Remembering Ameer

Native without a Nation honors the memory of one of its favorite Iraqi students, Ameer Mohammed. Ameer, 14, participated in several cross-cultural video sessions with students all over the world. He attended NWN computer literacy sessions and was diligently studying English. In 2006 Ameer and his family came to Damascus to escape the violence in Iraq.

Like the approximately 1.5 million Iraqi refugees, he and his family dreamed of being resettled in another country where Ameer would be able to be a normal kid again. In the meantime, Ameer worked at a local laundry mat to help his family cover their expenses. He was an excellent worker. Ameer dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player. His most cherished moments in Syria were when his chins made contact with a football. Like so many Iraqi children, his dream will never come true.

Ameer passed away last week of a health complication. Hours before his death a sweet and jovial Ameer hugged his employer, telling him he was just like family. Ameer passed with his father by his side. He will rest in peace at the Strangers Cemetery in Damascus, Syria. To support Ameer’s family you can send donations to Native without a Nation through Paypal.

Ameer

Ameer is one of Nativewithoutanation members. Here is the latest with him: After he is done with his final examination for this year, he decided to work for the Summer holiday. He found a job in a laundrmat. When I asked why don't you just enjoy yourself and relax, his answer was "I am happy to do this because it makes my father happy that I am bringing some money home out of this work and that I am learning how to be responsible. However, it is becomes tiring when I do it ten hours a day. Still when I go to bed, I sleep and think that it is more important that my father is happy".

Chat w/ Ross School,April 25

Another Excerpts from chat between students in Damascus and students at the Ross School in E. Hampton, New York, on Friday , April 25

Ross school: our students will come up to screen so it's close by

Iraqi students: hello back to you

Iraqi students we can't see you clearly

Iraqi students: the hi

Iraqi students: we have here amir, asala, zahra and nurmeen

Ross school: hi

Iraqi students: (that's from right to left)

Ross school: my name is kirsten

Ross school: you are all beautiful too

Ross school: i am 16 years old

Ross school: do you play on a team?

Ross school: could you move the chair please

Ross school: theres something in fron of the screen

Ross school: oh perfect

Ross school: do you have Mcdonalds over there?

Ross school: i play forward as well

Ross school: yes we have a lot of Mcdonalds here

Ross school: so u play soccer

Ross school: cool

Ross school: I used to play defense

Ross school: do the girls play soccer too

Iraqi students: can you hear us

Iraqi students: who are we looking at on screen now

Ross school: my name is taylor again

Iraqi students: amir says that they have to wait until school closes and then they jump over the fence and use the soccer field

Ross school: hey

Ross school: my name is kenny and im 16 years old

Iraqi students: zahra wants to know if you think what is happening in iraq is fair

Iraqi students: and also hello kenny, how are you

Ross school: im good and i think the situation in iraq is not fair

Iraqi students: we are enjoying this because it gives us a chance to talk to students our age or older

Iraqi students: btw, amir is 11, asala is 13, zahra is 13 and nurmeen is 16

Ross school: i read your blogs and i think it was sad with all you had to endure

Ross school: all of the students in my grade are around 16 or 17

Iraqi students: zahra says we have alll applied for resettlement (with the United Nations)

Iraqi students: zahra wants to go to new York

Iraqi students: asala wants to go to michigan

Ross school: how many days of week do you go to school

Iraqi students: five days

Iraqi students : friday and saturday is our weekend

Ross school: why does zahra want to go new york and asala go to michigan...do you want to go to school there?

Iraqi students: i just like the idea of going to new york, and asala has relatvies in michigan

Ross school: oh thas nice

Ross school: new york is a very fun place

Iraqi students: why don't you come visit us on your summer holiday?

Iraqi students: zahra says that makes her more excited

Iraqi students: what is fun about New York?

Ross school: it paused

Ross school: goodbye my friend daniel is going to talk now

Iraqi students: i think we just lost the connection for a second

Iraqi students: maybe the electricity

Iraqi student's: hello daniel

Ross school: hi my name is Daniel and Im 17

Ross school: do you lose electricity alot

Iraqi students: not that often

Ross school: what about Iraq

Iraqi students: do you ever have shortages in electricity

Iraqi students in Iraq, always

Iraqi students: it is off

Ross school: no its a very rare event

Iraqi students what are your hobbies, daniel

Ross school: well I like to play sports like lacrosse and read

Ross school: do you have lacrosse in syria or Iraq

Iraqi students: what is lacrosse

Iraqi students: asala wanted to be a ballet dancer

Iraqi students: zahra writes poetry

Ross school: lacrosse is a sport where you have to carry a ball with lacrosse sticks into a goal

Iraqi students: also she writes and plays soccer

Ross school: could you send us something that you wrote

Ross school: we would really like to read it

Iraqi student's: but the ballet school in iraq was closed, and in Syria they told me i was too old

Iraqi students: nurmeen plays basketball and karate

Ross school: you are never too old to dance

Iraqi students: zahra says she will send a poem

Ross school: do you take karate in school

Ross school: what subjects do you learn in school

Iraqi students: nurmeen also plays soccer

Iraqi students: there is a club for karate outside of school

Iraqi students: she is the second in the republic of Syria for her age

Ross school: what position do you play in soccer?

Iraqi student's: and weight

Iraqi student's: striker

Ross school: my turn is done

Ross school: goodbye i am going to put Stepahnie on

Ross school: thank you

Ross school: bye

Iraqi students: arabic, english, history, geograpy, science, music, history, arab culture and history, religion

Iraqi students: bye

Iraqi students: hello stephanie

Ross school: can the karate kid raise their hand?

