Leave our country so that Saba can heal
A message to the American people:
Translated by Z.K.
Leave our country so that Saba can heal …and begin dreaming of the future again.
Terror has wiped out Saba’s memory.
Except the last memory she has of her mother’s face, just before she was killed, of her father, just before he was killed and her little brother’s last touch as he lay dying, covering her in his blood.
This was the final scene a few months ago in the town of Haditha.
Saba’s aunt at her home, caring for her ailing mother, and then angry US marine bullets raining death on her entire family.
The raid on Saba’s house was a vengeful retaliation for an operation that had been carried out against an American transport carrier on the 19th November 2005.
Saba has been sick ever since.
Her only brother, who was as old as the occupation itself, died before her eyes. Saba lost her childhood the minute the occupation army murdered her entire family. She closed her eyes as a US marine approached her.
Her voice silenced ever since, apart from her little secret … “I survived because I hid in my brother’s blood”
In this, the fourth year of occupation, Saba is silent about her tragedy…searching for her brother so she can light four candles, for his birthday.
She cries, but she hides her tears. She does not dream at night, she says she cannot dream.
In the name of Saba Younis, a ten year old child from Haditha...in the name of Mohamed Younis who was murdered before he could celebrate his fourth birthday, in the name of Aida, an Iraqi mother, who left Saba for others to take care of ,… in the name of Sabas’ four sisters, Seba, Noor, Aisha and Zainab who have left their sister alone in the world against their will…and in our name, the mothers of Iraq who will take care of Saba …
pull your soldiers out of Iraq unconditionally. Let your soldiers rebel against their leaders - who are killing our children in cold blood and killing your children in colder blood.
They hide behind their cowardly smiles. Let your people leave Iraq so that Saba can heal and begin to dream again of the future, otherwise she can never forget or forgive.
Women’s Will Association – Baghdad March 2006
