.::. My Iraqi Friend .::.
The Reality Of Life In Iraq…BEFORE and NOW!
It was in the mid of 2001 or 2002 when she sent me the first letter. A mistake brought her to me…she got my mailbox by a mistake, but she wanted to be a friend. She was needing a close friend, so I couldn’t say No…. she gave me the bitter picture of realty of people suffer and their Dreams became just mirages.
I couldn’t imagine such a suffer and agony like this. I got the whole picture of her suffering life…through letter after letter. She told me how she lost her Father and Mother because of illness and lack of medicines and cures,,, How she gave up her study and school to work in a factory…she used to start from 5 AM to 5 PM in very unhealthy conditions that made her and her mates get illness…so horrible to imagine!! Besides, that the owner of the factory was so cruel and if any one of them felt ill and can't work properly, he will easily expel her and bring stronger one regardless how much she needs to work, so she kept working so hard despite her weakness. Her income was not enough to make her and her sister, brother and aunt living happily. There were so many things to pay for. The house where they live is a rent house. One of the difficult moments that she faced when her sister caught illness and she was needed an urgent surgery, but with their tiny incomes that was impossible. They sold their furniture, TV, Radio,,, all things can be useful to collect enough money,,, good people helped them with what they could offer. Happily, her sister went through that surgery and she is fine. All these before the invasion of aggression Army of American "The New Pirates".
Now, she lost her Job because she can't go out as before,,, she can't go out even for normal things,,, she and her family barely can survive each day where The Death can be in any corner. She told me how it's terrible to see people you knew became Human Flesh pieces. The Human Flesh Pieces can be seem everywhere.
I was cohabiting her hard and harsh life for years by her words and letters…
What happened from that time till now?!!
Not even a single positive thing!!! NONE!
BEFORE: at least she got a job and kept her dreams alive to go back to school one day and complete her studies. Life wasn't that bad…all that because of the siege and the economic siege "that America put it on Iraqi People", there was not enough supplies of foods and medicines and equipments. For that she Lost her Parents. That Siege made Iraq and Iraqi people so weak. As she told me at that time, there was a card for each family to get a monthly supplies from the government, so there was good plan to make life easily for each family. The lack of medicines at that time caused death of more than 1 million child in Iraq.
NOW: The brilliant idea of supply card is dead, there is no one giving the families monthly supplies right now. The people of Iraq not only still suffer with the lack of supplies, but lack of safety, lack of trust, lack of everything can be imagine. The Death become the daily visitor to Iraqis,,, no one sure that he/she will be safe or stay alive this day or tomorrow,,, This is the freedom of America.
my dear friend stuck in the house, she can't find a job, she hasn't any incomes and the owner of the house wants his money, she tries to write and imagine nice things for me,,, she said in her last letter: everything still the same, the death lies ahead for us in every corner and street, but we can't do anything except praying and asking God to help and save us.
*********
My Dear Pretty Friend,,, She is an angel, Pure, Innocent, virtuous. I have one picture of her, I wish I can put it for you to see that angelic face and pure beauty of Iraq, but I can't put it before getting her permission "but I will put a design with her eyes".
She wrote very special letters for me, her words,, her lines, she use wonderful words to write even though she didn't complete her 7 grade. She is 4 or 5 senior than me, but her pure heart and satisfaction making me feel I'm less and less than her.
I feel ashamed to be so unsatisfied with my own life, I'm so stubborn and moody If didn't get one stupid material thing, or If I asked for something and I didn't get it immediately, How ungrateful I am towards God' Graces. I'm living in very big modern house, having my own big private room with all things, PC, Mobile phone, toys, teddy bears...etc like a spoiled baby girl,,, I'm enviable by my own friends,, one of my friends came to visit me and she wowed by my own room and said: you have all these and you are not happy!!!!
I couldn't figure out what is the big deal!
Now, I admit that I'm so ungrateful to God.
I write these post as a lesson for me to be satisfy and happy with God Blisses.
I write this post as tribute to My Dear Strong Iraqi Friend. I wrote for her in my last letter these English words:
Keep your Rosy "Dreams" On
Keep your Faith
And
Your Soul
Shining like a Sun
She will not understand my words because she can't read or speak English, but she knows that will be tender words to encouraging her.
I was thinking of scanning one her letters to let you see and touch her tender, wonderful and moving words that making me shed tears and stand speechless for this great girl…
May God Save Her and Her Family.
*****
PS: "I'm against American Army and their aggression, I'm against American administration, but I'm in love with American people "The Real Americans". I have great, faithful, respectable and honest American friends and they are totally against the aggression of their army and the unfair wars that American administration made against weak peoples and countries"
posted by Noor Al-Amal at 4:06 AM
14 Comments:
I am happy I am the first to comment on this WONDERFUL post!
