Two days after 14-year-old Hamzah Al-Daini flew from Grand Rapids to his home in Baghdad, a massive suicide bombing killed over 200 civilians just blocks away.
“Their mourning, their loss is so deep that it’s part of every-day life, and they’re almost not even surprised when things like this happen anymore, because so much has been taken away from them.
That’s Nidal Kanaan, talking about Hamzah and his family. Kanaan is a board member of Healing Children of Conflict, a nonprofit out of Grand Rapids. They bring in children who have been injured by American weapons for medical treatment. Hamzah just spent the last several weeks in Michigan getting fitted for a new prosthesis for the second time since 2011, when he lost his leg to a U.S. missile strike.
“And yet, there’s this beautiful kid who keeps smiling has the best outlook in life.”
Kanaan says the Al-Daini family is physically fine but emotionally shaken.
“That has a pretty big effect, you know, in terms of PTSD, just emotionally, psychologically being a healthy, well-adjusted person.”
ISIS claimed the bombing, which took place in the shopping district of Karrada, Baghdad.