Posted on 10/26/2004 7:27:54 PM PDT by PoliticalTracker
The Iraqi boy who wants to swap places with Hassan
When Mohammad Hamdan, 18, stepped on an unexploded cluster bomb while playing football near his home in Baghdad last year, his active life appeared to have come to an abrupt end.
He was unable to walk after suffering serious injuries to his upper back and left lung, tears to the stomach and intestine and compression of the spinal cord. “I just lay there like a vegetable, a soul in this life unable to move, talk or feel,” he said.
It was then that Margaret Hassan, 59, the Dublin-born charity worker abducted last week, stepped into his life.
Hearing of Hamdan’s plight, Hassan, head of the Iraqi operations of Care International, arranged for him to travel to Jordan, paying for treatment at a hospital in Amman, the capital, that means he can now walk with a stick.
Hamdan’s father Kasim claims that she financed it entirely from her own pocket. “No words can be said to describe the generosity of Margaret or our gratitude for her,” Kasim said last week, choking back tears.
Gestures such as this one — typical, according to Hassan’s friends of her humanitarian work during 30 years in Iraq — appeared to have done little to sway the unidentified gunmen who seized her last Tuesday.
Mystery still surrounded the identity of her kidnappers last night, despite the release on Friday of a harrowing black-and-white video in which Hassan pleaded for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq to spare her the fate of Kenneth Bigley, the British hostage beheaded two weeks ago.
Unlike most previous hostage tapes, however, this one featured no hooded gunmen and no banners identifying the militant group.
Hamdan said he was so grateful to Hassan for all she had done for him that he would be ready to take her place in captivity.
“I would crawl on my knees for her all over Iraq if that would bring her back,” he said. “I plead with the kidnappers to let her go, take care of her and help her so she can continue the good work she is doing in Iraq. She may be British by name but this woman is more Iraqi than many of the Iraqis here. Take me instead.”
Hassan’s abductors look unlikely to heed his offer.
She is at the end of my movie TRICK OR ThREAT?
Another prime example of the cavern between Good and Evil! What a fine boy...May God protect them both!
Interesting video, didn't need the (Nick Berg is it?) clip though. I kinda had an idea how barbaric these mosters were with out seeing it on video.
brave kid...a credit to Iraqis.
The key word in your statement is "kinda" and that what I'm afraid of, the kindas. I ment it to be a 2x4 to the head. The entire Berg video would make you puke, so believe me I spared you from the true effect. It was ment ot change the kindas to definately!
To be honest I didn't watch. I saw what was coming and instantly turned away. Reading the description of the Berg nearly made me puke, so I'm sure even the portion in your movie would have kept me awake for days.
I was't clear with the "kinda" comment. I clearly undestand the evil that we are fighting against. The fact that people can commit acts that I can't even read about without being sick, proves that these people are not human. And that I have a weak stomach.
I understand. Thats why I put the disclaimer in the front. Its pretty intense. But I couldn't make a G rated version of this.
You put that together very well, I know I won't sleep much tonight.
Those animals have no humanity or care in them and should die like animals.
Damn! Didn't mean to make a fellow Texan scared...or did I?
Praying for her safe release... and for a bright future for this young man who actually knows how important life is. A rare thing in a war zone.
I don't get scared, just angry. Unless someone says "boo" of course.=o)
Bump
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