Thursday, July 14, 2005

YSAW contributor Khalid Jarrar ABDUCTED!!!

[olivebranch] - I have just finished reading Raed Jarrar's (Khalid Jarrar's brother) blog. I found news that left me ...... well I don't know what this emotion is.

Khalid Jarrar, a contributor Youth and Students Against War, and to this blog, has been taken by the Iraqi Government. His family has been given no reason but are relieved he is alive and well.

We believe it may have to do with him being a blogger. To view Khalid's blog visit:

http://secretsinbaghdad.blogspot.com/


Below is a post taken from his brothers' blog.
http://raedinthemiddle.blogspot.com/

To Khalid, and to your family:

Our minds and thoughts are with you. Please keep us up-to-date on what is happening, as I am sure there is some things that western media can do to help you.

[/olivebranch]






My mom called me today at 7 in the morning, shouting with happiness: "Khalid is okay!". Niki and I were the last members of the family to know the "happy news". Khalid called my dad from the Iraqi mokhabarat's jail to inform us he was alive; he said he was abducted by the mukhabarat men from his university. My dad called my mom and Majed, and they informed us then.

The feelings of joyfulness in our family now would give anyone the impression that khalid has won the lottery! My mom spent the morning planning Khalid’s future, including the arrangements of his wedding party!

If your child or sibling vanishes for two days then calls from the secret service jail in any other place on earth, that would be considered a disaster and a violation of human rights…

In Iraq, however, it’s Happy News.

Because the other options include: To be tortured, executed, and thrown in garbage by SCIRI and their Badr brigades. To be held by the Iraqi police and left to choke to death in one of their cars. To be held by the US troops then disappear and be mistreated for months in one of their many prisons. To be kidnapped by one of the countless criminal gangs and cost your family some tens of millions of Iraqi Dinars and/or your life.

So now you can see why being held at the mukhabarat jail is such happy news!

My dad said that Khalid mentioned something about his writings or his blog. We’re not sure whether our blogs are the reason behind the abduction of Khalid, but it’s one of the possible scenarios. In case if they were, we’ll stand for our political values of anti-violence, anti-occupation, pro-dialogue, pro-free speech, and all of the other honourable stands that my family has taken in our lifetime.

Our goal now is to ask the mokhabarat to take Khalid to court and reveal what exactly he is being charged with (if anything).

Friday, July 08, 2005

Lodon, International Violence

To those reading this, to the victims of international warfare and conflict... Youth and Students Against War wishes to work with you towards building a peaceful world once again..

Our thoughts are with those who have been injured, lost friends and family to international violence and we hope the G8 will work progressively to prevent such violence as has occured since March 2003 from continuing into the future of our lives, and the lives of the youth for years to come.

Bombings in London, Madrid, Spain, Kuta and Baghdad... Violence in the Middle-East as a whole, in Latin America, in Asia the USA and elsewhere around the globe needs to come to an end before we loose everything we have gained in the last 100 years.

Youth and Students Against War has resurfaced and will be holding its next meeting on Sunday, July the 17th, 3pm @ the Fremantle Esplenade. At 4pm a Vigil dedicated to the victims of international violence will also be held @ the Fremantle Esplenade.

Please come along and support our friends in Iraq, Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Latin America..

[olivebranch]

Iraqi Girl

This girl is 14 years old and lives in Mosul.... sometimes her
blog worries me.. .she is often extremely sad, but her family looks
after her well... her sister Najma is a beautiful woman (18 years old)
and also has a blog.....

hnk's blog - http://iraqigirl.blogspot.com/

Najma's Blog



We are in the 3 rd year of the war. 3 years and the war didn't end.
SO when you want to help Iraqi people don't send your cousin and sons to Iraq to fight. Because they fight us not fight for us.

Did you forget the WMD?
Did you forget what happened in Abo Graib?
Did you forget what the humanity mean?
Did you forget what the human needs?

Don't bother, I also forget something but I forget
What the peace look like..
What the street look like..
What the sky in the night look like..
What my relatives look like..

Some times I just think if you see what my eyes saw, if you hear what my ears heard. you will be able to understand what I mean.