According to this article in Spero, children with "mental handicaps" are being kidnapped or sold to fight US and Iraqi soldiers. Here is one child's story:
"The dreams 13-year-old Barak Muhammad (not his real name) had of leading a normal teenage life were dashed when his father sold him to al-Qaeda militants. Being mentally handicapped, he said he was considered a burden by his family and was told he would be better off sacrificing his life for his country.
“I don’t have a mother and never went to school. I was dreaming of a day that I would go to school like my other brothers, but I was considered different. My father was always telling me that I was a mistake in his life, a boy that was just bringing expenses and problems,” Barak said.
Barak's father sold him to al-Qaeda in Iraq for US $10,000 to support his remaining five children. Now, Barak is in training to fight US and Iraqi troops. "
Via Spero
Statistics show that most children with disabilities in third world countries do not receive an education. The article also links to a source indicating that many children in Iraq, due to the war, are being deprived of an education because of the dangerous conditions.
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1 comment:
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