Iraqi refugees duped by smugglers promising a future in Europe

by Barry ORegan | July 20, 2008 at 06:42 am

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Opinion

Barry Artiste. Now Public Contributor

Smugglers in Human Suffering, whether based in Turkey, Iraq, Vietnam, Mexico, etc will always have a place where turmoil and misery rein.

Smugglers who know all too well a desperate peoples will do anything to get out of a country where their own culture or religion wishes to eradicate them from the face of the earth.

Certainly begs the question many ask, “why would those who flee their own country, wish to bring back the very culture and religion into their newly adopted country? Perhaps those who read the desperation of this Mother and Daughter fleeing Iraq may think twice about slandering Western Culture. Our Western Culture is far from perfect, but on the other hand it is obviously preferable by you who wish to make our country your home, otherwise, why are you fleeing yours?

Many immigrants, in fact the majority of them who flee to our countries embrace it, love it, fight and die for it. But there are the few that continue to denigrate our country and culture as a degenerate society.

Like I said, we have never claimed to be perfect.

Does it make any sense for those immigrants from a country, a country which forced them to flee with their very lives, to want Western Countries and it’s citizens to embrace and institute the very culture these people continue to hang onto.

A country whose practice of a culture, laws and religion, that can be so brutal at times, that in desperation immigrants from those countries prefer death, than live in their own country?

World Opinion in the media everywhere in Western Countries have stated their own citizens of these Western Countries want nothing more of you than to be thankful and hospitable to the country you choose to flee to, integrate, assimilate, accommodate us, because you of all people can truly understand why some Western countries resist and want no part of your culture and religion in our Western Democratic society.

Especially when some groups from these Cultures continue to denigrate, slander, complain and say our Western Culture, Laws and beliefs are garbage, and may a jihad be put upon you.

Yet as a Western Culture, we have turned the other cheek to your vile diatribes against us and let you still stay among us.

Just remember, our country gave you and your children life, land, opportunity and liberty, and you should know, we only have two cheeks, and you are working on our last one.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2008/07/19/6207796-ap.html

Iraqi refugees duped by smugglers promising a future in Europe

By Omar Sinan, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Iraqi refugee Suzan, left, and her daughter Aya are seen at their home in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, May 8, 2008.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Serkan Senturk

ISTANBUL, Turkey - In the depths of despair, Suzan doused herself and her 14-year-old daughter with gasoline and prepared to set them both on fire.

The Iraqi refugee's dream of reaching Europe was dead. Suzan, a hairstylist, had fled her homeland months earlier under threat from Islamic extremists and paid a smuggler $18,000 to sneak her and her daughter, Aya, from Turkey to Greece.

But when they reached Edirne, near the Greek border, the smuggler vanished. Suzan returned to Istanbul, where she feared the only fate for her and Aya was prostitution.

"My dream was like a sand castle taken down by a big wave," Suzan said. "I did not want to see the day when me or my daughter are forced to leave the right path." Only Aya's last-minute pleas stopped her from lighting them both ablaze.

"Please, mama, I kiss your feet, don't do it," Aya begged. "She was in my arms, soaked with gasoline and shivering from fright ... I was so very desperate, and there was no way out," Suzan recounted, crying at the memory and holding Aya.

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Uwe Paschen

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 06:54 on July 20th, 2008

Barry Artiste, I like this story. It's good stuff.

This one should be at the top right about now! Front page I mean!

Still Barry we in the West where not much better not so long ago and Western religion does not have a good track record either!

Barry ORegan

at 07:15 on July 20th, 2008

Thanks Paschen for the comments and flag, as whether this should be front page? Well I just posted it, so we shall see.

You are so correct, it was only in the 20 century, we were brutal to the First Nations in North America, Races, Women, Religion etc. Hopefully with Human Rights, Gay Rights, Womens Rights etc, we have evolved over the last 100 years with all of the above.

