ibnmuslim writes "It is a well known fact that war has a variety of negative political, economic, and social consequences. It is the psychological effects of war - especially on our children - that often require an explanation. We need to seriously look into the negative effects that the war in Iraq and the conflict in Palestine have on our children in both the Arab and the Muslim world.
This article, written by an Egyptian psychologist, provides
readers in the West with a glimpse of how America's war on Iraq is affecting
people in other parts of the Arab world. Its value lies in the fact that it was
not written as a complaint against the war itself, but merely as advice to
parents on how to help their children cope in these trying times. By Dr.
Layla Bayyoumi Children pick up on their parents' fearDr. Hâshim Bahrî, a
professor of Psychiatry at Azhar University, says: Children rarely
discuss war on their own.
They only take in the thoughts and feelings that they get
from their family and this is usually quite limited. Children naturally
do not know they are supposed to be scared. They learn this from their parents.
Children in our countries today are becoming overwhelmed with fear
because of what they hear from adults and from what they see in our faces
while America's war against the Iraqi people is going on. They used to have in
their minds a picture of Rambo as an American knight who in the movies always
fights on the side of good.
That image has suddenly been replaced by that of a quite
different Rambo who fights savagely for evil and to bring other people to their
knees. Mickey Mouse, who used to bring them delight, has suddenly turned into a
horrid pig brandishing rifles and guns. The image of America in their minds has
always been that of a torchbearer of freedom. That image has been replaced by
that of a harbinger of death and destruction that helps Israel attack
Palestinian children. Our children do not understand the
reason for this sudden transformation. Dr. Hâshim Bahrî adds: I think that we as
Muslim families and as an Arab society feel the acute difference between what
America says and what America does. Our children feel this as
well.
These contradictions have a greater and deeper impact on
children than they have on adults. This is because adults are more able to
accept contradictions than children are. Therefore, parents must not show
all of their conflicting feelings, their anger, and their fear to their
children. When children see such a painful sight, it besets them with
great fear. Media exposure to war robs our children of their sense
of security Dr. Mahmûd `Abd al-Rahmân Hamûdah of al-Azhar University is of the
opinion that the television coverage of America's war against Iraq, along with
the reactions that household members have to it, has a marked affect on our
children and makes them feel unsafe. When we add to this the graphic
coverage of the killing and destruction going on in Palestine, it only increases
our children's fear and makes them even more insecure. We must
realize that children have very vivid imaginations. Their imaginations
contribute further to their fears.
Small children do not accurately understand long
periods of time. A moment can be like an eternity. Likewise, they do not
comprehend long distances in space. Therefore, they perceive the horror of the
war in Iraq to be very close by. The fear, stress, and worry that they see being
exhibited by the adults around them when they speak about the war serves to
reinforce this idea. There can be no doubt that the general feeling of
insecurity that has of late appeared in our societies in many different
ways and the expectations of possible crises has its effect on our
children's mental and physiological well-being. A child in these conditions
becomes either fidgety, nervous, and unstable or obstinate and negative. He may
cry a lot.
A child expresses fear with his body far more than he does
with his words or his behavior. The child may become overly attached to his
mother and cling to her, since she is his main source of security. He may think
that separation from her puts him in danger and experience anxiety and an
increased heart rate. The child will immediately return to clinging to his
mother who can make him feel secure and quiet his anxiety. He may also fear for
his mother and the other members of his family. He may feel that when they are
away from him, they might get killed in the war and never return. This can make
a child lose even the sense of security that his parents provide for him.
Moreover, the feelings of inadequacy and helplessness that, in the face of
America's domination and oppression, beset our men - our
children's fathers - causes our children to despair and feel
utterly helpless.
It can make them listless and inactive so they stop engaging
in activities that they used to enjoy before the war. They may lose their
appetite and experience weight loss. They may suffer from insomnia and
nightmares. They may suffer from feelings of inferiority and guilt. They may
have trouble thinking.
They might become preoccupied with death. Frequently,
children lose the desire to do anything productive and become emotionally
unstable because of the dejection that rubs off on them from their fathers'
sense of powerlessness and disgrace. When the child realizes that the source of
this discomfort and fear is America, he develops a deep-seated hatred for that
country and its culture that imposes its will on some and metes out destruction
to others.
They will carry these feelings of hatred into adulthood. An
alternative view Dr. Muhammad Sha`lân, also a professor of psychology at Azhar
University, has a another point of view that we should consider. He says: Not
all children feel the strain of the war going on in Iraq. Some of them,
when they see war footage and footage of the atrocities in Palestine, they
perceive it as make believe, something unreal, like a cowboy movie. Their minds
are not yet ready to comprehend the darker side of war or the reality of pain,
death, and deprivation. Dr. Sha`lân adds: As psychologists, we see that the door
should be open for frank discussions with children about the war. It
should be made clear to them that war is not play. It is not what we see in the
movies.
It is destruction that affects everyone. We should not be
scared to be straightforward with our children. Children
are more mature than we think. We should also allow them to follow the news from
different media sources. They should be encouraged to write letters to world
leaders to express their disapproval of the war.
Our children have a message to give that
is no less important than the addresses being delivered at conferences and
summit meetings around the world. Likewise, he adds, they have a role to play
with respect to the children of America. They need to send them letters
saying: Please keep your fathers away from ours.
This war is going to destroy our childhood and
yours. Children should become aware of important political events very
early so they can stand united with the adults in the worldwide sentiment that
what is being done to the Iraqi people and its children and what is going
on in Palestine is wrong and unjust.
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