because i have a one-track mind

i'm going to repeat myself - again!

thanks to carpetblogger (and some magical key words like "acrassicauda" and  "heavy metal in baghdad"), two other bloggers have picked up my post about donating to help acrassicauda stay in turkey while they wait to see if their refugee applications to the UNHCR are accepted. (in other words, they applied to UNHCR and now they have to wait to see if they will be granted refugee status and resettled once and for all in yet another country.)

so thank you carpetblogger, melissa maples and on the pod.

and here's the repeat (which is really just a rewrite from the HMiB website) -

acrassicauda

HELP SAVE OUR HEAVY METAL FRIENDS FROM AN UNCERTAIN FATE IN BAGHDAD

In November 2007, the Iraqi metal band Acrassicauda was able to get to Turkey through the help of friends who donated money for them to leave Syria. Their visas in Syria were expiring and the government of Syria was threatening to force all Iraqis to return to Iraq.

Now they are in Turkey and their money and options are running out. Life in Turkey is very expensive and very difficult for people waiting to find out if they can officially be resettled by the UNHCR in another country (Turkey does not accept refugees from anywhere other than the West). As it stands now, they may have to return to Baghdad, simply because they can't afford to stay in Turkey much longer. It's impossible to stress just how dangerous this will be for them. It could very likely be a death sentence, and the time in which we can help them is quickly running out.

You can help by making a donation to assist Acrassicauda in surviving while they are stuck waiting in Istanbul. The band has no bank accounts and Paypal doesn't function in Turkey so the makers of the documentary (HEAVY METAL IN BAGHDAD) about them setup a Paypal account on their behalf. No donation is too small. By giving as little as ten dollars, you can be a part of keeping the heavy metal dreams of four young Iraqi men alive.

DONATE HERE!

Born out of a basement rehearsal space in Baghdad, Acrassicauda (Latin for "black scorpion") is Iraq's only heavy metal band. Inspired by western bands like Metallica, Slayer and Slipknot, they began writing and playing metal in 2001. Their dream of performing live in Iraq soon became the struggle of their lives.

Due to increased security precautions throughout Iraq, it became difficult to practice-much less get through a show-without literally risking their lives. As the situation worsened in Baghdad they began receiving death threats from insurgents and religious fundamentalists accusing them of Satanism.

The war has now all but destroyed their dream of living in peace, growing their hair long, banging their heads and shredding as loud as they want. The members of Acrassicauda are currently seeking asylum in Istanbul, Turkey.  All of their visa applications to foreign countries have been denied.

i wish there were some other way people could do something to help. this feels an awful lot like throwing money at a problem - without really doing anything to solve the underlying issues. however, in this case, cash contributions really are the very thing that is needed. so please make a donation to this paypay account. maybe you can skip a couple of lattes this week or have dinner in with your friends instead of going out this weekend. every little bit helps.

while you're at it, please forward any of these links (carpetblogger, melisssa maples, on the pod (scroll down to acrassicauda) or villa luna) to all your friends.

and please don't forget - DONATE HERE!

peace

 

acrassicauda

HELP SAVE OUR HEAVY METAL FRIENDS FROM AN UNCERTAIN FATE IN BAGHDAD

In November 2007, the Iraqi metal band Acrassicauda was able to get to Turkey through the help of friends who donated money for them to leave Syria. Their visas in Syria were expiring and the government of Syria was threatening to force all Iraqis to return to Iraq.

Now they are in Turkey and their money and options are running out. Life in Turkey is very expensive and very difficult for people waiting to find out if they can officially be resettled by the UNHCR in another country (Turkey does not accept refugees from anywhere other than the West). As it stands now, they may have to return to Baghdad, simply because they can't afford to stay in Turkey much longer. It's impossible to stress just how dangerous this will be for them. It could very likely be a death sentence, and the time in which we can help them is quickly running out.

You can help by making a donation to assist Acrassicauda in surviving while they are stuck waiting in Istanbul. The band has no bank accounts and Paypal doesn't function in Turkey so the makers of the documentary (HEAVY METAL IN BAGHDAD) about them setup a Paypal account on their behalf. No donation is too small. By giving as little as ten dollars, you can be a part of keeping the heavy metal dreams of four young Iraqi men alive.

DONATE HERE!

Born out of a basement rehearsal space in Baghdad, Acrassicauda (Latin for "black scorpion") is Iraq's only heavy metal band. Inspired by western bands like Metallica, Slayer and Slipknot, they began writing and playing metal in 2001. Their dream of performing live in Iraq soon became the struggle of their lives.

Due to increased security precautions throughout Iraq, it became difficult to practice-much less get through a show-without literally risking their lives. As the situation worsened in Baghdad they began receiving death threats from insurgents and religious fundamentalists accusing them of Satanism.

The war has now all but destroyed their dream of living in peace, growing their hair long, banging their heads and shredding as loud as they want. The members of Acrassicauda are currently seeking asylum in Istanbul, Turkey.  All of their visa applications to foreign countries have been denied.

i wish there were some other way people could do something to help. this feels an awful lot like throwing money at a problem - without really doing anything to solve the underlying issues. however, in this case, cash contributions really are the very thing that is needed. so please make a donation to this paypay account. maybe you can skip a couple of lattes this week or have dinner in with your friends instead of going out this weekend. every little bit helps.

while you're at it, please forward any of these links (carpetblogger, melisssa maples, on the pod (scroll down to acrassicauda) or villa luna) to all your friends.

and please don't forget - DONATE HERE!

peace