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November 17, 2004

Hassan Killing Causes Iraqi Revulsion

Margaret Hassan's killing has startled the Iraqi population and caused widespread condemnation:

The people on the streets of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, are filled with revulsion at the apparent murder of the aid worker Margaret Hassan.
Local television stations and Arabic satellite channels began broadcasting the news on Tuesday night.

Iraqis we spoke to condemned the brutal killing, describing it as a crime against humanity.

"She devoted her life to serve the Iraqi people and help them in difficult times," said Ali Najem a resident of central Baghdad.

He said: "We considered her to be an Iraqi citizen. The criminals who did this want to spoil the image of Iraq and spoil the efforts now under way to hold elections."

Inside a dingy room nearby, a large family sits around the television. Among them is 14-year-old Iman Ahmed.

She should be at school but her mother has told her to stay at home because she fears she could be kidnapped if she walks the city streets.

According to Iman, Mrs Hassan was a well-known figure in the capital and other parts of the country.

She says: "Did Margaret come here with the American soldiers to fight? No, she came here to help the Iraqi people. Many people liked her because she helped us."

Across the road, in a run-down building housing a large electricity transformer, elderly Abu Akram folds up his prayer-mat and comes to speak to us.

He is disgusted by the unknown gang of gunmen who abducted Mrs Hassan four weeks ago as she was being driven to work in the capital.

He says: "The people who did this are not in any way related to Islam because Islam respects women. Everyone has to work together to fight these terrorists."

As we return to our office, we meet Dr Kaydar Al-Chalabi, the director of a Baghdad hospital which specialises in spinal injuries.

More on Hassan's death here and here.

This should put an end to the naive, and more than ignorant argument of some, that the United States is the invader and the Iraqis are simply rising up against it. The Iraqis have been invaded, as well, by the most brutal and monstrous of thugs who would kill an innocent woman who had tried to help them for decades.

Posted at 10:21 AM Pacific