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The inhumane religious practices during the
Ashura religious festival in the Iraqi
southern cities have reached such a level
this year that action has to be taken.
Hundreds of children were forced to beat
their bodies with chains and gash themselves
with swords. Many children died and others
collpased as a result of serious injuries.
Emergency depratments in many southern Iraqi
cities have been packed with injured
children.
Some of the children forced into these
practices were less than one year of age.
Participating children are usually from
extremely poor familes, owners of vendors
and peddlers who roam the market day and
night for trivial earnings. Many of these
children’s involvement was encourged by
their families and people surrounding them,
and the carnage happened before the eyes of
the police, who did not nothing to stop it.
It is a major crime against humanity to
drive children into a gory carnage like
Ashura. Those who practice these cermonies
in such a violent way violate people's
safety and dignity.
These are acts that stupefy society and
divest it of any spirit, by parents who find
it fit to gash the heads of their children
to express their sorrow at the death of
their immams several centuries ago. These
are practices that distort and destroy minds
so medieval religious values, norms and
practices become accepted and help
reactionary religious groups find a footing
in society.
To stop this senseless shedding of
children's blood in the name of practicing
Shiate religious cermonies we demand:
- Total prohibition of the
involvement of children below 18 years of
age in Ashura festival.
- The state take responsibility for
preventing this from happening by passing
appropriate laws, taking appropriate
measures and allocating enough forces and
resources needed to enforce this ban.
- Prohibition of any other religious
ceremonies that endanger the mental and
physical health of citizens in general and
children in particular.
- Prohibition of any form of
religious activity, ceremony or ritual that
violates people's civil rights and
liberties.
- Prohibition of any religious
manifestation that disturbs people's peace
and security.
We call on all progressive individuals and
organizations, and in particular all human
right organizations, children rights
organizations and international health
bodies, to do all they can to exert pressure
on the Iraqi government to take action and
prevent this carnage during the month of
Moharram and the day of Ashura, under the
pretext of practicing religious rituals.
Protecting children's lives and ensuring
their safety is the responsibility of every
human being who respects human life and
dignity.
Worker
-communist Party of Iraq.
10th
January 2010
00447504375817 iraq-chidren@wpiraq.net
To contact Iraqi Embassies:
London:
lonemb@iraqmofamail.net
44 207 5909 220
Stockholm:
stkemb@hotmail.com
0046 8 411 44 43
Paris:paremb@iraqmofamail.net
0033 1 45 53 33 70
Washington D.C: Fax: 001 202-333-1129
Tel: 001202-742-1600
Sydney:
iraqembcnb@hotmail.com
0061262862744
Fax: 0061 (02) 6286 8744
www.wpiraq.net
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