RE: Human-buttons

Sender: Joe Risher wolfnraven1969@...
Date: Mon Jul 25, 2005 9:56 am

Just a couple of things about your message. I wouldn't state that the
Muslem woman having her face exposed is a sin. I would say that the woman's
face being exposed is against our(her) religion and that the UNHCR's blatant use
of her like this is an insult to your religion. Not all religions are the same
and so what may be a sin for a Muslem may not be a sin for a Christian, Jew, or
any other religion. All that the UNHCR has managed to say by using her this way
is that they have no respect for her or her religion.
I have often wondered what is going on that would cause terrorists to strike
at my country. What have "I" done? Aren't "we" the peace-keepers? Aren't we
the ones that other nations call on most for help in times of need? Why would
these terroists attack us?
I'm beginning to see now how something as simple as button can instigate
feelings of helpless rage in need of SOMEPLACE to be let out. Myself am not a
Muslem, but that does not mean that I have the right to insult your religion.
UNHCR seams to think that just because they "are trying to help", that they can
step on anything without consequence. Even if all they do is admit to being
wrong and change their buttons, at least it's SOMEthing - which would be more
than they appear to be doing right now.
UNHCR isn't the only ones who are guilty of this sort of manipulation though
as you pointed out when you presented the picture of the children getting rice.
(There were several pictures that wouldn't show for whatever reason) The
pictures are being used to generate sympathy for the suffering for others and
generate donations.
Ok, I've got too many thoughts running through my head right now and I'm
starting to ramble on and on. I agree with you that UNHCR is wrong for using
this woman's picture since it is in direct conflict with her religion. Would
have been better if her face would have been covered? What about the face of
the other woman behind her? A daughter? Why isn't her face covered? Why isn't
she in what would be considered appropriate for a Muslem woman?
---

From: sam@...
RE: Human-buttons

Dear Joe Risher,

You wrote a wise message full of reasonable points. I like to comment on some points.

Joe: “I'm beginning to see now how something as simple as button can instigate feelings”

SAM: the button itself is simple but it’s one part of the UNHCR’s policies, I have good experience with the UNHCR and many people contacted me from other places outside Lebanon and like you saw in the picture of the children, the UNHCR don’t care about the feelings of those humans, I felt that by myself. I don’t want to remove these human-buttons not just because it’s sin in Islam but for what it represent as bad policy. Those whom work for UNHCR think that they have immunity and they have the right to do what they like with the refugees just because they (as they think in UNHCR) providing help for free, I mean we’re the refugee don’t pay for their service. I’m completely against this and I want to change it, we’re the refugee have all the rights to speak our opinions and to ask questions and have the answers, until today and for years those whom work in UNHCR are refusing to answer any question, not only from me but also from my friends whom contacted the UNHCR, and I hope you’ll contact them and ask them some question, I hope strongly you’ll send your message to the UNHCR and we’ll see if they’ll answer you. Please remember that the UNHCR represent the west and it works with support from the west.

Joe: “What about the face of the other woman behind her? A daughter? Why isn't her face covered? Why isn't she in what would be considered appropriate for a Moslem woman?”

SAM: The woman behind is young girl and some people think young girls don’t need to wear hijab, which differ by places and cultures. In Iraq mostly women don’t cover their faces. I’m still thinking about the picture on the UN cyber school bus, I don’t think those people in the picture were refugees trying to cross borders. I saw pictures of the Kurdish and there was massive moving for Kurdish in some days. Thousands of families moved in same time, but what we see in the picture just 4 persons look relaxed and without any baggage or any thing indicates about their situation they even don’t use heavy shoes to walk on mountains. I felt much obscurity in that picture. I hope the UNHCR will tell us more about it! I didn’t meant that using picture of woman uncover is a sin but using here as human-button and expose her publicly on the net is abuse for her dignity and this is the sin. I lived in Iraq and I know how much the Iraqis are friendly with foreigners and maybe those people in the picture were friend with the one who took the picture just as friendly souvenir not for official proposes and that is disgusting act from the UN and shame for us all.

I like to publish your message on my blog http://unhcr.blogspot.com with your permission.

Thank you very much and I hope to hear from you soon.

Friend4all
SAM
http://www.unhcr.info