Iran: When a street talks

Iran: abandoned children left in street

Poverty in Iran

An abandoned new born baby was placed in a trash bag on April 4th and left in front of a hospital in the city of Mahshahr, Khuzestan Province, southern Iran. 

Perhaps one would say the phenomenon of abandoned children is nothing new and happens every day in the four corners of the this cruel world. Poverty or even family problems are usually the main cause of this heartrending story.

Although poverty is also one of the main factors behind unwanted children in the mullahs’ ruled Iran, but there is another frightening reason behind leaving the most vulnerable and innocent human life at the mercy of the chance in the winter cold or summer heat.

 According to the mullahs’ Sharia laws any woman who has a baby before marriage, is subjected to either stoning or hanging. Seeing an unattended baby on the dark hours of night on the pavement of some street or alley would bring tears to one’s eyes.

This was the case for an Iranian human rights activist and poet, M. Showq when he saw the photograph of this baby in the internet.  He wrote this poem from the eyes of the street;

This is a case of a child abandoned a few year ago. A caricaturist drew this sketch, and metaphorically showed the sorrow of the street curb.

 'Sleep my little child! 

Lay your head on my arms

Even though I can’t protect you from harms

Now you can have a mother 

Of course I can’t be a good one for you

But it is several years now I have this job, and do 

For kids like you

Sleep my Baby

Of course I can’t be a good mother 

For this drama

But I can understand you and your lost mama

I can understand her fate so dark and grey

Because I too am trampled and distressed every day

And feel cold during the nights

And witnessing misery and brutish under the lights

Sleep my Baby

In my arms, and die

Maybe tomorrow someone asks why

Then I shall tell to the world, your story 

With my doleful cry

Sleep my Baby, and die