Marla's memorial
Jill reads memories of Marla emailed from friends around the world at the memorial service in Baghdad today. Some of her favourite music from Neil Finn, Sinead O'Connor and the Beach Boys was played and a collection was taken for Faiz's widowed wife and children.
There is now a lot of good information on the CIVIC website: articles about Marla, a place you can write messages and make donations and details of memorial vigils around the US.
I had the great privilage of talking about Marla on her home town radio station and too some other media. It was a kind of therapy being able to talk about her and urge people to remember the cause she lived for. Sometimes I was so overwhelmed I just babbled cliches, but occasional I found myself expressing things the way I understood them. One quote was: "Marla was so full of laughter and life. She was the social center of our life as well as being its conscience." Also the San Francisco Chronicle printed this which expresses the way I hope Marla will inspire people to pick up her cause (and other causes) with the same love and energy: "Although there have been many nice things said about Marla, I don't think she would want to be held up as this unattainable ideal, She would want people to know that if she, this California girl, came to Iraq with no money and no contacts, and made a difference in a conservative Middle Eastern country, then anyone could [with a bit of gumption]."
2 comments:
I was deeply saddened by the death of Marla and her assistant Faiz. I had warned Marla on several occasions that she was in danger in Iraq, but my words were not heeded because she stubbornly clung to the notion that she can help the Iraqi people. Most unfortunate was the fact that she inadvertently was a face of the occupation that she was against. She presented the humane face that at this time cannot be recognized in the chaos. The solutions to Iraq's problems must come via political negotiations that do not include American voices. The chaos in Iraq must be solved by Iraqis. They are the most affected. U.S. and other meddling are causing greater harm. They say, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Unfortunately and very sadly for Marla, her good intentions could not save her from the hell of Iraq. I am most sad for her family and all those who cared deeply for her. This was most unfortunate.
Henry Stone
Marla was an amazing example of what someone can do when they put their whole heart into it.
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