The Middle East: No fairytale

Ahmad (not his real name), son of a wealthy sheikh, grew up in a palatial home. After his mother died, though, his father no longer wanted him, for reasons of his own, and turned him out on the streets.

Fasting replaced feasting and, with his luxurious lifestyle a seeming lifetime away, the battle to survive began in earnest. There was work to be had, however. In the shadows of the streets, contacts introduced him to the business of bomb-making. It was in high demand from an active terrorist group.

Ahmad took to it, initially, with relief. It was not a job he would ever have imagined himself undertaking, but desperation was a strong driver and he was grateful for a way to survive. Ironically, though, survival itself was to become the issue in the ensuing years. Conditions for bomb-construction left much to be desired and, inevitably, a series of mishaps saw several of his co-workers perish. In time, Ahmad decided the work was too dangerous and resolved to move on.

Linking up to this terrorist group, however, proved easier than leaving it. They were not ready to see Ahmad go. He knew too much and, from their perspective, was a security risk. Given their network's extensive reach, Ahmad knew it would be folly to stay in the same region. He crossed the border illegally into Israel.

Survival remained a struggle. He set up a new life on a beach, sleeping in a cardboard box and using the public bathroom facilities. It was only a matter of time, though, before he was found by his former employers. Retaliation was swift and brutal. His frail body proved easy pickings for the relentless blows of their fists and wooden clubs.

Bad went to worse. After three months in hospital, he returned to the beach only to be picked up and imprisoned by the local authorities because of his illegal status.  While there, he was regularly visited by an organisation that works, without ethnic discrimination, to support the region's marginalised people. They provide care and, where needed, clothing and medical back-up. In their inter-ethnic acceptance, Ahmad found freedom from the inner fiends that had stolen his peace of mind. The NGO also gave a kind of 'family' which, perhaps for the first time in his life, he could count on.

In time, Ahmad was sent back to his own country by the local authorities. He has not been heard of again.

There is no fairytale ending to Ahmad's story. There are few fairytale endings in the turmoil of the Middle East. We are grateful, however, that we can send support to organisations, including the one in this story, who try to help those impacted by the region's turbulence. The shipments we send are distributed among people of all ethnicities, provided they are in need: immigrants, tribes people battling economic odds, the urban poor, divided families, the unemployed, the sick and those who are marginalised.

In this part of the world, the word 'peace' is often a traditional greeting. How we long to see it as a way of life for all tribes and nations who people this heart-broken region. To this end, we send regular shipments to the region for distribution to many different groups. Would you like to be involved in an upcoming shipment? Click here to donate time or here to give funding for our next shipment.