American Health Society founder and CEO J. R. Gordon returned recently from a trip to Baghdad as an ambassador for the Orphans of War Campaign, and he was horrified by what we saw.
“If 'Mad Max' was a movie, Baghdad is reality. Grass does not exist and desert sands cover everything, often making moving around near impossible,” he said.
Gordon was invited to the Iraqi Orphans Conference due to his efforts over the past six years to provide Iraqi children with teddy bears and stuffed animals through the Orphans of War Campaign.
“If they were in the United States, most of these orphanages would be closed due to code violations. There were children lying naked on floors, and parents are dropping children off in droves because they cannot sustain families,” he said.
There are orphanages run by Catholic nuns that are well kept, but those run by the Iraqi government are in shambles.
“They’re languishing in nothing short of prisons, and you look in their eyes and see no hope. The estimated number of orphans in Iraq is close to 5 million, and in time you will see the future breeding ground for Islamic extremists,” he said.
Gordon said the Middle East is in complete upheaval and that Americans need to realize the situation could become much worse.
“There is a pervasive sense of hopelessness that permeates the population, and these are a very prideful people. The real danger is that Iran is lurking in the background much like a Black Mamba snake,” said Gordon.
The Black Mamba is one of Africa’s deadliest snakes, and it lays in wait patiently for its prey, and Gordon said it is the perfect analogy for the relationship between Iraq and Iran. For more information, visit www.orhpansofwarcampaign.