How tragic what your friend had to pass and even more tragic the situation, the hopelessness she is in right now! And then to have a landlord who is lacking ANY compassion for her plight, makes it all even worse!
Yes Noor, there's a lot of incredible suffering on this planet and even though you may say now "how can SHE say that, how does she know?", I assure you - I've seen a LOT and I DO KNOW!
As much as your friend needs materialistic help - she does need YOU at least AS MUCH, a dear friend who makes sure, she is not forgotten, someone from outside does remember her and feels with her!
It was a TERRIBLE thing to start this war and now, after three years, the situation is worse and more dangerous that ever with countless killed people every single day. I wish from all my heart for these responsible to be called to justice one day as JUSTICE MUST prevail - NOT ONLY in Iraq but in EACH country which is being occupied!!
What you write about Americans I can 100% support!! I am TOTALLY against ANY aggression, ANY occupation - and consequently against those responsible and their administration! There are fine Americans though ... people who abhor any injustice, any violence, are non-biased and openminded! My dear friend Chet (http://criese1946.blogspot.com/
is one of them ...
Please tell your Iraqi friend, there is someone in Germany who does care a LOT about her, her family - and them ALL ... and who prays to Allah to give them strength, safety - and HOPE!! I am sending her a BIG hug ...
Touching story, as always the world leaders play their game and ordinary ppl pay the price.
I dislike George Bush, but I dislike Saddam Hussein even more. So, who is right and who is wrong ?
The Iraqi ppl has suffered for so long. Let's pray it'll be over one day.
Please send your friend my greetings along with Karin's.
Oh, Dear Karin. Thank you so much. I wrote this only for my beloved friend. She is really like an angel to me. She amazing me with her optimism and for her searching for the happiness with anything, she can imagine the happiness even with stars at night. Honestly, I cry every time I receive any letter from her. She is strong-willed girl with big Love, big Heart and big Hope for this life. When the invasion began, she stopped for a while, then she returned told me that the mail building has been bombed during the strikes and bombardment. Nevertheless, she managed to send again through her friend there. Now, she sends her letters from Jordan with her neighbor who is a lorry driver. So, each time he go to Jordan to bring goods, she give him a letter for me. Myself, I send a registered letters all the time. Mostly, my letters arrive to her. Well, I'm really happy we still in touch.
Yes, I will write a new letter and I will tell her about you and what I did here EnshaAllah. She knows nothing about my intention even though I wanted to do that for years. Thanks God I did now, introducing my best friend to you. I know she will allowed me to publish her photo and her letters, I know she will say yes, just for me, I know she will never say NO to me, but honestly, I will not publish her angelic face or her letters. I was enthusiastic to do that, but when I rethought about it, I was horrifying with idea of a bad inhuman person somewhere could use her picture or try to reach her to hurt her somehow. I was really terrifying by this idea, so I said to myself: "No, I will never do this, she is still in unstable place, in the middle of the danger and that could put her in more real danger". So, dear friends, I will not put her picture or her letters. Maybe, when they really get their real freedom I will do that.
Oh, Karin, thanks so much for giving me Chet's blog. He has gorgeous blog and I never been there.
Halalhippie: When I wrote this, I wanted people to see the ordinary people and how the game of unfair leaders could cause. I dislike both of them; I really think they are both caused all this and both need to be prosecuting as a criminals. Anyways, Saddam despite his ugliness and horrible things that he done, he did one positive thing as I can see, he helped his people with that supply cards, it's nothing for us, but it was great for poor people under siege. It's good that people of Iraq rid of Saddam, but now they paid more than before, every single day there are many people fall in many ways. So, it was bad choice and unjust move. Here, I want people to see the ugly face of wars and how it was wrong from the beginning.
The game of politics is so dirty and filled with innocents' blood.
Noor, dear friend, you did a marvellous thing by writing this story!
She seems to be a real angel and a very strong-willed woman! You know, despite ALL the hardship and lack of almost everything, what she and ALL the people in Iraq need MOST - is HOPE .. HOPE for a better future!
As blogs in general is read internationally, I find it a good decision NOT to publish her picture .. at least for the time being! It is always better to be safe ... than sorry and the situation there is THAT horrid and unstable, that one has to take everything into calculation!
Please do visit Chet's blog - he's a wonderful person with a lot of love in his heart for every good person, regardless of who he/she is or what nationality/religion someone has!
Send her my hug ... and tell her, her plight is NOT forgotten and I love her very much!
Tell her NEVER to lose HOPE!!
asalamu alaykum (peace to you all)...
