This is one of the more well known photos from the Halabja genocide. Looking at it should make your heart hurt. Sadly, this photo is tame compared to so many others. Especially compared to other genocides where machetes and other brute force was used.
Halabja is appalling and terrible. I mean, during the attack the city was bombed first so the windows would break therefore making it easily to kill more people when they dropped the chemical gasses. It's one level of horrible just to think about senseless mass destruction but another to realize the planning and high intention to kill people as thoroughly as possible.
But that said, so many genocides have happened and continue to happen all the time. The United States and much of the world did not even recognize what happened in this small town in northern Iraq.
5,000+ dead within hours
11,000+ severely injured
Is that not worth recognizing? My high school had less than 5,000 students but if Westwood was decimated I'm going to wager it would get some international attention. So what else is happening in our world that we're unaware of?
Yesterday in the office we talked about the difference between awareness and education. Awareness isn't very thorough. It's a surface knowledge of something. Education is more inclusive, requiring effort and intention. It could be argued that awareness (of an issue so serious as genocide) without the intention of education is apathy and affirmation of the act. When the international community didn't respond to the Halabja attacks it was like they were saying it was allowable. If it wasn't allowable, something would have been said.
What I'm trying to say in all of this is educate yourself. It's not enough to be aware something bad is happening. Often times it is more appealing to stay ignorant than be immersed in information that emanates hated. But do it anyway. Empower the victims by learning about them, caring for them and not accidentally approving of their situation by your chosen apathy. I need to work on this just as much as the next person so please don't think I'm over here on a high horse.
Start to educate yourself...
http://www.genocideintervention.net/
http://genocide.change.org/
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