BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Five-year-old Youssif is scarred for life, his once beautiful smile turned into a grotesquely disfigured face -- the face of a horrifying act by masked men. They grabbed him on a January day outside his central Baghdad home, doused him with gas and set him ablaze.
It's an act incomprehensibly savage, even by Iraq's standards today. No one has been arrested and the motive remains unknown.
In a war-ravaged city torn by sectarian violence and marked by acts of vengeance, this attack's apparent randomness stands out as an example of what life has become in a place where brutality -- even against young children -- is a constant.
"They dumped gasoline, burned me, and ran," Youssif told CNN, pointing down the street with his scarred hands where his attackers fled.
As he sucked his thumb, he repeated, "I was burning." He tried to put the flames out himself.
It looks as though this boy's face melted and then froze into rivers cutting through swollen hard flesh. It's hard to see the energetic outgoing child his parents describe beneath the sullen demeanor that defines Youssif today.
"He's become spiteful, I am not sure why," said his mother, Zainab. "He is jealous of everyone. If I say the slightest thing to him, he cries. He's sensitive." Watch the mother describe how she cries at night wracked with guilt »
Even things like eating have become a chore. His face contorts when he tries to shovel rice into his mouth, carefully angling the spoon and then using his fingers to push the little grains through lips he can no longer fully open.
He has also become jealous of the baby sister he used to dote on. "I sit sometimes at night and cry," Zainab said, her voice heavy with guilt. "If only I hadn't let him go outside, if only I hadn't let him play."
It was on January 15 that masked men attacked her boy, their identities still unknown. Zainab said she was upstairs at the time.
"I heard screaming. I thought someone was fighting or something," she said.
She ran downstairs, saw her son and fainted. When she came to, she barely recognized her child. "His head was so swollen, you couldn't see his eyes, and his nose was pushed in."
"There was blood," she added, shuddering slightly. "The skin was melted off."
He spent two months in the hospital recovering from the severe burns. These days Youssif spends most of his time indoors, in front of the computer. It's only then that traces of the 5-year-old in him emerge. "He can't play outside with the other kids," Zainab said. "The other day they were playing, and he came in crying. I asked him, 'What's wrong?' and he said, 'They won't play with me because I am burned.'"
She said he once wanted to be a doctor and he loved kindergarten. "He used to be the one who would wake me up every morning, saying let's go to school," Zainab recalled.
She coaxed him to tell me the few words he knows in English. "Girl, boy, window, fan," he said, his voice barely audible, the words barely intelligible.
Doctors told the family there is little more they can do to help Youssif. The family can't afford care outside Iraq.
So Zainab has taken a massive risk by telling her story to the world. Her husband works as a security guard, and it's too dangerous for him to talk to the media.
"I'd prefer death than seeing my son like this," Zainab said.
All she wants is for someone to help her little boy smile again.
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
Can someone please explain to me how these men can do something like that. And I would also like to know how one can blame George Bush for grown men setting a child on fire, or for that matter all of the other Muslim against Muslin violence that is often over minor religious differences that has been happening since Saddam took power, probably longer.
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
format_quote Originally Posted by Science101
Can someone please explain to me how these men can do something like that. And I would also like to know how one can blame George Bush for grown men setting a child on fire, or for that matter all of the other Muslim against Muslin violence that is often over minor religious differences that has been happening since Saddam took power, probably longer.
how these men can do something like that? Simple, Hate.
how one can blame George Bush? Must people will not accept the responsibility for the evil they do, so they just blame someone else. Also, it is always blame someone you hate.
In my opinion, hate is the base for most all of this kind of stuff.
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
I like your answer wilberhum. Especially the "Also, it is always blame someone you hate." part.
Saddam was giving families of suicide bombers 25000 US dollars for each child that blew themselves up, made suicide bombing seem heroic, and that only encouraged the violence we are now seeing.
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
format_quote Originally Posted by Science101
I like your answer wilberhum. Especially the "Also, it is always blame someone you hate." part.
Saddam was giving families of suicide bombers 25000 US dollars for each child that blew themselves up, made suicide bombing seem heroic, and that only encouraged the violence we are now seeing.
There are many things "that only encouraged the violence we are now seeing".
Giving money to the families who have a child who killed himself so that he could kill innocent people, is only one of them.
