche. but having lived and dealt with iraqi/palestinian refugees myself, i know how grateful they are for the smallest of kind deeds offered..............keep up your good and selfless work kathy. i admire you immensely.
If George were really as superstitious as he claims to be, and read this article, he would surely be terrified of finding himself in hell.