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A Triad Muslim leader has determined to put
himself in harm's way should the
United States
attack Iraq.
[Courtesy Nick Maheras)
Badi Ali, president of the Islamic Center of the
Triad, said he and a group
of some 15 like-minded people will leave for Iraq
around the end of the
month. The Islamic Center of the Triad is one of
Greensboro's largest
mosques. Ali, a native
Palestinian
and naturalized
American citizen, said he
thought of the human shield idea months ago as a
way to protect innocent
Iraqis.
Since then, some European opponents of a U.S. war
with Iraq also have
mobilized to act as human shields.
"What motivated me was the reaction I witnessed
from the European people," he
said.
"From what I've been hearing ... human shields
from Europe are there and are
stationed."
Ali's objective, he states in an e-mail, is to
position Americans at
strategic locations across Baghdad to forestall a
U.S. attack on innocent
Iraqi civilians.
Ali said he's working with other peace groups and
several Iraqi
nongovernmental agencies to arrange lodging
there. "We will likely stay at,
or near, strategic locations such as hospitals,
orphanages, shelters and
power facilities," he said.
Ali has journeyed to Iraq several times for
Islamic conferences, but this
time the danger will be very real, he said.
"Please take care of your personal affairs here
in the United States," he
instructed those going with him. "Prepare a legal
will and also contact
relatives and friends to let them know of your
intentions."
He said the group plans to stay at least a couple
of weeks in Baghdad. His
sympathies lie not with Saddam Hussein, Ali said,
but with the innocent Iraqi
people.
"This is ultimately for the Iraqi people," he
said. "We are going there to
save lives. This has nothing to do with politics.
"I consider myself a loyal American. By actually
acting in such a manner, I
am being loyal to the (U.S.) Constitution and to
the Bill of Rights more than
those who chose not to react."
Although President
Bush
has stressed the American
military is not targeting
innocent Iraqis, Ali said he realizes his life
and those of his companions
could be forfeit.
"In a war, anything could happen," he said. "I'm
not afraid at all. I'm
looking forward to it.
"If something happened to us, it will not be for
nothing. To sacrifice your
life with the intention to save a life, that's
really worth it to me."
Ali said he will conduct a meeting Monday to
finalize the details of the
trip. Not all the people who will travel with him
are Muslims.
"We received a lot of support," he said,
"especially here in this country
from the Quakers."
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2003-02-07 Fri 08:01ct