Extraordinary People (1/3/2006)

Two recent stories about ordinary people demonstrate their extraordinary courage and forgiveness. One is about Abla and Ismail Khatibe, a Palestinian couple who live in the Jenin refugee camp on the West Bank. The other is about Mukhtaran Bibi, who lives in the village of Meerwala, Pakistan.

Israeli soldiers shot Abla and Ismail Khatibe’s 12-year-old son Ahmad in November. Ahmad had been playing in a street with a toy rifle near the entrance to the refugee camp, because it was a Muslim holiday, a time when many Palestinian children celebrate in the streets. The Israelis, on a raid to capture militants, were fired upon and returned fire, tragically mistaking Ahmad for a gunman. Ahmad was taken to a hospital in Haifa, Israel. When his parents were told there was no hope for his survival, they agreed to donate his organs.

Ahmad’s parents said that it didn’t matter to them whether the recipients were Jewish, Muslim or Christian. They wanted to do this so someone else could live. So, Ahmad’s organs went to six Israelis: five children and a 58-year-old woman. Ismail Khatibe said, “ I am proud that a part of my son has given life to someone in Israel. Maybe a child who received an organ from my son will grow up to be a leader and put an end to this aggression.” Chicago Tribune columnist Joel Greenburg, in a November article, called it: “a rare moment of humanity in the blood-soaked Palestinian-Israeli conflict, highlighted on Israeli news broadcasts as an act of peace.”

In Pakistan, Mukhtaran Bibi was sentenced by a tribal council to be gang-raped because of an infraction supposedly committed by her brother. After the rape, Mukhtaran was forced by the village elders to walk home, nearly naked, in front of a jeering crowd of 300. Tradition mandated that she should commit suicide, but she fought back. With a local Islamic leader’s help, she filed charges and testified against her persecutors; six were convicted. Barely literate, Mukhtaran used her compensation money to start two schools in her village: one for girls, who had had no school, and one for boys. She even encouraged the rapists’ sons to enroll. Several U.S. groups raised additional money and helped her administer the project. She expanded the schools, started an abused women’s shelter, and bought a van to be used as an ambulance. She spoke out against honor killings, rapes and acid attacks on women.

But Mukhtaran’s story didn’t end there. When she was invited to visit the U.S., Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was irate. To prevent her from speaking out, she was put under house arrest and her phone landline was cut off. Her attackers were released, putting her life in danger. She refused to be silenced and, using a cell phone, continued her protests. She was taken to Islamabad, furiously berated, sent to a secret detention center, and barred from contacting anyone, including her lawyer. Finally released from prison, she then was barred from leaving the country because the government feared she might malign Pakistan’s image. New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof said that in reality, Ms. Mukhtaran, a symbol of courage and altruism, is the best hope for Pakistan’s image. He suggested that President Bush, who has praised Pakistan President Musharraf’s leadership, should invite Ms. Mukhtartan to the Oval Office to show that Americans stand not only with generals who seize power, but also with ordinary people of extraordinary courage. President Bush didn’t invite her to the White House, but international pressure forced Musharraf to allow her to visit the U.S. In November, she was named Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine, and has given talks in several U.S. cities.

As we begin a new year, we should remember Alba and Ismail Khatibe and Mukhtaran Bibi. Their extraordinary stories can inspire each of us to speak out against injustice and to work for a peaceful, forgiving world.

- Judith Kohler

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