15-month-old taken from mother (Habiba), who refused to stop breastfeeding

[nighten]

Forgive me if this has been posted, but I did a search and didn't find anything.

But I wanted to bring awareness to a situation in Madrid, where a young mother, who was living in a women's shelter with her 15-month-old infant, had her infant taken from her, because the mother (her name is Habiba) refused to stop nursing the baby. Despite the fact that the Spanish Association of Pediatrics states breastfeeding should be on demand and can be as long as mother and child wish, the authorities in Madrid removed the baby from Habiba for not weaning the child. 

Here are some links (I hope it's okay for me to post them):

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Worldwide-Mothers-support-Habiba-IMMF-Give-her-baby-back/125104760904059

http://www.amormaternal.com/2011/06/please-help-habiba.html

http://actuable.es/peticiones/dile-al-instituto-madrileno-del-menor-y-familia-reuna-a

And the email address for the organization that kidnapped the child is [e-mail]

If you do not speak Spanish (I don't), Google has a free translator that works well. I wrote my email in English but added the Google translation underneath.

[Margarita26]

Thanks for posting this! I also heard about this and have signed a petition. It's unbelievable... I feel sick just reading about it.

Hopefully they give Habiba her daughter back soon!

[nighten]

You're welcome. I was surprised no one had posted about it yet.

Here's the link for the petition:

http://actuable.es/peticiones/dile-al-instituto-madrileno-del-menor-y-familia-reuna-a

It's asking for your first name, last name, email address, and postal/zip code.

[Fynns Mommy]

Thanks for posting the link to the petition, I signed it.

[McGucks]

Can someone translate what the fields are asking for on the petition?  I know "nombre" is name, but...

Also, on what grounds is this idiocy occurring?  Are there other factors at play?  It seems outrageous and just not logical.  Is there more to the story?

[nighten]

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Zip/Postal Code

If you have access to the FB group, there's a lot more information, including some translations of articles written in Spanish. 

I would link more articles bu my kids are being wild monkeys today and not cooperating. If you can't access the FB group, let me know and hopefully tonight I can link some more direct articles.

[dmariev]

THANK YOU for posting this! I was just coming here to do the same! Something needs to happen. This poor mom & baby! It just isn't right!!

[Dar]

The mom is Moroccan. There's a lot of anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe, and in Spain particularly there's a lot of anti-Moroccan prejudice. I suspect that's what this is really about....

[sosurreal09]

The article made me cry. That poor baby has lost 1/2 a kilo and I'm sure has been CIO this whole time. The mom got to see her for 6 mins and she said she had cricles under her eyes and didn't even look like her baby anymore. My heart breaks for this child. I am nursing a 20 m/o and even a few hours separation gets her all upset. I am just so sickened by this.

[sosurreal09]

Anyone have an update as to what's going on? Is her daughter with her again?

[nighten]

Still not with her. And just released was this, which basically claims Alma (baby) was taken from Habiba, because Habiba was an attachment parent:

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=11dqrDVBudn2oA47veGcpQQPDzvivWtgNatA9H5q_1GM&pli=1

My blood boils. Seriously. I'm enraged over this.

Another news article here, with some good links within:

http://www.examiner.com/new-moms-in-wilmington/mother-and-child-separated-due-to-extended-breastfeeding-protesters-to-gather

Edited by nighten - 6/14/11 at 8:35pm

[sosurreal09]

This makes me so sick. Everything we do she did...I can not fathom HOW they can get away with this or WHY they would want to. Children are getting beaten and molested and they are taking a child b/c the mom is AP?

[JMJ]

I just heard about this today.  No words can express.... it could have been me!  My 26 month old has not been out of my sight for more than a couple hours her entire life.  Something like this would absolutely destroy us both.

[nighten]

Some things you can do, in addition to signing the petition, emailing the IMMF (though their inbox has been so flooded, you might get an error message, and it's likely you'll get an automated response that has nothing to do with Habiba), and various consulates/embassies:

Contact every single news agency you can and ask that they cover the story. NPR, CNN, local stations, whatever. 

Share the news in every way you can with others. Give them the URL to the FB page, for updates as they happen.

Go to the CNN page on FB and like it, then you can post a suggestion that they cover the story.

[nighten]

New update here (this will break your heart):

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1yNxPsbHi6OS2P-9utwSoY8yyfTkK2REztpsH9sB1ENg

Fundación Raices about Habiba's visit 16th June

This afternoon Habiba has been able to visit her daughter for an hour and to tell you the truth she has come out full of pain, helplessness and anger. Today, unlike other days, for the first time since they’ve been separated, Alma wanted to suck, she was looking for her mother’s breast, Habiba said: It felt as if her child suddenly remembered the way they were before, when they were together. And then Habiba has offered her breast to Alma, and just when the child was just beggining to latch on, one of the many observers who are present at every visit, has said loud and forcefully: "NO", Alma got frightened and moved her head away from her mother’s breast. Habiba has felt intimidated and mistreated again.

When Habiba was telling me this, full of rage and impotence, she asked me but ... Why do not want my daughter to love me, why do they do this? Habiba is very worried, she sees her daughter very sad, she says they are changing Alma, nothing is the same, she wants her daughter NOW, NOW, NOW, the next visit is not until next Tuesday.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!  Let’s  do everything in our power to put an end to this horror.Let’s make sure our protest and indignation is heard and let’s end this horror.

[intime0]

I just came over here to see if anything had been posted so I could post.  THis is a terrible travesty and i hope she is returned soon.  And it's true...we are all Habiba.  This could happen to any one of us for doing something "they" don't like. 

Fifteen monhts old. Precious baby needs her mama.

[sosurreal09]

I still can't believe it. It's been nearly a month now right? I have been praying and praying for this woman. I thought extended BFing was considered normal in Spain...guess I was REALLY wrong!

[Blue Lotus]

Thanks for posting this, nighten, I was just about to.

Here is another few links, along with a contact/idea/resource page that has a lot of email addresses and phone numbers. Please pass this along, mamas.

http://weareallhabiba.blogspot.com/2011/06/story-so-far.html

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FDCuOChOCj_EbeeoLKXC8pT6VdJ8tk8Qg4KPJMRo1II/mobilebasic?authkey=CP_Sr84P&hl=en_US&pli=1

I suspect that the more international awareness and pressure is put on them, the sooner Habiba will get her little girl back.

[Margarita26]

Hi everyone!

I got this update on a mailing list that I am on

It says that Habiba and her baby have been reuinited! hooray

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2011/06/22/espana/1308756420.html

there is supposed to be a translation of the article on facebook  but i can't find it. but i don't use facebook and don't really know how it works, so maybe you all will figure it out!

https://www.facebook.com/WeAreAllHabiba?sk=wall

anyway good news. though the bad news is that apparently all the trauma has meant that her daughter no longer breastfeeds...

[Margarita26]

here's one in english

http://www.examiner.com/new-moms-in-wilmington/reunited-mother-and-child-separated-over-attachment-parenting-together-again?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150295803199073_18342140_10150295987999073&ref=notif&notif_t=open_graph_comment#f158475cffe6d34