July 22, 2008 Artry

Artry (my friend and translator) an Armenian Iraqi refugee receiving physiotherapy at a private clinic in Amman.

Artrys therapist congratulating her on her quick response to treatment.

It was now time to take Artry to her physiotherapy. At the clinic I met the good Dr. a very dedicated and generous person extremely concerned with the situation of the refugees and locals who cannot afford treatment. The medicine is very expensive and often pays for patients out of his own pocket. As he went on to explain he cannot do it alone, he needs help and asked me if I know of any organizations that can assist.

Artrys therapist told me how well Artry is doing. In only 7 sessions she has gained balance and feels with the correct therapy Artry has a good chance of a full recovery. Artry suffered her form of cerebral palsy when she was born. Artry was a breach birth, the doctors pulled her out feet first and in the process damaged her hip and did not have enough oxygen. I asked Artrys parents what happened. They told me she was born in a private hospital in Iraq but the doctors didn’t do the right procedure. Until she was 12 years old Artry was paralyzed. Her father heard of a visting doctor from France who was performing the surgery Artry needed to be able to walk. The cost was too much for the family, so he went door to door begging. The surgery was a success. She can now walk, and function as any other person, though at great effort. Artry says, “see how much my father loves me.”

July 22, 2008 Interviews with Iraqi Refugees

Julan Ahmed Na’if and his wife from Fallujah now living in an apartment in Amman, Jordan

We left M and Z and I visited are Julan Ahmed Na’if and his wife from Fallujah. It is said that this couple are considering converting to Christianity but I seriously doubt it.
Julan was a reporter for the Falluja Tribes Shiek Council. Before being a journalist he worked as an electrician. But his dream was to be a journalist, so in 2005 he took a 6 month journalist course in Baghdad. Julan was almost killed by a bomb, which exploded in the next room of his office. Ibrahim Senat and Hadi Mora both directors of the news outlet were killed. Julan was kidnapped for 3 days. He was bound and gagged and placed in the trunk of a car. The American soldiers heard him banging on the car opened the trunk and after questioning him let him go home. When they saw his journalist card, the soldiers advised him to leave as soon as possible.

It was after this ordeal that Julan and his wife escaped to Syria by car and later came to Amman.

“I saw people who starved to death in Fallujah because we were not allowed to leave our houses for one year,” says Julans wife. “There was no medical treatment so a lot of old people or anyone who was sick, just stayed home and died. When the Americans left the Iraqi army came and they were much worse. They would take the pretty girls and keep them as sex slaves. They took our neighbors 19-year-old daughter, and kept her for a year, then they sent her home. Her family killed her, it was an honor killing.”

July 22, 2008 interviews with Iraqi Refugees

"M" going to his one room apartment in a poor neighborhood of Amman.

"M" and "Z" and their child, their faces are hidden as they fear reprisals from everyone!

Next Artry and I visited M and Z who live in a decrepit one room apartment for which the pay 15 JD a month. He worked as a “journalist” for the American forces. He endangered his life, the life of his wife and child as they posed as an innocent family traveling to visit family. They went to extremely dangerous areas, M with a hidden camera clipped on his shirt. M would film the fighters, pinpointing their location and well I will not get into details as its very very unsafe to speak of this. They are also converts to Christianity, a double price on their heads. Z’s brother converted in Iraq and fled years ago to Sweden.

Z told me of the bodies she saw who had been tortured. “ Everyone knows when it is Shia work, because they torture using cigarettes and then strangle people with wires. Sunnis would simply shoot them. My neighbor was visited in the night by the “DEATH ARMY” that’s the name we give to the Mehdi army, the Death Army! They came to my neighbor and said you must tell everyone we are good, we are better than good. My neighbor refused he said no, you are not good, you have no honor. They told him if you don’t say what we tell you we will take your wife. My neighbor said okay I will tell everyone you are good. No they said, you must tell them we are the best. My neighbor refused, saying he can not lie like that. They raped his wife in front of him and then threw their 3-month-old child against the wall. My neighbors’ wife died of shock. See what has happened to Iraq it’s the Iranians these Shia are animals they have no soul, they still hate us because of the war, they hate us and now they want to control Iraq.”

M told me in a cool and controlled manner that the Iranians are definitely in Iraq and are in the Death Army the Mehdi Army. The fighters speak fluent Arabic but when they are alone and think no one is around they switch to Farsi.

M seriously risked his life and saved hundreds of American soldiers due to his work. He has all the papers, which I have read, and which shocked me. He was allowed to carry weapons, had training etc etc and when he went to the American Embassy here they shut the door in his face! They are registered with the UNHCR and like all others are waiting, terrified that someone will find them and kill them.

