Today, August 19th, 2006, a little girl named Abeer Qasim Hamza al-Janabi would have become 15-years-old. Instead on March 12th of this year, her life and the lives of her baby sister and her parents were ended by monsters amongst men.

I hope today she is in a better place. Today we remember her. To us she will always remain forever young.

Below are the lyrics from Bob Dylan’s "Forever Young":

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

Here is a video of Bob Dylan performing "Forever Young" with Bruce Springsteen:

Here is a video of the ever young Joan Baez taking Dylan’s lyrics and making them soar with her angelic voice (click image below to play video):

Joan Baez performs Forever Young

Here is Rod Stewart’s version of Dylan’s classic:

John Donne said:

…any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.

When we are killing our children we are all culpable. A society and a world that fails to protect its children is doomed to extinction. Today we mourn the death of one child and remember her. With us mourn a thousand parents who lose their children to disease, starvation and the evil of war. We must forge a better tomorrow from the ashes of today. We owe it to the countless innocent lives that have passed from here so young and so needlessly.

Abeer, may you stay forever young.

 Vigils for Abeer on August 19, 2006:

  • Washington Square Park, New York, NY 7:30 p.m.
  • Macarthur Park, Los Angeles, CA 7:30 p.m.
  • Willard Park, Berkeley, CA 7:30 p.m.