Mishkan Shalom
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Basra, Iraq: A woman holds a photo of her husband who was recently killed by a U.S. bombing raid in Basra, as he drove to work.
“I know some of you are Christians, Hindu, Jews… I’m Muslim, and in my belief we are all one under God. I have no hatred or animosity towards Americans; I just want to thank you for visiting my country and sharing in my grief.” She then asked me to take her photo but made me promise I would share her story of peace and reconciliation with others.
Her tears and those of her sisters and children were unending as they grieved not only for the loss of a husband, father and dear family member, but also as they contemplated how they will now pay the bills, buy food, and meet the other daily needs of the family.
“Green Zone,” Baghdad: A mother lays down the identification cards of family members she cannot locate. She pleads with me to document her story. Her daughter looks intently at the camera, the pain and turmoil of her struggle evident in her eyes. The following morning our hotel is rattled by the shockwave of a massive explosion. A bomb had been detonated in the exact location of where this photo was taken, and where we were meant to be later that morning; 25 people were killed and nearly 100 were wounded.
Basra, Iraq: With over a hundred thousand Iraqis dead, millions wounded and displaced, and tens of thousands in and out of prison camps, children have become the sole providers for many families. Rather than attend school, which was mandatory and free through the college level prior to the first US invasion in 1991, many must now resort to foraging for scraps in city dumps or in the piles of trash strewn on the streets, selling candy, or shining shoes as this young boy is doing outside a hotel in Basra.
Afghanistan: The gentleman in the photo is a landmine victim. I met him while visiting a rehabilitation hospital in Kabul. I was busy photographing other people who were learning to take their first steps using their new prosthetic legs and arms when I turned and caught the eye of this man. He, in fact, seemed to be waiting for me to document his reality- and in that moment, without uttering a word, he pulled his pant leg up revealing his prosthetic leg, as well as his pride and self- determination. It is very difficult to make a sustainable wage in this war-torn country and even more so if you have a disability. This particular hospital is unique in that everyone who works there has some disability, and many who we met were either a single or double amputee.
Afghanistan: This mother was forced to beg on the streets of Kabul after her husband was killed. She joins tens of thousands of other women begging on the streets, often earning only enough to buy a few slices of bread for her and her children. The strict Islamic law imposed by the Taliban dictates that they can be publically flogged and even stoned to death if they are unaccompanied by a man. They know the risks, but have no choice other than starve to death.
Bethlehem: The child in this photo risks being killed or imprisoned as he carries garbage to the wall and sets it on fire in a seemingly futile attempt to break through the thick concrete so he can see the fields he and his friends once played in.
Bethlehem: Children stand amidst the rubble of a demolished home. Just hours earlier two youths were killed and an elderly woman was left brain dead after being shot in the head by Israeli soldiers who fired at them for throwing rocks at the bulldozer.
Choco, Colombia
The final rays of sunlight fall on these children as they head to their huts to avoid the impending storm.
The people of Colombia were once persecuted under the guise of combating “communism” and now it is the “war on drugs and terrorism.” This community, located in the jungles of Colombia, in the Darien region bordering Panama, has been violently and relentlessly persecuted by the Colombian security forces.
The Darien region has some of greatest biodiversity of plant and animal life in the world and corporations are literally killing to get their hands on it. This particular community was forced to flee several years ago after nearly 100 members were massacred by a joint military and paramilitary operation. Though threatened with annihilation, hundreds of community members returned to the region to reclaim their land and way of life. They use sustainable farming techniques, and recycle their sewage; they believe it is their duty to protect the biodiversity from being exploited and possibly obliterated.
To date, they continue to be persecuted, threatened and many have been killed. But as one indigenous leader stated: “They are not only killing us, but they are killing themselves by destroying the ‘lungs’ of the world.”
Chiapas, Mexico: Farmers plant corn as the rains begin to fall.
The Zapatista struggle against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): On New Year’s Day, 1994, the day NAFTA went into effect, indigenous communities throughout the State of Chiapas, Mexico, called the Zapatistas and named after the Emiliano Zapata who led the revolution in Mexico in 1910, staged a dramatic 12-day uprising. Among their concerns was the potential demise of their economy resulting from the flood of imports that would ensue from the lifting of all tariffs on 45 basic agricultural imports, as well as their environmental and human rights being further eroded. Their demands included an autonomous state and indigenous rights.
In spite of their initial militant uprising, the Zapatistas (EZLN & FZLN) have spent much of the last twelve years training teachers and health workers while launching numerous innovative and non-violent peace initiatives.
On February 16, 1996, the Mexican government and the EZLN signed the San Andres Accords, granting the Zapatistas autonomy and land.
Despite their peaceful subsistence, the government of Mexico has over the years responded brutally against the Zapatista’s. Attacks have included abductions, detentions, torturing and beating of community members, and included the 1997 massacre of 45 unarmed civilians, mostly women and children, three days before Christmas in the town of Acteal.
For this reason, many Zapatista community members wear bandanas on their faces to protect their identities and avoid potential State persecution.
Suchitoto, El Salvador: On July 2, 2007, 14 activists were arrested and faced 20-60 years in prison for partaking in a nonviolent, permitted protest against the privatization of water. The 14 were originally charged with "public disorder," but the government changed these charges to apply to their new "anti-terror" law that criminalizes protests as "Acts against the State."