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
And once again, the USA comes to the aid of a victim of violence in a very violent part of the world.
When informed of the news in Baghdad, Youssif ran around his house, saying, "Daddy, daddy, am I really going to get on a plane?!"
Youssif's father was also cheered by the news. "I feel like I am going to fly from happiness," his father told CNN's Arwa Damon, who reported the story on what happened to Youssif.
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
It is understandable that many will try to find something or somebody to blame for this, but the reality is that the occupation doesn't make someone set a child on fire. Evil is the only culprit here, and those that carried out this brutal attack are obviously evil.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
I 100% agree Keltoi. And in my opinion the evil ones spread their evil by making it seem like it's the fault of the USA that they do this kind of sick minded thing, when in fact the USA is one of the few countries trying to end this sickness.
The Muslim world might in time be living in shame for what is now happening. Like in World War Two, the USA saved entire countries from a madman pretending to be a holy-man while others in the area went along with their madness. Ironically, many of the same countries that did nothing then, are doing nothing now.
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
Who has America saved? Oh yea Afganistan, Iraq, Somalia! Somalia had peace for 6 months thanks to an Islamic group and what do the U.S. Govermant do? Start a rumour about Somalia harbering Al- Qaeda members. They back the Eithopian govermant to Invade Somali and now Somalia once again is in caos thanks to the U.S.
The USA and England saved France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Poland, and many more. Eventually had to conduct the "Berlin Airlift" to save the people of that German city who were being starved by the Soviets with a punishing blockade.
After the war the countries that the US liberated did very well. Japan that sent suicide bombers after us, became a superpower. Those who feel under Soviet control ended up dirt poor and hungry, oppressed, and that didn't end until they were able to liberate themselves (with help from the USA of course).
And it was Adolf Hitler who started a mass migration of Jewish war refugees into Palestine. The USA got stuck in the middle of that conflict too.
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
format_quote Originally Posted by mohammed farah
Who has America saved? Oh yea Afganistan, Iraq, Somalia! .
And I must add that none of the conflicts you mentioned have ended.
format_quote Originally Posted by mohammed farah
Somalia had peace for 6 months thanks to an Islamic group and what do the U.S. Govermant do? Start a rumour about Somalia harbering Al- Qaeda members. They back the Eithopian govermant to Invade Somali and now Somalia once again is in caos thanks to the U.S.
Somalia has always been in chaos. I believe that Al-Qaeda was very active there. But I do not understand enough about that conflict to comment on it, like I can about WW2 which I studied in much more detail.
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
format_quote Originally Posted by Science101
And I must add that none of the conflicts you mentioned have ended.
Somalia has always been in chaos. I believe that Al-Qaeda was very active there. But I do not understand enough about that conflict to comment on it, like I can about WW2 which I studied in much more detail.
I don't think you know much about somalia! En wikipedia would be a start for you. Somalia was in peace, Somalia had peace, They got colonized by the Frence, English and Italians. Got independence in from the UK and Italy on July 1, 1960. Had peace for 15 years then had a war with Eitopia over the Ogaden region. afterward still had peace up too 1988 and after that, The chaos started. But then last year The Islamic Courts Gave Somalia peace. More Somalis were coming bakc to visit. The country had turned more Islamic and was following the sharia law. The U.S. Does did not like it one bit, And start a rumour about Somalia harbouring Al-Qaeda. Now Somalia is back to chaos,!
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
format_quote Originally Posted by Umma Wasat
AsalamuALaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,
a little child!!!!!! :'(
Allah (Subhana wa ta'ala) sees and helps, May Allah (swt) help the child and family. Ameen (say Ameen)
That was soo horrible.
Ameen sis, and may Allah(SWT) make him and his families days more bearable. The poor kid got his childhood taken away from him. They should make a charity, and insha'allah the Ummah can donate to the family for better care for Yousiff.
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
format_quote Originally Posted by Science101
Somalia has always been in chaos.
You're right brother, that's why we're all dispersed around the world. We can't go back home because of the situation in Somalia. We've never had peace.
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Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
That was soo horrible.
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
Re: Boy, 5, doused in gas, set on fire by masked men
Ameen sis, and may Allah(SWT) make him and his families days more bearable. The poor kid got his childhood taken away from him. They should make a charity, and insha'allah the Ummah can donate to the family for better care for Yousiff.
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