Please help us start a new life!

Aisha’s family is among 3,400 war-ravaged Iraqis in Britain seeking asylum in Britain and she is terrified that her claim will be rejected and her war traumatized babies will be forced to return to a country that has been devastated by war.

"It is not myself that I care about," says Aisha, "it is my children who have seen terrible things that no little child should see."

"They have nightmares every night and my husband and I are exhausted. We are not well ourselves -- I cry all the time and I am in constant pain, and my husband suffers deep depression, too  -- and I worry all the time about what will happen to my babies if we die here, or if we are forcibly returned to Iraq."

"How can we help our babies overcome the terrible things they have seen and been through when we are victimized in this way?"

"Our misery is seen by them every day and because they never see us happy they are not happy themselves," cries Aisha. "But how can I pretend to be happy when I am crushed with sadness about the terrible life we left and have been given no hope for the future?"

"Is it that your country hates Iraqis or hates Muslims so much that you would send two little babies back to Iraq to get killed?"

"Everyone helps tsunami and earthquake victims," sighs Aisha. "Why is nobody helping the terribly traumatized people of Iraq -- especially the little children?"

"We are here; please help us start a new life."

Read more by Aisha on this issue:

• Go back where you came from?
• limbo immigrants