We still have pockets of our own crap infecting our society, and like I said before we are certainly far from perfect, but then on the other hand why add another countries culture, with it's religious laws and doctrine so restrictive and in some cases deadly that all the rights we fought for would be stripped in an instant if these cultures had their way. Many forget this.

When they the left wing say, Hey, not fair, they have the right to implement their culture and laws into ours as they are soon to make up the majority of voters, voters, self serving Politicians who are all too eager to embrace to get into office. Canada is a prime example of self serving politicians, who suckle the cultural teat for votes. I guarantee you if a City were comprised of pedophiles, sure as shooting, there would be politicians of every stripe pandering to their concerns.

Just look at what residential schools on first nations and molestation of children by priests and the KKK in the 50's accomplished. Politicians defending the actions of those "Special Interests Groups" who did us irreparable harm, as they were the majority in that area of concern which only came to light in the last decade, with the exception of the KKK.

Like I said, we are far from perfect, but do we really need to step back into the Dark Ages?

I care not if they wish to keep their culture, I would not want it any other way, as long as it is peaceful and not a detriment to our way of life.

Uwe Paschen

at 07:29 on July 20th, 2008

A lot of valid point in your comment. I am just careful as to how all this can be balanced properly. I fear nothing more than extreme over reaction to a problem that may cause a grave injustice, maybe because I am of German origin and would not like another fanatic movement take over on any site! I do believe that France did handle some of that rather well even though a little harch by outlawing all religious simboles for instance, Moslem as well as Christian and others! Turkey did implemented similar law some 50 years ago and they are Moslem and very different from Afghan Moslems or Chia Moslems!

Canada may have gone a little to far in one direction, yet at the time it was a good Idea!

Barry ORegan

at 07:36 on July 20th, 2008

I am not stating banning a cultures religion or even culture, just stating that because a culture may not agree to our society, such as Equality for all, not to try in integrate their beliefs, which may be contrary to our hard fought rights to exist as a Western Nations. After all our Forefathers did not lay down their lives for their cultural beliefs, they laid down their lives for our beliefs as a democratic nation. As for France, Britain and other European countries, they still today have no peace judging by riots and demonstrations by those who feel hard pressed because these European Countries are standing firm on their beliefs to self determination and self preservation as European Country. Canada, granted has in some cases gone way too far, but hopefully we will learn from Europe's mistakes.

Uwe Paschen

at 08:02 on July 20th, 2008

I do not think the EU was a mistake though! The Idea is that all Nations have a right to self determination with in the Union, somewhat like in the US where Texas has very different States Laws than New York or California would! Only the EU has many different languishes as well and as for the Basque problem in Spain and France as well as the Irish problem in GB and Alsas independence movement in France as well the Tirol desire for Independence from Italy those could be easily solved if France and GB as well as Italy and Spain would agree to a EU proposition that all Independence Movement support to be their own sate with in the EU! It is a good model on wish Germany was based on and never had one of its states seeking independence since they where always very autonomy with in the Federation, The US was based on that model as well copied on Federal Idea of the German State system in place since the first Empire some 1600 years ago. Even Canada would benefit from such a Federalism I believe! It would take the wind out of the sail of any separatist movement!

René

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:02 on July 20th, 2008

Barry Artiste, I like this story. It's good stuff. 'nuff said.

Barry ORegan

at 13:17 on July 20th, 2008

Thanks Rene, much appreciated

djermano

at 19:28 on July 20th, 2008

It is interesting Barry, because I left the USA having been born and raised there. The years living there seeing the Vietnam War, along with the continued crimes in society, with more and more war to even up to this day, told me, America is essentially no grand place to support or live. Americanism is more materialistic than cutural and spiritual in nature, and they kill to get their material greedy needs met, more than other countries in the world. Calling that good, is not at the tip of my tongue. When the West uses other countries for its own interests to include arming the world with US Weapons of Mass Destruction, and people blame the foreign countries for oppresssion, I find how unture that is. America and the Wests only interest is to spread its tentacles for dominiance and eradication of other cultures. Not only do they want to destroy cultures, but the environment as well. What I see is that people who come to the West and then seek their home country values there, may have seen the mistake they made by leaving their home country. My only response to them is; that when you live in the West you work, and your taxes go to the military who supports the aggression against all other countries in the world.