The July 2, 2007 crackdown was intense and involved every branch of state security-military, riot police, civil police, Special Forces... they used helicopters that dropped gas bombs on the community while the forces brutalized people for 8 straight hours. Twenty-five people were wounded by rubber bullets, and countless others were severely affected by the excessive use of gas.
We heard stories of military troops chasing down children who were trying to give water to the injured. Despite being as young as five years old, the children were chased into their homes and gassed by troops.
Some of those facing charges were actually rounded up en route to the protest. They were singled out as some of the organizers. Even more troubling about the arrests is that not only did the organizers notify the government about the rally, but they were given permits for the event.
One of the 14 who was arrested, Patricio Valladeres Aquino, recounted how he nearly died in prison as a result of the wounds inflicted upon him. Medical attention was delayed for several days despite his deteriorating situation. In addition, he was placed in a communal high security prison among some of the country’s most violent criminals. The women spoke of having to sleep on the floor of a rat-infested cell block and being denied food and water. We also heard first-hand accounts of individuals being flown by helicopter to maximum security prisons. En route, they were terrorized with a variety of intimidation tactics that included threats of being thrown from the helicopter. Many of the military and police involved in the crackdown and interrogations did not have any identification on their uniforms - and had their faces covered with black masks.
Human rights organizations in El Salvador and around the world denounced the terrorism charges, enabled by El Salvador’s 2006 Special Law Against Acts of Terrorism; and due to increasing pressure, on February 21, 2008 all charges were dropped against the “Suchitoto 14”.
Chalchuapa, El Salvador: A child drinks from a well in the “El Manguito” cooperative. Privatization of public utilities in El Salvador threatens to raise the cost of potable water to levels that will make it unaffordable for the poor. In some regions, a bottle of Coke is less expensive than a bottle of water.
Approximately 36 families, organized by women, established the El Manguito co-op. In 2005, when I visited this community, they feared they might have to close the co-op. The start-up loan they received from the bank came with an astronomical interest rate of over 50%. Without “Free Trade” status and benefits allotted to larger companies, the co-op was struggling to make payments on the interest even though they had paid off the initial loan.
Finally able to pay back much of the debt, the coop is thriving. In addition to a bakery, they have diversified their yields through coffee, fishing and a general store. They also saved enough money to purchase a Molino, used to grind corn. Without the Molino, they would have to haul bushels of corn for miles and pay to have it ground. Additional income to the co-op includes money from family members in the US, street vending and even working in the sweatshops. The community diversifies their revenue, calling it a “multiple approach to income,” so as not to be dependent on only one form of proceeds. All earnings are pulled and collectively distributed; community members also determine how extra money will be invested. Education is strongly encouraged, but with a depressed job market, families cannot depend on an education to get them a job to bring in much needed income.
Challenging the status quo, overcoming adversity and not being trampled by the economic and social violence that permeates much of this country, the women and entire community have found a way to challenge and overcome great odds. I also learned that the cooperative has been so successful at organizing that two women were elected to council seats and the entire community continues to lobby for the protection of an adjacent river.
El Mozote, El Salvador: I had the privilege of knowing Rufina Amaya, the sole survivor of the
El Mozote massacre. A mother of four, at the time, she recalled hearing the screams of her own children as they cried out to her “mommy, mommy, they’re killing us.”
Rufina helpless hid beneath a bush and watched as the women were raped, and just for fun the soldiers tossed children in the air and kill them with their bayonets.
The men were tortured then herded in the church along with many of the children then killed with a barrage of gun fire.
Rufina tearfully explained how she wanted to die with her family and loved ones, but instead she pleaded with God to spare her life so that the voices of those who had been brutally massacred, including her 4 children and husband, would not be silenced--that their cries would be resurrected in her so that the truth would not be concealed.
St. Claire’s Parish, Haiti: Youth wait for the younger children to finish eating so they too will be able to taste the one hot meal they will receive all week. The pastor of the parish, Fr. Gerard (Gerry) Jean-Juste (1946 – 2009) was a charismatic and outspoken advocate for the poor. On October 13, 2004 while serving food to approximately 600 children Fr. Gerry was arrested by heavily armed and hooded militia who fired on the children as they prayed aloud for the soldiers to release their pastor. Three children were wounded; one was shot in the head. Denied any medical treatment during months in prison, Fr. Gerry’s health deteriorated nearly to the point of death. He was eventually granted a “provisional” release in January of 2006. Upon his arrival at a hospital in Miami he was diagnosed with pneumonia and leukemia. He continued to fight for justice and freedom for all Haitians despite his deteriorating health. Today, the “What If?” foundation, launched by Fr. Jean-Juste and Margaret Trost, is able to provide a hot meal five days a week to over a thousand people daily, mainly children from their educational program.
"Freedom is coming - one way or another… suffering is here, but freedom is coming! Though physical freedom is limited, the support and prayers of so many people are lifting me up. Regardless of who tries to enslave my body, my soul will taste freedom forever - and not just for me, but for all who work for justice and peace in Jesus." -- Father Gerard Jean-Juste (Nov. 7, 2004)
