Shaima Alawadi, a 32-year-old Iraqi woman living in Southern California, was taken off life support today, succumbing to injuries sustained in a brutal tire iron beating on Wednesday. Shaima was found in her living room, and according to her daughter Fatima and the police investigating, a note was found near her saying “Go back to your country, you terrorist.”
Shaima was a mother of five who has been in the US with her family since the mid-1990s. She was described by her friend Sura Alzaidy as “respectful modest muhajiba.” Her daughter tearfully addressed her mother’s attackers during a media interview, saying “You took my mother away from me. You took my best friend away from me. Why? Why did you do it?”
[Daily Mail; AFP]
[H/T: thatsassyarab]
| — | December 7 quote from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. According to the National Post, approximately 5000 people had been killed at that time since the unrest began. |
In the days following the rogue US soldier’s shooting spree in Kandahar, most of the media, us included, focused on the “backlash” and how it might further strain the relations with the US.
Many mainstream media outlets channelled a significant amount of energy into uncovering the slightest detail about the accused soldier – now identified as Staff Sergeant Robert Bales. We even know where his wife wanted to go for vacation, or what she said on her personal blog.
But the victims became a footnote, an anonymous footnote. Just the number 16. No one bothered to ask their ages, their hobbies, their aspirations. Worst of all, no one bothered to ask their names.
In honoring their memory, I write their names below, and the little we know about them: that nine of them were children, three were women.
The dead:
Mohamed Dawood son of Abdullah
Khudaydad son of Mohamed Juma
Nazar Mohamed
Payendo
Robeena
Shatarina daughter of Sultan Mohamed
Zahra daughter of Abdul Hamid
Nazia daughter of Dost Mohamed
Masooma daughter of Mohamed Wazir
Farida daughter of Mohamed Wazir
Palwasha daughter of Mohamed Wazir
Nabia daughter of Mohamed Wazir
Esmatullah daughter of Mohamed Wazir
Faizullah son of Mohamed Wazir
Essa Mohamed son of Mohamed Hussain
Akhtar Mohamed son of Murrad Ali
The wounded:
Haji Mohamed Naim son of Haji Sakhawat
Mohamed Sediq son of Mohamed Naim
Parween
Rafiullah
Zardana
Zulheja
![thenoobyorker:
The White Savior Industrial Complex by Teju Cole [The Atlantic]
If Americans want to care about Africa, maybe they should consider evaluating American foreign policy, which they already play a direct role in through elections, before they impose themselves on Africa itself.
There’s no point in quoting the entire piece, just read it.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m18tt8Bvqd1qzs6yjo1_500.png)
The White Savior Industrial Complex by Teju Cole [The Atlantic]
If Americans want to care about Africa, maybe they should consider evaluating American foreign policy, which they already play a direct role in through elections, before they impose themselves on Africa itself.
There’s no point in quoting the entire piece, just read it.
A group of enterprising public school students in Maryland tried to stage a basic protest over poor conditions, including 40-person classes, bad food, and poor treatment of both teachers and students.
In response, police brought attack dogs to the school and a number of students were suspended for what they call “thought crimes.”
Thought crimes? This really is slowly turning into Orwell’s “1984”, isn’t it?
Really, America? Really?
Although this article is painfully biased in its attack of Wall Street, (I am no fan of Wall St., but this pretty extreme), it raises awareness on the escalation of student debt.
justanotherbildungsroman writes:
Is the Electoral College a law? It’s probably more of an institution, isn’t it, but it must have been ordained by some sort of law. And it’s what I would get rid of. We are all taught in school that America was the first real democracy since the Ancient…
I believe that much thought should be put into restructuring our election system to enable the people’s vote to come first. If this means getting rid of the electoral college, so be it. George W. Bush only got elected because of the college, the popular vote (from the individual people voting) went to Al Gore.
Now I don’t want to get into Bush-bashing or be disrespectful to anyone who supported him. I just believe that America is a country where the people’s vote comes first.
(Photo) Militarized police presence at protest against legislative attack on abortion; several days ago in Virginia.
Also, see this video:
At first I thought this was a hoax. But it is all too real, a ten minute video of peaceful protesters for women’s rights broken up by an armed swat teams. Why has no one brought this to national attention?? Please, please show this video to everyone you know and ask them to share it too. It needs to be added to our national conscience.
