A Brief Overview of Iraq

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IRAQ Helping Widows and Orphans

• A Brief Overview of Iraqs Human Tragedy

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Subjects Discussed in the Slide Show
 
Widows and orphans, then Brief introduction to
Iraq
Desperate Condition of most Widows and Orphans
The insurgency and the devastation
The Technique of Reaching out to help the widows
Subjects Discussed
Statistical Experience of the last few years
2005-2009
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Overview of the widows and Orphans

• In the Press

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NY Times February 22, 2009

• As the number of widows has swelled during six
  years of war,
• their presence on city streets begging for food
  or
• as potential recruits by insurgents has become a
  vexing symbol of the breakdown of Iraqi
  self-sufficiency.
• Women who lost their husbands had once been
  looked after by an extended support system of
  family, neighbors and mosques.

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New York Times http//www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/
world/middleeast/23widows.html?_r1

• Among Iraqi women aged 15 to 80, 1 in 11 are
  estimated to be widows,
• though officials admit that figure is hardly more
  than a guess
• When an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at
  President Bush in December,
• he shouted that he was doing so
• on behalf of the wars widows and orphans.

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NY Times continues about the tragedy

• Only about 120,000 widows roughly one in six
  receive any state aid, according to government
  figures.
• Mr. Sharmal, a Shiite, lost three sons to
  sectarian violence in Diyala Province, which was
  a center of the Sunni insurgency, during a
  10-month period in 2006.
• One son, a doctor, was killed in a parking garage
  as he walked to his car.
• A second died after gunmen sprayed bullets across
  a field of soccer players.
• The third, a police officer, was shot in the back
  of the head while on his way to work.

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The Plight

• The estimated 740,000 widows left without
  breadwinners is mounting,
• and with only a fraction of them receiving
  financial support from the government
• Moussawi, (a member of the parliament), basing
  her estimate on a Ministry of Planning report
  from mid-2007,
• put the number of divorcees and widows close to 1
  million of a total of 8.5 million women aged
  between 15 and 80

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CNN Sat March 7, 2009 Survey by Oxfam

• Oxfam and its Iraqi partner group Al-Amal
  Association, conducted the survey in five
  provinces -- Baghdad, Basra, Tameem, Najaf and
  Nineveh. Questioners interviewed 1,700
  respondents starting last summer.
• A quarter of the women interviewed still do not
  have daily access to water, a third cannot send
  their children to school and, since the war
  started, over half have been the victim of
  violence," Hobbs said.
• "And to add further insult more than
  three-quarters of widows, many of whom lost their
  husbands to the conflict, get no government
  pension which they are entitled to."

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CNN Sat March 7, 2009 Survey by Oxfam

• Many women have been widowed and have had to run
  their families because their husbands "had been
  killed, disappeared, abducted or suffered from
  mental or physical abuse," the survey says.
• The survey found that largely because of the
  conflict in Iraq, 35.5 percent of participants
  were acting as head of the household and that
  "nearly 25 percent had not been married."

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Iraq in
1. Ancient history2. Middle ages3. Recent times
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Iraq in history

• Iraq was the Cradle of Civilization
• History goes back to 7,000-8,000 years
• Ruled by numerous dynasties and rulers
• Alexander the Great conquered the world but died
  in Babylon! (?Malignant form of malaria)
• Mixture of cultures and ethnicities

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The Ancient Iraq (By JOE BOB BRIGGS), NY

1. They invented irrigated farming
2. Invented writing
3. Figured out how to tell time
4. In the Code of Hammurabi, they invented the first
   legal system
5. The first people to build cities and live in them
   
6. They invented the cavalry in war
7. Abraham, the father of Judaism, Christianity and
   Islam, was from Iraq.

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Iraq in the Middle Ages

• They wrote the greatest poetry, history and
  "sagas" in the world.
• They established the first school for astronomers
  
• Beginning around 800 A.D., the Iraqis founded
  universities
• to teach medicine, mathematics,
• philosophy, theology, literature and poetry.
• For the first 1,200 years of its existence,
  Baghdad was regarded as one of the most refined,
  civilized and festive cities in the world.

