Survivor asks U.S. to end cluster munitions production
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 10/16/2008
Mikel Livingston | Assistant Campus Editor
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Even though Soraj Ghulam Habib is dependent on a wheelchair to be mobile, he's helping to cause big changes.
Habib, a resident of Afghanistan, visited Purdue Wednesday to speak to students about the campaign for the United States to ban land mines. He has been traveling with members of the Friends Committee on National Legislation to talk to people in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio to build public support for Senate legislation that would ban the U.S. from using and exporting cluster bombs.
And despite Habib not being able to speak English well, he's telling his story.
Habib's interpreter said Habib was 10 years old when he lost his legs and a finger to cluster munition. Habib was picnicking with his uncle and four cousins when he found a package on the ground containing a yellow bomb the size of a water bottle. He opened the package and it exploded.
One of Habib's cousins died and another was injured.
In the wake of the explosion, his life changed. He tried to enroll in a school after his uncle explained to the principal that Habib uses a wheelchair to move around, but the response was no.
Seven years later, Habib is working hard as an advocate for the Afghan Landmine Survivors' Organization to help the many people who have been disabled by the remnants of war. Habib's interpreter, Suliman Safadar, is also an advocate for ALSO and has been working to raise awareness about the issue since 2001.
"We have to campaign to ban these weapons," Safadar said.
Safadar said there have been several conferences at which many countries came together to write a global treaty that bans the use of the land mines and cluster bombs, but the United States has not agreed to sign the treaty yet.
"But it takes time," Safadar said. "We have hope with the new administration."
There are countless stories of civilians being injured or killed by bombs that were left in the ground from wars that were fought years ago.
These leftovers are not evident only in Afghanistan, but also in Lebanon.
Raed Mokaled, from Lebanon, lost his 5-year-old son in 1999 to cluster munition while celebrating his son's birthday. Mokaled is also traveling around the Midwest with Habib and Safadar to share their stories.
"It's a big opportunity to come to the United States to tell what's happened," Mokaled said. "I hope something changes in the future; if we can ban these weapons forever, (it's) better for humanity and the world."