Solemn Day

When I think of the American Memorial Day, this is the first image that comes to my mind
That's a mother at the tombstone of her 20 year old son. It is a very solemn day for many people...not a happy day.

Memorial Day is not about the official start of summer or about beach and BBQ!

https://sanseverything.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/kareem.jpg

People lining up for hours to see their idols at #TIFF Toronto, oblivious about the situation in #Syria

In 2003, we went on protest after protest with our 12 yr old son trying to prevent the invasion on Iraq. Nothing could have stopped that invasion. So, I think we just have to carry on watching Hollywood and Bollywood. Go wild about the actors at TIFF. Continue smoking pot like the girl next to me walking on King Street!!

 
People lining up at TIFF

After Eight Years

Eight Years  ago my son Naasir was 12 yrs old and he started to memorize the Holy Quran two months after the invasion of Iraq started. He is now a Hafiz-ul-Quran and the invasion of Iraq is still happening. Iraq has been disentigrated and the civilian death toll is now 100,000. The world cares so much about the 4000 American soldiers but no one cares about the Iraqi civilian death toll . There is no end in sight for the end of this war. The trillions spent on the invasion of Iraq could have eliminated poverty for the entire world.

We protested at the Anti War Protest in Toronto in 2003



 I was very optimistic that with enough protests that this war would not have happened. I was so wrong with my optimism!!.

Naasir (2003)...Scarborough Bluffs

My son was born in 1990 one month after the first U S war with Iraq. His name means helper in Arabic. InshaAllah one day he will be able to help some of the suffering in this world.

Also read:

• To My Daughter, on the Fifth Anniversary of the US Invasion of Iraq by Stephen Dunes
• The Eighth Anniversary of the Iraq War , Published on Saturday, March 19, 2011 by CommonDreams.org The Eighth Anniversary of the Iraq War by David Krieger