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Iraq in Recent times

• Was ruled by the Ottomans, leading to neglect and
  disrepair
• Invaded by British in 1st world war
• Ruled by King Faisal and his descendants
• Series of revolts ended with Baath Party
• Saddam Hussein manipulates, is in charge
• Wars, misrule, devastation, and tyranny led to
  catastrophic results

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Ethnic and Sectarian sections of Iraq
Mostly Sunni
Kurdish area
Mostly Shia
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Iraq During Saddam Hussein

• When Iraq was ruled by Baath Party, headed by
  Saddam Hussein
• Dictatorship, Stalin type
• Causing wars with Neighboring countries
• Devastating the economy
• Using Nationalism has led to social upheaval
• Oil money was cleverly pilfered
• During the 35 years of Saddams rule, about 3-4
  Million Iraqis had to flee the country the Cream
  of the Society

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Iraq After Saddam Hussein

• Americans helped form a government in Iraq
• Al-Qaeda Local Sunnis precipitated
• the cruelest insurgency imagined
• Sectarian strife
• Infrastructure attacked, oil pipelines damaged
• Corruption becoming rampant
• Social upheaval led to extreme insecurity
• Al-Qaeda inflicted untold miseries
• Criminals roam the streets kidnapping
  professionals for ransom money

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The Strife in Iraq

• Started by the Extremists Fundamentalists
• Wahhabis who were joined by
• Al-Qaeda
• The Baathists
• The criminals released by Saddam
• The fired officers of Saddams army
• Saddams Secret Service

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The Wahhabis

• Wahhabis religious leaders urging for spilling
  the blood
• Religious edicts
• Instructing their representatives in Iraq
• Supplying money and awards
• To kill 10 Shia you are titled as a Prince
• Get a prize money for killing an American, police
  officer, soldier, or a Shii

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Social Catastrophe of the last few years

• More than one million children are orphaned
• More than 200,000 widows
• Sectarian cleansing People forced out of houses
• Refugee in the worst shape
• Basic services in shambles electricity, water

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Project to help the widows and orphans
The 6 steps to help Widows and Orphans
1. Channel money to the widows and orphans 2.
Tax-exempt 3. Appealing to Iraqis as well as to
others 4. Distribution in Iraq is done by many
members 5. Distribution to each family is emailed
to us 6. Send a copy of the email to the
contributor
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The Middle East
Provinces being helped
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The Middle East

• Widows and orphans in Karbala Najaf Provinces,
  (See encircled in red)
• Provinces as large as eastern Maryland
• Need of the widows and their children is massive.
  Poverty is deep
• The needs more acute lately

Province being helped
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Quran Account Inc.

• On contributing to the widows and orphans through
  Quran Account
• You get a receipt for Tax-exempt
• Money is sent to Iraq through (World Wide Welfare
  Organization)
• Distribution in Iraq is done by volunteers
• Details of distribution is emailed to us
• Copy of the receipt is mailed to the contributor

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Sample receipt
Names of contributors on the receipt
Receipt emailed to us and sent to each contributor
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Email received from Iraq

• Contributed money was used for
• Blankets
• Oil lamps
• Food
• Kerosene heaters
• Cash
• Medicine

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Email received from Iraq

• Contributed funds used during Ramadhan
• Names of Sheikhs undertaking the process
• Charity money distributed
• Meat and other supplies
• Fabric for women dresses
• Fabric for men apparel

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Sample Course to teach sewing 50 widows

• A two month course to teach sewing
• Established in an elementary school
• Fifty widows enrolled
• Sewing machines bought
• Widows would likely become independent earners

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Their needs

• Flour and meat
• Clothes
• Blankets
• Oil lamps
• Vegetables
• Kerosene heaters
• Fruits and other supplies
• Medicine
• Other elementary necessities of life

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Experience during 2005

• Project was started in Ramadhan 2005
• Appeals also during Eid
• Appeals during other occasions
• Word of mouth spread
• Personal contact
• Project continued ever since, growing steadily

