Westminster Fellow Fights for Aid for Families in His Home Country

Abdullah Al-Hadeethi, Westminster Class of 2014, is serving as this year’s Westminster Fellow for Intercultural Engagement. A native of Iraq, Abdullah is asking for contributions to UNICEF to aid the people in his home country who are being persecuted for religious beliefs. Read his appeal below.

Dear all,

My name is Abdullah Al-Hadeethi and I am from Iraq. Many of you may have heard about the tragic situation that is happening over there at the moment. The country is facing very difficult times, and its people are suffering even more.

The Christians, Yazidis, and other minorities living in Iraq need our help.

We may not be able to stop the fighting, but we may be able to provide a bottle of water and a piece of bread that could save someone’s life.

No one should be persecuted based on their beliefs. Yet, it still happens. Most recently, many Christians and Yazidis (a religious minority residing in northern Iraq) have been the target of the Islamic State (IS) in northern Iraq. An estimated 500 Yazidis were executed by IS forces since June. Thousands of Christians were forced to leave their homes. The United Nations estimates that 1.2 million Iraqis have been displaced since IS took control over major cities in the northern region.

These forces do not represent Islam nor do they represent any other religion. No religion stands for the killing and torture of innocent children, women, and men. What religions teach us, however, is to love and help each other. After all, we are all humans.

Due to the humanitarian urgency and of the situation, the United Nations has declared its highest level of emergency in Iraq. Several thousands of Yazidis are currently trapped on Mount Sinjar, and others have become refugees in neighboring towns. Estimations put the number of displaced Christians in Kurdistan at 12,000 and 30,000 Yazidis on Mount Sinjar.

Please keep those people in your prayers and thoughts whether they were from Iraq, or other parts of the world. You could also help by educating those around you about this situation.

I am also collecting donations to be sent to the UNICEF’s mission in Iraq. They are directly involved in providing food, water, psychological treatment to children and their families. The goal is to raise $500-$1000 by the start of September. Every dollar counts.

If you would like to make a contribution, please contact me at 573-592-9665 or [email protected]

For more information about the crisis, please watch the following videos:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28728388

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28756710

Sincerely,

Abdullah Al-Hadeethi
Intercultural Engagement, Fellow
Westminster College