Update [2006-9-18 16:25:23 by Damnit Janet]:
Thanks to BoomanTribune and MyLeftWing, this diary generated (to date) $225 to be sent to a dear Iraqi Delegate Refugee. We had hoped to raised $1,500 but instead – surpassed $2,000. The collecting will continue so that we can aid more Iraqi Delegate Refugees through Collateral Repair Project and CodePink Portland.
With all my heart – thank you.
CODEPINK brought a delegation of Iraqi women to the U.S. for March 8, International Women’s Day, as part of the Women Say No to War campaign. Some of these women toured parts of the US and participated in several anti-war protests marking the anniversary of the war during March 18-19, 2006.
These brave women need our help. They are all now refugees who had to flee their beloved country. They stayed in their homeland as long as they could. Now they can never return.
Many of these fine women are too proud to ask for help. But we know that they are hurting, scared and we know what they need. Please help us help them.
Our lives are forever changed and linked to these brave women.
Cristy of CodePink Portland with Eman our time with her (link)
- Nadje Al-Ali is a writer/researcher specializing in women in the Middle East. She is a founding member of Act Together: Women’s Action on Iraq and mother of a 3-year-old daughter.
- Faiza Al-Araji is a civil engineer, a blogger (afamilyinbaghdad.blogspot.com), a religious Shia with a Sunni husband, and a mother of three. After one son was recently held as a political prisoner by the Ministry of the Interior, the family fled to Jordan.
- Souad Al-Jazairy -Writer, journalist and TV producer, Souad is a very active member in the Iraqi Women’s League. At the last minute Souad is not able to be with us because of urgent work she has been called to do in regarding the Constitution and ensuring better rights for women. We are sorry but we hope that she can come to the U.S. in the near future when she has more time.
- Eman Ahmad Khamas is a human rights advocate who has documented abuses by the occupation forces. She is a member of Women’s Will, and is married with two daughters.
- Dr Entisar Mohammad Ariabi, a pharmacist at the Yarmook Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, has documented the deteriorating health system. She is.married with 5 children
- Vivian Salim Mati is a widow who lost her husband and three children when they were fired on by U.S. tank fire as they attempted to flee the bombing of their neighborhood in Baghdad in April 2003 .We are sorry that her visa application was denied by the U.S. government. As a result she will not be able to join us for March 8 activities.
- Kadhim Jawad (Anwar) is a widow whose husband and three children were killed by US soldiers at an unmarked checkpoint. We are sorry that her visa application was denied by the U.S. government. As a result she will not be able to join us for March 8 activities.
- Dr. Rashad Zidan, a pharmacist, works in Baghdad and Fallujah with Women and Knowledge Society to aid victims of war, especially orphans.
- Sureya Sayadi, a Kurdish woman born in Kirkuk in 1960, is an activist for human rights in the Middle East, particularly for the Kurdish people. Her family participated in the uprising against Saddam in 1974, then became refugees in Iran. Sueya later came to the United States as political refugee, but her family is dispersed in Iraq, Iran and Turkey.
To read their incredible stories and speeches (link)
These women are now refugees.
Many of these fine women are too proud to ask for help. But we know that they are hurting, scared and we know what some of them need.
“It’s the least we can do” said my dear Pink Sister, Cristy (pictured above) when she told us of one delegate’s plight. This is grassroots. This is us asking our friends, family, blog buddies.
CodePink Portland is seeking to raise $1,500 for one of the delegates who needs are immediate – payment for housing and educational placement for her children by September. We hope that the fund will grow so we can help as many as we can.
I have no paypal, my address is a street address. Please email me at web@codepinkportland.org and I will give you my address. I will give the checks to Cristy who can get the money to the Iraqi women via Collateral Repair Project.
If you can help, checks are to be made out to Collateral Repair Project It is not a 501c3 so donations are not deductable. Thank you so very much!