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Year 2005 8,468.19 was received Through
effort of Quran Account and Darul Salam, Inc,

• Total Collected from Darul Salam and Quran
  Account 8,468.38
• Period 4 individual months
• During Ramadhan and other occasions

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Year 2006 33,520.01 was received Through
effort of Quran Account and Darul Salam, Inc,
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Year 2007 63,728.90 was received Through
effort of Quran Account, Inc,
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Year 2008 72,006.58 was received Through
effort of Quran Account, Inc,
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Year 2009 50,914.65 was received Through
effort of Quran Account, Inc,
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Year 2010 43,898.97 was received Through
effort of Quran Account, Inc,
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Comparative, Yearly 2005-2010 Through effort
of Quran Account, Inc,
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Contributor Parameters Birth Place
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Contribution by original nationality
For 2008
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Contributor residence in the US
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The Holy Quran about the orphans (2177)
It is not righteousness that ye just turn your faces Towards east or West but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers and to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves and to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity and to fulfill the contracts which ye have made and to be firm and patient, .. ??????? ???????? ??? ?????????? ??????????? ?????? ??????????? ????????????? ?????????? ???????? ???? ????? ???????? ??????????? ??????? ??????????????? ???????????? ??????????????? ?????? ???????? ????? ??????? ????? ?????????? ????????????? ??????????????? ??????? ?????????? ??????????????? ????? ?????????? ????????? ????????? ?????? ?????????? ????????????? ???????????? ????? ?????????? ??????????????? ??? ??????????? ??????????? ??????? ????????? ?????????? ????????? ???????? ???????????? ???? ?????????????
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The Holy Quran and the orphans
And For The Love Of Allah, They Feed The Indigent, The Orphans, And The Captives. (Surah 76 Ayah 8) ????????????? ?????????? ????? ??????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????
Show Kindness To Your Parents, Kinsfolk, And To The Orphans And The Needy, And Exhort To Righteousness. (Surah 55 Ayah 9) ?????????????????? ?????????? ????? ?????????? ????????????? ??????????????? ?????????? ????????? ???????
Have You Seen The One Who Denies Religion? It Is He Who Turns Away The Orphan And Does Not Urge Others To Feed The Poor.... (Surah 107 Ayah 1-3) ?????????? ??????? ????????? ?????????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ???? ??????? ????? ??????? ????????????
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The Prophet (pbuh) about the orphan

• "The best home is one where the orphan is treated
  well and the worst one is where he is
  ill-treated."
• The Prophet, (pbuh), addressed the people and
  said
• "Beware! Whoever is the guardian of an orphan
  who has property, should trade with it, and
  should not leave it (undeveloped), so that the
  Zakat should consume it."

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The Holy Quran and the orphans
A Giver Of Maintenance To The Widows And The Poor Is Like A Giver In The Way Of God, An Performer Of Prayers All Night, And Fasting During The Day. Bukhari ???????? ??? ?????????? ??????????? ???????????? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ??????? ????????? ??????? ??????
I And The Person Who Takes Charge of the Orphan Will Be Like This In Heavens And He Put His Index And Middle Finger Together. Bukhari ??? ?????? ????????? ?? ????????? ???? (????? ??????? ??????? ???????)
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Imam Ali and the orphans

• Once, during his reign, when a quantity of honey
  was brought to the public treasury, Imam Ali, the
  Leader of the believers, asked for the orphans to
  be brought to him
• And while he distributed it, himself fed the
  orphans.
• When people expressed wonder at his action, he
  told them
• "The Imam is the father of the orphans and so I
  feed them like a father would have fed his
  children."
• Teach the orphan in the manner you educate your
  own child and if you have to punish him, punish
  him as you would your own child."

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In Conclusion
Help the Widows and Orphans

1. Karbala and Najaf are Provinces in Iraq
2. They contain numerous poor
3. Your contributions feed and cloth
4. Quran Account, Inc is tax-exempt organization
5. You will receive a receipt of how your
   contribution was used in assisting the orphans
   and their mothers

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Please help

• Be in Gods Care
• Dr. A.S. Hashim