Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project

From Dr. Abdulkareem  A. Mahmood, Najaf, Iraq:

Members of the Muslim Peacemaker Teams (MPT) in Najaf reported that the incidence of cancer is increasing in the governorate, from 40 cases per 100,000 people in 2009 to 70 cases per 100,000 people at the end of 2011 .

Environmental pollution is still the main threat, including polluted drinking water. The shallow level of water in Euphrates increases the maximum allowable levels of hazardous chemicals in this major source of water supply.

So, we support the program of IARP to supply safe drinking water to the schools and hospitals in Najaf governorate and  other areas of Iraq.

Sincerely yours,

Updating...

“As Iraq War officially ends, Minneapolis program aims to repair ethnic hatred“
Joe Cadotte, Free Speech Radio News, 12/19/2011

“The last US combat troops left Iraq over the weekend after nine years of war that left nearly 4,500 US soldiers and more than 100,000 Iraqis dead. Thousands more were injured and millions displaced. Much of the country remains in ruin. As physical rebuilding of Iraq continues, one organization has been trying to mend the relationships between ordinary Americans and Iraqis. Since 2004, the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project in Minneapolis has been repairing cultural and ethnic damages from the war, one family at a time. The group has hosted 40 Iraqi professionals in Minneapolis in an effort to dispel stereotypes of Iraqi and American culture. FSRN’s Joe Cadotte caught up with some of the Iraqi doctors visiting Duluth and files this report.”

To listen to the report, click here.

Sami Rasouli, director of our partner organization, the Muslim Peacemaker Teams, discussed the withdrawal of US troops on the December 16 edition of Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. Read the transcript or listen to the interview below, or click here to visit the story on the Democracy Now! site.

More »

Below are images from schools and a mosque in Najaf, Iraq, where water filtration units were recently installed by the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project and our partner, the Muslim Peacemaker Teams. Thanks to donors St. Augustine Church, Cohasset, MN; Albuquerque Mennonite Faith Community, Albuquerque, NM; and Community Presbyterian Church, Cohasset, MN.

Water for Peace is a partnership between Iraqis and Americans to restore access to clean water in Iraqi schools and hospitals. It is a way for Americans and Iraqis to work together to build trust and partnership in place of conflict and fear. To learn more, visit http://waterforpeaceproject.org.

The fertile crescent of Mesopotamia, nestled between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, is referred to by many as the Cradle of Civilization. The irrigation and water management techniques that flourished in the region were some of the most advanced in antiquity and once provided an example to the rest of the world. Yet, despite the plentiful water in its ancient past, recent Iraqi history is marred with unsanitary living conditions and contaminated drinking water as a result of political and environmental hardships.

More »