Lion Heart
Nine years old Saleh Khalaf from Iraq was running home from school, together with his sixteen years old brother Dia, on the 8th of October 2003. Seven months had gone since the US troops had invaded his country in "Operation Iraqi Freedom". Things hadn't settled yet, although life was bettering.
About four kilometers from school, Saleh stopped. He'd seen something in an edge of ditch. A khaki-colored ball, small and shiny. He bowed down, and picked it up. One of his school friends screamed and began to run. Saleh understood what he was holding in his hand. Tears began flowing down his innocent cheeks. Dia came running to aid him, but when he was three steps away, the explosion roared wildly in the air. Small Saleh was in the middle of it.
In a miraculous way Saleh survived, however he had lost both his hands, one eye and his stomach had burst open. The path back to life would be both long and painful.
Most people don't give these kinds of stories from the real world much though, unless they are published in the media. Actually, people don't give much though to anything that doesn't directly concern them unless it is published in the media. And that's not good at all, as we all have a common responsibility to speak up when we are witnesses to injustice. Fortunately, Meredith May (journalist) and Deanne Fitzmaurice (photographer) of the San Francisco Chronicle spoke up about this and got it published, when Saleh was in the US for treatment. Suddenly, it was on the tongues of all Americans.
Saleh's father had to address an American field hospital, as the Iraqi hospital could not do much to help his situation. Surgeon Jay Johannigman did what he could, and three weeks later Saleh and his father got to travel to the US, where Saleh got, as I mentioned, treatment for his injuries.
Today Saleh is good condition, having stood out pains the average man and woman of the West only can imagine in their wildest dreams. His family has moved to the US, and they've started a completely new life. The story is of course far more complex than this, but the articles about Saleh are available at the website of the San Francisco Chronicle.
It is disturbing, though, that Saleh isn't alone. Both children and adults from all over the world die every second because of war, poverty, famine and dozens of other reasons. An example of similar problems can be seen in Darfur, Sudan. What is most disturbing about this, however, is that we let it pass by without uttering a single word.
Therefore it is vital that we, the peoples of the world, speak up about things like these. Why should the misery continue when we can stop it right now? Spread the word!
The outlook for Darfur, Sudan is worsening for every day that passes by.
Sources: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/09/14/MNSALEHTHREE.DTL
