Last night we filed a story on a new Refugees International report that accuses the White House of turning a blind eye to the worsening Iraqi refugee crisis. Whenever we work on a story that includes tying together a bunch of different feeds from different reporters, interesting tidbits or anecdotes can fall by the wayside. I was happy we were able to get some Iraqi voices in the story, but wish there had been space for the several other displaced families we had interviewed.
Yes, dear reader, I know you have Iraq fatigue. Believe me, so do we.
One of my friends, a reporter at the LA Times, jokingly calls these PIPS, for Poor Iraqi People Stories. When you write enough of them, they begin to run together, tales of misery and displacement that add up to... what?
I'm not sure yet, but here's another one. One more PIPS to add to the millions out there.
This is one of the many examples that couldn't fit into the story that was published overnight (with thanks to in-house correspondent Miret el Naggar, who interviewed the family):
Kamal Nasser, 50, served as a pilot under Saddam Hussein's regime. When Shiite militants assassinated two former airmen in his neighborhood, Nasser said, he decided it was time to flee.
After a short stint in Syria, Nasser and his family moved to Egypt in 2005. At first, he and his wife, 44-year-old Huda Fadel, could afford to enroll their five children in private school in Cairo. But with mounting expenses for rent, schooling and groceries, the family's savings account quickly emptied. And even if major attacks continue to decrease in Iraq, Nasser's history as a pilot makes it too dangerous for the family to return as long as Shiite militias rule most of Baghdad.
The UN's refugee agency was prepared to pay about half of the children's tuition in Cairo, but the family couldn't come up with the rest of the money. Nasser took his kids out of school this year and his wife now gives them lessons at home.
His son, Omar, 18, spends his days at Internet cafes or shooting the breeze with other displaced and jobless youths in his neighborhood.
"The Iraqi kids sit in groups around the block," Omar said. "Sometimes, Egyptian guys pass by and make nasty comments, like, 'You are Iraqi. You don't belong here.'"
Please don't stop with the PIPS stories.
I hate to tell you, but I read the McClatchy owned Charlotte Observer in North Carolina and I don't see many PIPS stories. You might be writing them, but they're not being picked up; even by McClatchy owned papers. I honestly can't make a blanket statement about other papers around the country, but ...
The American people really aren't getting the reality of the situation there I don't believe. Not for the soldiers. Not for the Iraqis. Most stories are political in nature with, perhaps alittle human interest comments included in a paragraph or two.
The Charlotte Observer ran 5 stories today related to Iraq and only one was human interest - about the mental health of returning vets. To be fair, one of the articles dealt with the FBI findings that 14 out of the 17 deaths on Sept. 16th by Blackwater were 'unjustified', which although I appreciate the editors choosing to print this story, did not relate any personal stories from the incident.
Posted by: Edie | November 14, 2007 at 11:27 PM
Ok ok lets not lose track of the big picture here…while they are displaced and the kids are not getting “private schooling” Egyptians also are considered misfortunate in their own country and not getting employment, housing, transportations etc. in their own country how about some PEPS for a change?
Posted by: Andrew | November 22, 2007 at 12:40 AM
That's right...Poor Egyptian People Stories. Hooyaa
Posted by: Andrew NYC | November 22, 2007 at 12:43 AM