Letter from Dana Sakr mother to the car owner mother

An open letter from the mother of dear Dana Sakr to the mother of (...)

My dear sister,

After a year on the horrible accident that took the life of my daughter and after verbal letters I sent you over and over again with your son, I find myself obliged to communicate with your honorable person through letters, knowing that nothing distinguishes us, not the color or the race or the language or even the distances nor the religious values.

I was raised, my dear sister, in a peaceful city on the north cost of Lebanon, a peaceful city where religions combine and mix. Our home was laying near a mosque of the Islamic Waqf in a green plain where flowers blossom in some seasons. My mother still tell that from four till seven years old, I used to sleep when I hear the afternoon prayers and resume playing only after the end of the prayer. And till this date, I still enjoy listening to the prayers and am not exaggerating when I say there is warm and tenderness from the speakers of every mosque that remind me of the secure memories of childhood.

The combination and mixture of religions allowed my city to have its own special traditions. For example, when one of the Moslem brothers dies, the Sheikh invite the priest to pray together on the soul of the deceased, burning incense and putting a picture of the patron Saint of the city St. Stephan, the first Christian martyr.

My dear sister,

After nine years of marriage, I finished my high academic studies in psychological counseling and then I prepared my thesis in PhD entitled “Ambitions of Qatari youth”, a study that I voluntarily stopped after the death of my dearest daughter.

The reason I chose this specific theme is my work for four years at ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence and the conclusions I had from dealing with Qatari students and their families. I selected this theme because my professional belonging and conscious required me to underline a study that serves a people I respect and youth I wish him the best.

I still remember that morning of October and before I entered my office in Aspire, I crossed two Qatari young men coming from the matinal exercise and heading to their courses. I was surprised when I saw one of them wiping his sweat and throwing the tissue on the floor in the entry of the academy. Yes, I still remember Ahmed. I run after him till the door of the class and ordered him to walk with me to the entry hall. Ahmed was still under fourteen and he showed a respect that was manifested by bowing and taking the tissue and putting it in the garbage where it should be thrown. What happened that morning allowed Ahmed to respect his country and the cleanness of its streets as well as the good reputation that he may build and develop in front of every student in that school. It also allowed him to be an example for his colleagues. It allowed me to impose what I consider an educational necessity and to impose my respect as their big sister.                     

My dear sister, I work in the educational field and I am a psychological counselor. My social-instructive role doesn't end at the principal's office or at any authority that my colleagues fear sometimes. The professional conscious represent justice and justice leads to freedom.

Honestly, my dear sister, tell me does our gallantry and Arab ego allow us to disregard an accident that led to the death of my daughter where I wasn't even consoled by your visit after the verbal invitations I sent you? Is it possible my lady that someone offers your son not to imprison the driver but somebody else? Is it possible my lady that your son gives his car to a driver with an expired student driving permit and kills my daughter because of his negligence and recklessness – as the penal court ordered? Note that there is no order or judgment against him so as to be an example for the rest of the irresponsible young men. The Qatari young men are still exercising their unjustified activities in the private schools' streets to look at young girls and exchange phone numbers. What is the impediment that my daughter's run over sought to circulate?

A huge crowd saw my daughter's blood flowing on the ground and I shall always have a trace in your soil. A huge crowd saw my daughter naked and receiving the first aids and another one didn't seem concerned.

My lady, the next morning of the accident, my son Chadi who had seven years old back then, asked to go with his father to the police station where he required to impose the most severe punishment for the driver; according to him, the driver should be deprived from his freedom because he imprisoned his sister in a wooden box and should be deprived from food because his sister is not eating or drinking anymore.

I find myself obliged, my lady, and with all due respect to institute a civil lawsuit against the driver and the owner of the car for the sake of Dana and Chadi, a lawsuit that will serve as a lesson for every living young man.

It is not a crime to believe in humanity rather that class, or to only believe and trust in justice. My belief is strong and is rooted in my daily life and is originating from all the religious books. So why this silence if justice leads to freedom?

                    Dana Sakr's mother
                                      Marie-Antoinette Attiyeh

                                                                   17/2/2011