THE TWO SIMONES
Last week two hostages from Iraq, Simone Toretti and Simone Pari, were dramatically released and returned unharmed to Italy. I personally was thrilled, as for three weeks I had read about their parallel Simone existences and saw hundreds of different photos of the two 29-year old Italian girls working with children and their parents in Baghdad. They were obviously committed, driven girls. There was a wholesome intensity about them, a perceived sureness about what they were doing, and I was one of the millions who watched their live night landing at Fiumecine field in Rome.
Things have taken a few twists and turns since that exciting night. The two girls have incurred the wrath of US backers in the Italian government when they spoke their minds and asked people not to worry about them, but to worry about the innocent people being bombed and killed in Iraq everyday. That really pissed a lot of people off, especially as the girls plight had unified the country and every political group (including the Vatican) had rallied around their release. They further pissed people off when they said they wanted to return to Iraq as soon as possible to continue working with the people they had learned to love. And that comment was taken as ungratefulness to Italy who had done so much for them as one commentator said.
They were working for a group called Un Ponte Per , or A Bridge for , an international aid organization. They had also worked for Save the Children and other groups. The Red Cross was instrumental in helping negotiate their settlement. How helpful they were is now in question. There seems to have been a ransom paid, and a big one. Figures are ranging from 2 million to 33 million euros (a euro is now worth about $1.20). Reports are denied, and then surface again, and no one is really sure who is telling the truth. But of course this reported ransom has pissed even more people off, including our US president.
So there has been an increase in kidnappings in Baghdad since the rumors are believed by desperate and greedy people. There has also been an increase in statements by Italian families of hostages who were executed before and after the return of the Simones. They have come forward to gripe about the fact that there seems to have been two levels of hostage release negotiations. And, since this is a soccer country, it came to those terms today-that the two Simones were in the A league, and the two half-Italian, half-Iraqis killed yesterday were negotiated for like B league teams. Today the Simones were shown in an audience with the Pope (la Papa). One Simone was with her father (il papa) so she and her papa met the big Papa.
As I get drawn into the political controversies of Italy, I can see some merit in each of the different sides. Although personally I think these girls are paying an awfully big price for just trying to do what they believe in, I do get a little tired of both their smiling wholesome goodness and of people with different politics blaming them for what has happened with this ransom thing. They had no part in it and they were kidnapped in broad daylight in their place of work in a safe neighborhood. Their zeal to do good has certainly turned out bad for some unfortunate people. Maybe any super-committed individual is liable to this kind of problem.
I really feel for the moms, as I know they are wondering why these girls couldnt be equally committed to something safe like teaching rich kids. Hey, somebodys got to do it! As I see my own daughter trying to decide what to do with her life, I tell her not to worry if she does not have a grand passion for one thing or another, that sometimes it is ok to just sort of fall into a job. And a safe one, I hope, despite a few cuts on her finger from cutting limes for margaritas!
Finally, yesterday was my Saints day, a sort of second birthday, as I used to say when I taught Spanish. It is a celebration of the day of the name of the saint your name resembles. My neighbor and new friend Anna the cop called to tell me so. So for all you Franks, Francines and Francis and Frances out there, Happy Saints Day and be kind to animals, as was my namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi. Now there was one committed guy!
Things have taken a few twists and turns since that exciting night. The two girls have incurred the wrath of US backers in the Italian government when they spoke their minds and asked people not to worry about them, but to worry about the innocent people being bombed and killed in Iraq everyday. That really pissed a lot of people off, especially as the girls plight had unified the country and every political group (including the Vatican) had rallied around their release. They further pissed people off when they said they wanted to return to Iraq as soon as possible to continue working with the people they had learned to love. And that comment was taken as ungratefulness to Italy who had done so much for them as one commentator said.
They were working for a group called Un Ponte Per , or A Bridge for , an international aid organization. They had also worked for Save the Children and other groups. The Red Cross was instrumental in helping negotiate their settlement. How helpful they were is now in question. There seems to have been a ransom paid, and a big one. Figures are ranging from 2 million to 33 million euros (a euro is now worth about $1.20). Reports are denied, and then surface again, and no one is really sure who is telling the truth. But of course this reported ransom has pissed even more people off, including our US president.
So there has been an increase in kidnappings in Baghdad since the rumors are believed by desperate and greedy people. There has also been an increase in statements by Italian families of hostages who were executed before and after the return of the Simones. They have come forward to gripe about the fact that there seems to have been two levels of hostage release negotiations. And, since this is a soccer country, it came to those terms today-that the two Simones were in the A league, and the two half-Italian, half-Iraqis killed yesterday were negotiated for like B league teams. Today the Simones were shown in an audience with the Pope (la Papa). One Simone was with her father (il papa) so she and her papa met the big Papa.
As I get drawn into the political controversies of Italy, I can see some merit in each of the different sides. Although personally I think these girls are paying an awfully big price for just trying to do what they believe in, I do get a little tired of both their smiling wholesome goodness and of people with different politics blaming them for what has happened with this ransom thing. They had no part in it and they were kidnapped in broad daylight in their place of work in a safe neighborhood. Their zeal to do good has certainly turned out bad for some unfortunate people. Maybe any super-committed individual is liable to this kind of problem.
I really feel for the moms, as I know they are wondering why these girls couldnt be equally committed to something safe like teaching rich kids. Hey, somebodys got to do it! As I see my own daughter trying to decide what to do with her life, I tell her not to worry if she does not have a grand passion for one thing or another, that sometimes it is ok to just sort of fall into a job. And a safe one, I hope, despite a few cuts on her finger from cutting limes for margaritas!
Finally, yesterday was my Saints day, a sort of second birthday, as I used to say when I taught Spanish. It is a celebration of the day of the name of the saint your name resembles. My neighbor and new friend Anna the cop called to tell me so. So for all you Franks, Francines and Francis and Frances out there, Happy Saints Day and be kind to animals, as was my namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi. Now there was one committed guy!
posted by Sicilian Mama at 4:47 PM
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