“I am not afraid to die, they can even kill my husband. We did what we did and will suffer the consequences. But don’t kill my daughter, its not her fault. If they kill us okay, the church will look after our daughter, and she can live her life as a Christian, I will be happy if they just kill us but please please God don’t let them kill my beautiful daughter,” said Z as she held me, tears falling on my shoulders.

July 22, 2008 Interviews with Iraqi Refugees

Randa shows her UNHCR registration certificate in her apartment in Al Hussein, Amman, Jordan

Randas son looks out the window from his home in Al Hussein, Amman, Jordan. traumatized by the war in Iraq, this 5 year old boy will not go out of his home alone. He also suffers from constipation because he will not -go to the toilet.

Randa

Today I met up with Artry a 20-year-old Armenia refugee who has been in Amman for 5 years waiting to immigrate. She wants desperately to go to California and go shopping. She wants to be a teenager a real teenager, free to shop, to go to Starbucks, and most importantly to fully recover from cerebral palsy, which is a congenital birth defect. Artry is amazing, she is strong, and has learned excellent English. She has offered to be my interpreter. at

The first family we visited was Randa Haumis Paulus a Chalaean Christian who worked for CARITAS in Baghdad. “During the war we would go to victims of bombing, terror and try to stop the bleeding on the site, to prepare them for the ambulances,” says Randa of her service work. “I also visited victims, we gave money to Christian, Muslim it didn’t matter the organization we helped everyone. Then we started getting death threats for working for an international organization. I still don’t understand, we helped Muslims, everyone, why did they want to kill us for helping people? In our apartment building the Music store was bombed, there were rockets flying across the sky. The areas were so unsafe.” She went on to say, “we were rich, we had enough money, now it’s all gone, we spent it all coming here.”

Randa is married and has a 6-year-old son. “My son is traumatized from the war and suffers from severe constipation because he will not go to the toilet. He will not go out of the house without his me,” says Randa of her sons condition. “As far as government schools go, I will not send my son, I know that the Iraqi kids are called names, beaten up and this would only traumatize my son more.” Randa began crying when as she went on to say, “my son wants to play, he wants toys, he cries because he wants to have a normal life, he just wants to be a kid.”

The day we visited Randa had just received a refrigerator from a family who was able to immigrate. A few days ago he got a cupboard to put her clothes in and a bike for her son. The Iraqi refugees who do migrate give away their meager possessions to those left behind.

Randas family is also registered with the UNHCR but have no residency or guest visa. Randa is terrified because she works as a waitress in a club that caters to marriages. She earns 5JD a day and works from 4pm to 1am. She complains that the customers treat her badly, call her bitch and are very rude. She is tired and desperate and finds it difficult to sleep due to the stress and worry she faces everyday.

July 21, 2008 Latifa and gathering herbs

Kholod a biology masters student and Palestinian refugee living in Jordan, at Latifa, 3 hours south of Amman, Jordan.

When we finally arrived at the site, Kholod asked some children to help her gather soil and herb samples. Without the help of locals we would have had a very hard time getting all the field work done. The locals drove us to various sites. It was a nice break and a great meeting with a wonderful woman.

I accompanied Kholod to Latifa. We met at 6am at the Ragadan Bus station near the old city of Amman. The trip took exactly 3 hours, during which time we spoke of many issues both personal and political. I had a great time, met locals who helped us in the field, explained about the herbs and drove us to two different sites.

It was hot, but amazingly Latifa is in a part of Jordan with nice cool winds. I asked about the local industry. Omad the local English teacher, told me its agriculture and that this year has been particularly dry. The farmers were not able to grow wheat. I asked him what they do all day. He said they wait for next year.

In the field I walked up a hill to take photos of some sheep, goats and donkeys. As I approached dogs came out to protect their flocks. With patience we were able to make friends, I posed no threat and they let me get on with my photo taking. Actually I was very impressed with the dogs loyalty to their job. There were no shepherds in sight.

Kholods work complete we took the 4pm (the last bus) back to Amman. On the bus I met a Palestinian woman from Hebron. The Israeli army killed her husband, and one year later her 17-year-old son was standing on their roof when an Israeli sniper shot him. She said he was waiting for his final school results. That’s what she remembers; he was just waiting for his final school results.

July 20 Iraqi refugees in Amman Jordan

Araz Humbersom a 40 year old Armenian electrician and his 32 year old wife Danchur Vresh in their modest home at the Al Mahat'ah refugee camp in Amman, Jordan.

Danchur Vresh showing the article by Washington Post writer, Pamela Constable about her mother who was shot by terrorists in 2005, simply because she worked doing laundry for the American Army. Washington Post writer.