Ross school: we're trying to figure out who everyone is

Iraqi students nurmeen is in the black baseball cap

Ross school: my name is stephanie

Ross school: i'm 16

Iraqi students: tomorrow we are going to tartous (it is on the meditteranean) and we wish you could come with us

Ross school: aw that's really nice

Ross school: we wish you all could come here

Iraqi students: zahra is next to nurmeen

Iraqi students: then asala

Iraqi students: and amir

Ross school: zahra looks like one of our friends over here

Ross school: how are you guys doing in school? is it difficult because it's syrian

Iraqi students: we have more materials in syria

Iraqi students and also, for example, we start english in the first grade instead of the 5th grade in iraq

Ross school: is that good?

Ross school: would you rather be in school in Iraq or in Syria

Iraqi students: we think it is good that there are more materials, we can learn more

Iraqi students in Iraq

Ross school: what kind of music do you guys like?

Iraqi students: asala says that the teachers call us "strangers"

Ross school: just because you're Iraqi?

Iraqi students: she fought w/a girl the other day at school and when they were sent to the teacher, they blamed her because she is a "stranger"

Iraqi students: yes, beacuse we are iraqi

Ross school: just show them you're karate

Iraqi students: haha

Iraqi students western music like mozart

Ross school: wow that's extremely impressive

Iraqi students is it winter or summer there

Ross school: it is spring, a few weeks away from summer

Ross school: we live by the ocean

Iraqi students: we also like arabic singers

Iraqi students like abdel halim hafez (Egyptian)

Ross school: are there any Syrians at school that understand your problems and are sympathetic about them

Ross school: can you post some music on the website

Ross school: so we can hear it too

Iraqi students: and hussam al-rassam and kadhim al-sahra, both iraqi

Iraqi students: we will do that

Iraqi students: yes

Iraqi students: there are

Ross school: we have a friend looking for it now so we can hear it

Ross school: i listen to a lot of music like lil wayne, justin timberlake, maroon 5

Ross school: there's a little rap, hip hop and pop

Ross school: with those people

Iraqi students: we don't know them

Iraqi students: can you send them to us?

Ross school: we'll try to send them to you yes

Iraqi students asala wants to know if you like dean martin

Ross school: i love dean martin

manka says: i like frank sinatra and all of the rat pack as well

Iraqi students: and nurmeen says she likes michael jackson

Ross school: everyone loves michael Jackson!

Iraqi students we like movies with angelina jolie and brad pitt

Ross school: that's really funny.

Ross school: I'm going to let my friend Kirsten talk to you again

Ross school: bye!

Iraqi students: bye

Ross school: i was wondering what your future goals are? Where do you see yourselves in 5 years from now?

Iraqi students: amir wants to be a professional soccer player

Iraqi students asala wants to be a journalist

Iraqi students: (she's in the middle of the picture)

Iraqi students nurmeen wants to be a police woman

Ross school: thats a great profession and very admired in the United States

Iraqi students: and zahra wants to be a pediatrician

Ross school: do you all plan on going to college?

Iraqi students: yes

Iraqi students: we all want to go to college

Iraqi students: al-jazeera

Ross school: we watched control room which is about Al-Jazeera

Ross school: would you ever consider coming to America to go to college?

Iraqi students: asala has seen the film

Iraqi students: of course, we would love to

Ross school: we would love you to come study with us

Iraqi students: asala says she wants to go to beverly hills school in las vegas

Iraqi students: she saw it in a movie

Ross school: las vegas is a very fun and crazy city to visit!

Iraqi students: we wish to, if you can help us

Ross school we will try to help, how can we?

Iraqi students: invite and sponsor us

Ross school: it is a very long process, how do we start?

Iraqi students: you give us a letter to take to the US embassy when we apply for a visa

Iraqi students: it can take some months to get teh visa

Ross school: we are very interested in this process

Iraqi students: we are very happy

Ross school: would your parents come to America with you?

Iraqi students: they will let us come by ourselves, but we would like to have them with us

Ross school: of course, we will find out what paper work is needed for this project, it is long and difficult but we are very inspired to send you over here to recieve the permission

Ross school: we will research what is needed

Ross school: our class is over now, so we have to go, but we hope to talk to you next week

Ross school: it was so nice meeting/speaking with you

Ross school: thank you!!!

Iraqi students: thank you

Iraqi students: we do too

Iraqi students: it was nice talking to you

Ameer, 11

My name is Ameer Mohamed and I am 11 years old. I am in 7^th grade. We came to Syria in 2006 because of the security situation. My father was kidnapped by an armed group. He was released after we paid the ransom. Now it is only me and my father who live in Syria. My mother and sisters are still in Iraq. They stay at home all the time. And my sisters don't go to school.

The one scene I will never forget is when three bombs exploded near my school. I remember the sounds of the explosions were very loud and I remember how the windows in my classroom all were destroyed. I remember very well how my father was carrying me and running through thr streets trying to get me out of the danger when the Iraqi soldiers started, after the explosion, started to randomly shooting.

I like to make new friends. It is harsh on me remembering my friend and colleague who sat next to me in school and who was run over by an unknown. My wish is to have a safer Iraq and for me to go back to Iraq.

My hobby is playing soccer and I hope to be a well-known Iraqi soccer player.