She is just one of many millions :(
On the day of judgement (yaum al qiyama) we will be asked about how we spent our wealth...For sure, this sister has nothing to worry about, it is us that should be concerned.
To Allah we Belong and to Him we return...
How's your friend?
I miss you!!:)
Thank you Karin. I will tell her about you and about ur greetings. She will be happy to know that people who are so far and from other countries and other cultures sharing her suffering and loving her as brothers and sisters sharing One World. :)
Al-Hajeji: did u change the picture of ur identity!??
Who talked here about wealth or fortunes?!!!!
Anyways, she is carrying a big responsibility to take care of her small family….her brother and her sister.
Besides, it's not about how many you have, but about how you deal with what you have. Maybe there are people have little, but they are so selfish and greedy while maybe there are wealthy, but they are giving and generous and do more good deeds than others. It's depend on ur direction and self-interests.
As I have pointed out before you cannot place the blame of circumstance and hardship on political ideologies and nations as a general 'evil.' I think this is veiling the problem, and ignoring the real issues.
It's funny that people will blame America's “Democracy” or “Freedom” when they don't understand the meaning of the words. What is more interesting is that they want to blame someone for the apathy which fuels the source of the problem, and apathy they themselves (often) exert.
When change happens, they cry havoc. Yet, change comes with a price as we are all aware. Freedom is much harder to maintain than a world without it. Hence Chaos never equals true freedom, but only the illusion of freedom through a state of anarchy. But let's not lecture an American on freedom, not unless we understand what that claim entails: Understanding of the Declaration of Independence, and how a divided structure of power is regulated by a systematic checks and balances of Government, 3 branches of government overseen by the direction of God fearing people. When you can explain to an American what the 3 branches of Government have to do with freedom, I think they will anxiously listen to you.
Many Muslims live in America and Canada. To say it is all America's fault implies it is their fault also. The controversy here comes from travesty, hypocrisy, tyranny, and the like. These things, I'm afraid, are present in all Governments to some degree. Sometimes they show themselves more as in the examples of Sadam Hussein’s regime. Sometimes they show themselves less, for example: New Zealand.
The real question isn't: who has it bad now? The real question should be, what was done could not be avoided, and so what will the future be like? Will it be better or worse 50 or 60 years from now? It was already bad, as you have stated, but to make judgmental calls and place the blame in the midst of turmoil seems a bit preemptive, and shows little to no respect for those who are innocent or trying to make things right. I think those who exhibit apathy should turn that resilience to making a decision into the positive energy of patience rather than complaining about it.
In 60 years from now, if things haven't improved better than they were before the occupation (and yes, that is what it is)... then I'll concede and most likely eat my hat. But if things end up changing for the better, then I'm afraid I won't have enough hats for everyone else to eat.
Until then, it is in God’s hands.
As I have stated, many people are trying the help and bring awareness to these hard situations.
For example, during the Bosnian crisis, Joe Kubert (a famous cartoonist) was in corispondence with a friend much like Noor's friend. Through their faxes, Joe then drew the horrendous things going on in the country according to his friend. The book is called: FAX FROM SARAJEVO.
You might wonder how drawing somebody else's real life horror story can help? Well, it brought awareness to millions of Americans who didn't know what was happening. After that many people wanted to try and help make the situation better.
I think writing about it is a good way to bring awareness. Showing pictures is a good way to make people believe it's really happening. But staying postive and showing great charity is the best way to aid the suffering. I think too many people throw their arms up and say, "It is impossible," or "It's too late now," but it's never too late.
I just know, from experience, that being negative and placing the blame never solves anything, but staying positive and helping in any little way you can is important.
I think Noor brings awareness to people's problems, but I think you may disenfranchise many people who'd want to help by labeling them as the 'enemy' and so they won't take your word for it. Being politically sensative is a tricky thing, but if you want Americans to notice the problem, it helps not to say "America's freedom and idea of democracy is at fault...etc." because then, when things like this are said, people will just ignore what you have to say.
I know others will listen, but what good can they do if they're not at the source of the problem. Will they declare another Jihad or protest more? That won't fix anything. If America is the problem, then America has to make the choice to fix the problem.
For example, if you have a little brother or sister who has a 'picking their nose' problem, and they pick all the time! Gross, right? Well, you can only bring 'awareness' to the problem, because only they can make the choice to stop picking their nose.
If you try to force them to stop, they will only think you are being unfair or mean to them. They will either pick their nose more, or in secrecy so you won't find out untilo much later. I think this is how we must treat this situation. We can only share our hopes and our concerns, so that we can spread awareness in a positive light. Then maybe, America will address its problem. Everything else is futile unless America wants to change its policies, acts, and leadership.
noor: "Al-Hajeji: did u change the picture of ur identity!??"
