This is a very beautiful thing that Judith and Michele are doing in helping this Iraqi family move from Iraq to New Paltz in 2 weeks. I know Judith Karpova, and she is one of my heroes -- one of those who tried to serve as a non-violent human shield to protect the people in Iraq from U.S. bombs. Wow, the things that people do to save others! Please help!!! (Some people simply refuse to buckle under to the cynicism that pervades this country. More power to them!) - Mitchel
From: "Judith Karpova" <dahlia at wildblue.net>
Dear Friends,
Below is an iteration of an email I sent out a week ago, regarding the family of Amal Maseer, an Iraqi refugee family coming to live in New Paltz, NY. It is both informational and an appeal for help. They will be living with the family of Michele Riddell; her address is now included, as people have inquired as to where to mail donations. Their arrival date is February 24th. Michele Riddell met Amal while in Iraq with Voices in the Wilderness in the weeks before the 2003 bombing campaign. She introduced me to Amal, as I was also in Baghdad with the Human Shields at the time. Now, through the UN High Commission on Refugees, this family has been sponsored to come to United States to escape the death threats and sectarian threats they have received and are likely to be carried out should they return to Iraq.
The brief history below does not begin to touch on the enormity of Amal's accomplishment in keeping her family alive and largely unharmed through the ransacking and blowing up of her home, her business, and the repeated trips on deadly highways she was required to make back and forth between Baghdad and Jordan until Congressman Hinchey secured her residence in Jordan -- where, nonetheless, she is legally prohibited from working. This woman is enormously talented, both artistically and practically. She and her children will be a great asset to our community. Helping her is a concrete step all of us can take to do "collateral repair" of the staggering damage that has been inflicted on her country and the lives of its people. Please distribute this email widely.
Some people have already responded; thank you and bless you, and bear with this repeated appeal.
Thank you all,
Best, Judith Karpova
Please help Iraqi Refugee Family Moving to New Paltz, NY
An Iraqi refugee family, Amal Maseer and her children: Ali 10, Omar 12 and her daughter Abeer 16 will be moving to New Paltz on Feb. 25th. They are urgently in need of help and support. To see what you can contribute, please see the bottom of this page.
I first met Amal and her family at her home in Baghdad in 2003, one month before war was declared on Iraq. I was traveling through Iraq with the peace group "Voices in the Wilderness". Amal, an artist, journalist and an economist, was selling her artwork for food and I promised to take some paintings home with me to sell.
Later that year our community rose to her aid. Led by a group of Hudson Valley artists and activists, the show, "Art Bridge to Baghdad," raised 3000$. With this money Amal started an internet cafe in Baghdad. Unfortunately, after only a few months the cafe was bombed and several of her 10 year old son's teeth were blown out by a car bomb..
Amal tried to flee from Iraq to Jordan with her children but the border between the two countries was almost impossible to negotiate. Again, financial aid from people in our community and a letter from Congressman Maurice Hinchey to Queen Rania helped secure her safe passage into Amman, Jordan. Although safe from bombs, Amal's family suffered the persecution that many Iraqi refugees in Jordan are subjected to.
Amal is eager to make a new life for herself and her family in a community where she feels supported and where she can contribute her talents. Already we have reached out to this family. Now we are asked to make her new life possible in a very concrete way. I am providing her a place to stay until she can find housing. I can also help with registering her kids for school, but it would be great if any families in the NP district could help her through the system and befriend her children. Here's the list of other needs we have compiled.
Immediate:
good winter clothing, jackets, shoes and boots (don't have exact shoe size)
Abeer 16yrs girl 112 pounds 5'4"
Omar 12 years 103 lbs. 4'10"
Ali 10 years 3'3" 94 lbs.
Amal is 5'4 120 pounds
-Transportation to and from Kingston and Poughkeepsie for documents, doctors visits, shopping etc.
tentative dates Feb. 26th and 27th
and dates throughout March and ongoing until she gets her license
Soon
- English Lessons ESL help
- permanent and inexpensive (we can dream) housing in the New Paltz area (kids will be in school here)
computers-laptop
- job for Amal - housecleaning, translating into Arabic...
-social, recreational activities
- any donations-send your loads of $ (or even a little) to Michele Riddell- 173 Huguenot St New Paltz 12561
she has paintings to sell (small oils for 25$) Donators will receive original Iraqi oils
-car (eventually)
Please either email or call Michele at michelka52 at yahoo.com/
845 255-5482 for more information.
Thanks, Michele Riddell - Address: 173 Huguenot NP NY 12561