Danchur shows a copy of the photo of her mother and colleagues who worked doing laundry for the American forces in Iraq. This photo is proof that going back to Iraq could be a death sentence.

I was asked into the home of Araz Humbersom a 40 year old Armenian electrician and his 32 year old wife Danchur Vresh. They are from Baghdad, and came to Jordan in March 2007. Their home in Al Mahatah camp is spacious, clean and very well kept, it costs 45JD. They get 70 JD from CARE and 40JD from the church every month. (To convert US$100.00 = 70JD) Both Araz and Danchur are registered with UNHCR, but are not allowed to work. Araz earns extra money by doing odd repair jobs from his home.

In Iraq Araz worked in hospitals as an electrician. After the war he took a job with a company owned by Iraqis to reconstruct Iraq. According to Araz, the company became a sub-contractor for the Americans or British. His 3 brothers also worked in various capacities for the “occupying forces.” Danchurs mother worked doing laundry for the Americans in Fallujah. They began receiving phone calls… death threats. Danchurs mother was shot but survived. To date Danchurs mother, father and sister have resettled in Australia.

Showing employment documents given by the Americans or any of the “coalition of the willing” speeds up the immigration program. Pamela Constable a writer for the Washington Post published a story and photo of Danchurs mother, this is excellent proof and a fast reliable ticket to a new life in a new land. But, having these documents in a room in Iraq or carrying them to Amman is surely a death ticket. Araz confirmed the dismemberment mode of terrorist retribution, when he told me of a fellow worker who was kidnapped and dismembered.

“Our biggest concern and why time is essential is because we are childless.” Says Danchur. “In Baghdad I was pregnant and had a miscarriage. I was scared all the time, my husband, his brothers, my mother, everyone in my family worked for the Americans. I worried all the time. That’s why I had the miscarriage and now I can’t get pregnant. I want to go to a country where I can get reproductive help and where people respect humans, respect life.”

July 20, 2008 Iraqi Church in Amman, Jordan

The Al Nami Iraqi church in Amman Jordan

Worshippers at the Al Nami Iraqi church in Amman, Jordan. The people attending the church insist upon not being photographed. I was given permission as long as I did not take any photos of peoples faces.

Ah yes I woke up very early to attend the Al Nami Church service which Mr. Osama told me started at 9am. After waiting til 9:30 on the church steps I called one of the members of the church. She told me that the church starts at 10:30am, so I had an hour to kill and wandered around the camp. I saw another community center in the heart of the camp and went in. There were about 200 kids, Iraqi, Palestinian, Jordanian all geared up for a 4 day camping trip. I met one of the mothers, Kholod a Palestinian refugee from Nablus. She was born in Jordan and has never seen Nablus, but like all other Palestinians I have met, refers to her origins as the birthplace of their exiled parents. “If Palestine was not occupied I would not want to go there, but while it’s occupied I will support the struggle.,” says Kholod of her relationship with Palestine.

Kholod is an incredibly bright, intelligent, independent, opinionated and modern thinking Palestinian woman. She is a strict Muslim, wears traditional Muslim clothing but does show her face. We began to talk of her refugee status. She divorced after 8 years of marriage; her ex-husband and his new wife are raising her 3 children. She is fine with this as it allows her to pursue her goal of getting a PHD in Biology. Kholod is now studying her masters and aske me to join her tomorrow on a field trip to gather herbs in Latifa, a desert town 3 hours south of Amman. All this familiarity and after only 20 minutes of conversation! It struck me then that this is why I love the Middle East, the chance meetings, and the open, warm heart of the people, the constant welcoming into their homes and lives. I said yes, and we made arrangements to meet at the Ragadan Bus station at 6 am tomorrow.

I said good-bye to the Kholod and the kids and went to the church. The door was unlocked; the members were arriving for the service. Suspicion greeted me with a handshake. What was I doing here, why did I want to take photos, who told me about the church, what would I do with the photos? An American woman who has lived in Amman for 11 years and is married to the senior pastor explained to me that I could not take any photos of peoples faces. It seems that other journalists have come to the church taken photos of the members, lied that they would no be published, and later the same photos were seen on the TV, this all caused much distress.

The majority of the church members are Assyrian and Chaldaen but the financing and actual running of the church is evangelical. The government allows the evangelicals to have churches but frown heavily upon missionary work. It is illegal for Muslims to convert, and if they are caught converting or preaching to Muslims, the church will most likely be closed and the “foreign leaders of the church” expelled from Jordan. After interviewing I found that they even fear for their lives. For more information on this please visit this link so I was very very careful not to take any photos showing anyones face, only the priest as he is an Iraqi Christian refugee.

The members were friendly and helpful and after going through my photos introduced me to Christian Iraqi refugees.