Yes I did...Everyone kept on assuming that I am a terrorist or supported them because I covered my face. So I chose this picture, although that it is not me, I just thought it looked cool. But I still prefer my older real identity pic. :(
Dear Tristan
I wanted people to live and imagine the life of one person from Iraq, she can be like an example for you. Look how she suffered starting from the siege that caused the death of her parents and losing her study and forced to work in factory till the invasion which forced her to leave the job and stay home with almost no income help her and her siblings to live.
We will repeat the same circle here. As I said I have other American friends and I know how they feel so bad with these wars and they sufferance of normal peoples. American administration is biased and not seeks to repair the world but seeks for the self-interests of the members of the administration only, and not for Americans. My dear brother, we can see and we can understand, why America don't try to make good friendship with others and open nice white page with all and try to be just and not biased to any unfair part instead of threaten others who is not with us is against us. If American administration focus to solve the problems of Americans and help them to live in good way and offer what they need, that will be better. Not only America, I wish to see all countries leave the arms race and focus on humanitarian's causes and ensuring good life for peoples.
As for my friend's identity, Because I love her and care so much about her I decided to write about her here. Yes, I was so enthusiastic to publish her pretty face with her touching letters and she will never say NO to me, but you can't blame me for that thought. I know there are wonderful people out there with big white great hearts and want to help and do something to help others and stop the aggression. But, you can't say there is no one with evil-minded. I can't put my dear friend in danger as long as she is still in the middle of the dangers, there is a chance a possibility of this unpleasant thought even with 0.1%.
Tell me what I will do if I published her picture and then knew that unknown people have abused her because they saw her picture somewhere on the net. I should be more careful and think if all possibilities the worst before the good. It's my duty to think of my friend's safety.
"btw, I saw on TV a woman call Tristana look like Tristan!" :)
Al-Hajeji: to be honest with you, I liked this picture so much, representing an Arabian knight. I love this picture and I hated the old one, I don't know why the old one made feel uncomfortable and sorry I think I thought the same way as others :(
Here is an article which is in the news now about how Our Government can stop Bush from going too far, and just did! This is what ensures Americans freedoms, and also protects other peoples when we get crazy wackos for presidents.
Here: WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Bush administration refused to abandon military tribunals for Guantanamo Bay inmates despite the Supreme Court ruling the "war on terror" trials illegal, which leading newspapers called a victory for law.
In a stunning blow to the legal strategy pioneered in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001, the high court ruled Thursday that President George W. Bush had no authority to order such tribunals, which it said contravened the Geneva Conventions.
In a 5-3 vote, the high court warned the administration had no "blank check" to decide how to try terror suspects, as it reversed an appeals court ruling on a tribunal for Osama bin Laden's former driver Salim Ahmed Hamdan.
The Supreme Court found that tribunals created by Bush infringed US law. It rejected administration claims that Congress had authorized them by granting Bush sweeping war powers after the September 11 attacks.
Justices also rejected the administration argument the Geneva Conventions do not apply to tribunals of suspected Al-Qaeda and Taliban detainees as they are not prisoners of war but "enemy combatants."
"Whether or not the government has charged Hamdan with an offence against the law of war, cognizable by a military commission, the commission lacks power to proceed," the court said in the majority opinion.
This news areticle I posted above from the Associated Press shows (in part) how America's checks and balances give freedom. Granted, it's mostly for Americans, in this rare occassion, it is for non-Americans... and most likely criminials. But this is a prime example in how complex freedom is.
I'm afraid that in most countries, if the people said they did not like how their president did things, the president and Government would ignore them -and things would continue to be bad. Sadam Hussein would not have been forced to stop his evil ways... but in America, we can force our President to stop.
Granted, you cannot change everything all at once. Too many big things happen, and you have to take each moment step by step. But this shows true power of freedom. Freedom of the people to voice their worries, and have something done to help. You cannot argue how powerful that freedom is. Yet again, this is only one small fix for an even larger problem, but it does give you a glimpse at how America's political system ensures that the freedom mentioned in our various charters is upheld, maintained, and how it can benefit everyone (even non-Americans).
OH, thank you Tristan for this article. As I said, I know there are real Americans in America and who hate unfair aggression. I know in many countries the peoples can't speak out otherwise will be beaten by police and thrown into jail. But there are many ways to help,, with less damages and less losing in souls.
Oh, as for the Guantanamo, it's more horrible than I thought. Sorry, it's remind me with the Nazi internment camps. I really can't believe people will spend that money to build place like that instead of building schools or hospital in that land. Some people that have been captured were misleading by others. Some went there by mistake and have nothing to do with Al-Qaeda or terrorism.
Let me see if I can find more information about that as I watched many programs about this case.
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