If they think that solves world problems they are clearly mistaken.

Barry ORegan

at 20:13 on July 20th, 2008

Like I said, my friend, we are far from perfect, but we do have relative peace and security on our native soil as compared to other countries where wars are raging. Wars, which were going on before we got involved.

djermano

at 01:22 on July 21st, 2008

The longest war that has been going on I can think of now is Israel and Palestine Barry. We certainly have always had a hand in that. Also 911 and massive daily school shootings is far from peace and security on our native soil.

David Reiff says: I also think it is very important to make a distinction between nonviolence and pacifism. Nonviolence can be a very effective strategy. The worst mistake the Palestinian resistance ever made was to oppose the Israelis by force. As a tactic, it's completely self-defeating; they're never going to defeat the Israelis by force. The only hope they have of changing the political dynamic in this part of the world is through nonviolent protest—through adopting the tactics of a Martin Luther King, Jr., or a Gandhi. And there are some Palestinians who know that. I think it was the genius of the African National Congress to use largely nonviolent means. It can be very effective. http://www.wie.org/j26/dilemma.asp

David Reiff clearly supports violence in stopping violence such as the troubles in Africa, Sudan, Darfur, Niger, and Rawanda come to mind. He has not come to see that those trouble spots are a direct result of the inability to stop the biggest gorilla of them all, meaning the USA. We are so naive to think they don't get the news. We are so naive to believe that binLadin really had a hand in doing 911, when in fact evidence proves 911 was an inside job. We are so naive to see that America is a Police State controlled by the Military and they will do anything to keep it intake, to include creating wars outside of America and to falsely blame other countries for genocide and human rights abuses? The American smoke and mirror evil empire has been behind the scenes to many human rights abuses, while claiming they are some God gifted Military Nation on the earth to protect freedoms and societies in general. I will always stand behind the auspices of Nonviolence which this Secret Republican Cabal refuses to allow to support or to grow within the confines of US borders. They killed Martin Luther King Jr to assure it.....and you can bet they never talk about Rev. King during this fiasco Iraq-Afghanistan terror posse war. Its all designed to support the right to Kill and bear arms.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=20061123&articleId=3958

Paul Mugabe's testimony regarding the shooting down of Habyarimana's plane ordered by Kagame is corroborated by intelligence documents and information presented to the French parliamentary inquiry. Major General Paul Kagame was an instrument of Washington. The loss of African lives did not matter. The civil war in Rwanda and the ethnic massacres were an integral part of US foreign policy, carefully staged in accordance with precise strategic and economic objectives.

I know you mean well Barry, and a lot of people like you refuse to acknowledge that this deep rooted view has been part of the American fabric since its existence. But its true, and people accept hypocrisy in the matter. That hypocrisy being...well I don't support murder and unjust wars, but when an Administration does things to create War there is nothing the common citizen can do about it. So everyone shuts up, and allows the government to suck off your tax payments to support their evil military empire.

Myself as you know....can not allow myself to fall into this hypocrisy. Better to suffer poverty than support the rich who gets away with murder. This is my destiny, because I know in the end I will win in Gods eyes, or whoever eyes has created this planet to begin with. All of us have the ability to see right from wrong.

David Reiff is in my opinion wrong. He can not take the real step to burying violence, for fear of losing his own life. Those who lose their life for God sakes and purposes shall always have life. Those who refuse lose it.

With all the God fearing and intellectual people in America who say they believe in God....it is a complete bunch of hogwash....when Churches reject Gods teaching and secretly pray for war and violence instead. The American Church is really the United States Armed Forces....make no mistake about it.