Linked with The Tragic Last Moments Of Margaret Hassan.
Margaret Hassan (also known as Madam Margaret), born April 18, 1945 was an aid worker who had worked in Iraq for many years until she was abducted and murdered by unidentified kidnappers in Iraq in 2004, at the age of 59. She was born Margaret Fitzsimmons in Dalkey, County Dublin, Ireland, to parents Peter and Mary Fitzsimmons. However, soon after the end of World War II her family moved to London, England, where she spent most of her early life and where her younger siblings were born. At the age of twenty seven she married Tahseen Ali Hassan, a twenty-nine-year-old Iraqi studying engineering in the United Kingdom. She moved to Iraq with him in 1972, when she began work with the British Council of Baghdad, teaching English. Eventually she learned Arabic and became an Iraqi citizen, as was required of foreigners under Saddam Hussein’s government. She remained a Roman Catholic throughout her life and never converted to Islam as was widely reported after her death. A requiem Mass was held for her, after her death was confirmed, at Westminster Cathedral by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor … and: Aftermath: … At least eight other women kidnapped by insurgents during the conflict were released unharmed by their captors (Simona Pari, Simona Torretta, Florence Aubenas, Giuliana Sgrena, Teresa Borcz Khalifa, Hannelore Krause, Marie Jeanne Ion, and Jill Carroll) … and: … It is unclear why Margaret Hassan, who was opposed to the war, was killed; the kidnappers did not identify their group nor their aims … (my comment: for me the revenge of a secret US-ultra right wing commando makes the only real sense, just because she was against war) … (full text).
It is said: « Margaret’s loss is not only to her family but also to the Iraqi people for whom she worked tirelessly and for whom she gave her life ».
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Margaret Hassan – Ireland-England-Iraq (1945 – 2004?)
Sister in plea over Hassan’s body, June 4, 2006.
UK tactics ‘led to Hassan death’, June 4, 2006.
… Downing Street has declined to respond to Mrs Hassan’s call for British troops to stay out of Baghdad and quit Iraq … (full text, October 22, 2004).
… Arab network Al-Jazeera reported, « Al-Jazeera has obtained a video showing a masked militant shooting a blindfolded woman, who was referred to as Margaret Hassan, in the head using a handgun. Al-Jazeera decided to wait on reporting the news until it confirmed the authenticity of the tape » … (full text, Nov. 17, 2004).
Mystery remains over who killed Margaret Hassan.
… Mrs Hassan was snatched by gunmen two weeks ago. She has since been shown on videotapes pleading for Britain to withdraw troops from Iraq. Zarqawi’s Tawhid and Jihad group, believed to number up to 500 militants, is suspected of the direct kidnapping and beheading of a number of Westerners in Iraq, including Mr Bigley last month. Many of the killings have been videotaped and broadcast over the internet. Mrs Hassan, 59, was born in Dublin and has family in Kenmare, County Kerry although her sisters Deirdre and Catherine Fitzsimons now live in London. Mrs Hassan, who has British, Irish and Iraqi nationality, was seized on 19 October by unidentified kidnappers. A Foreign office spokesman would not comment on the latest events, saying the government’s position of not negotiating with kidnappers had been made clear … (full text, Nov. 2, 2004).
A fourth man has been arrested over the kidnap and killing of 59-year-old British aid worker Margaret Hassan, the UK embassy in Iraq has said … (full text, May 2, 2005).
Find her name on Google Video-search; on Google Group-search; on Google Book-search; on Google Blog-search.
… On seeing Margaret, thin, stressed faces, broke into wide smiles, children ran and hugged her round the knees chanting: « Madam Margaret, Madam Margaret » … (full text, Oct. 22, 2004).
… Patients of an Iraqi hospital (where her work had some effect) took to the streets in protest against the hostage takers’ actions. On October 25, between 100 and 200 Iraqis protested outside CARE’s offices in Baghdad, demanding her release. Prominent elements of the Iraqi resistance, such as the Shura Council of Fallujah Mujahedeen, condemned the kidnapping and called for her release … (full text).