Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Monday 12/1/2004
I get lots of email, I thank them all. Most of the letters that I get are calm, even when they come from Americans. Many of the people, both men and women, are sympathetic, they wish us well, and hope that we find a way to get through theses difficult days we are facing. I noticed that most of them are close to their forties, there is a big range of ages, up to seventies. I also noticed that most of the email that my children get are hostile in nature, especially when they come from other kids their own age. They accuse my children of being Ba’athist or belonging to Hamas. To me,this proves that these young inexperienced people are the victims of the dishonest western media.
Whereas the older and more mature people have the ability to decipher what they view in the media.
I wish that the mothers and fathers would direct their children towards a fairer way of thinking.
When Baghdad fell, many organizations started to operate inside Baghdad, Raed, Majid and Khalid formed many friendships with foreigners. They would bring them home for lunch and dinner and we would sit together as if we were one family, regardless whether they were boys or girls. The kids would treat them as their own siblings and me and Azzam would treat them as if they were our children.
In every society there is a group of people that is closed off to the rest of the world and that is against exposure to other cultures. But the disaster happens when the media becomes directed against a particular country. Like what is happening against Muslim countries. The media gives the impression that we are monsters that love explosives and terrorist organizations. We are in a painful state, who will explain? Who will believe?
****
When I criticize federalism, it is because it came now, during these tense times when everybody is holding bad feelings towards the others. Saddam tried hard to divide Iraqis and isolate one group from the other, Sunni and Shea, Kurdish and Arab. This is a hateful way to classify human beings that live in the same country and have common traditions, morals and nature. So why do we forget all this and hold on to the one thing the divides us…. Don’t tell me that this holds a greater good…. What good can come from divisiveness? Saddam failed to convince the Iraqis of this tribalism, they lived despite all the hardship united. The danger now is greater. Chaos is the mistress of these times. Europe was able to be united after wars, hell and a history that is stained with blood.
The US got united after the civil war between the north and south, and the tensions between whites and blacks. We on the other hand, are entering into this dark tunnel that others have left hundreds of years ago.
****
At the end of my work, I was buying fruits when I came across this poor lady. She used to work as a cleaners in a nearby building to where I work. I asked her about herself and about her children.
She told me that she left work because of the safety situation, she is afraid to leave her home,she waits to get the retirement wage from her late husband. When did you get paid last, I asked her as I was feeling sorry for her. We got an installment before Eid Al Sagheir (muslim holiday) that was during Ramadan (holy month of fasting). I thought long and hard, Ramadan? when was Ramadan?.That was two months ago? She nodded in agreement.Ok! what about the other installments? They say there is no money … Maybe in another month, maybe more. And how do you live then? She bent her lip
and said I don’t know. I can help this woman but what about the hundreds and thousands of other families? Who will help them? I remembered a saying, “Like a poor camel that is eating dry prickly plants while carrying boxes of gold on his back”. Isn’t that the state of the Iraqi people that live
on an oil well yet some are hungry and some are unemployed. You keep asking me why I have a headache?
translated by ihath
I get lots of email, I thank them all. Most of the letters that I get are calm, even when they come from Americans. Many of the people, both men and women, are sympathetic, they wish us well, and hope that we find a way to get through theses difficult days we are facing. I noticed that most of them are close to their forties, there is a big range of ages, up to seventies. I also noticed that most of the email that my children get are hostile in nature, especially when they come from other kids their own age. They accuse my children of being Ba’athist or belonging to Hamas. To me,this proves that these young inexperienced people are the victims of the dishonest western media.
Whereas the older and more mature people have the ability to decipher what they view in the media.
I wish that the mothers and fathers would direct their children towards a fairer way of thinking.
When Baghdad fell, many organizations started to operate inside Baghdad, Raed, Majid and Khalid formed many friendships with foreigners. They would bring them home for lunch and dinner and we would sit together as if we were one family, regardless whether they were boys or girls. The kids would treat them as their own siblings and me and Azzam would treat them as if they were our children.
In every society there is a group of people that is closed off to the rest of the world and that is against exposure to other cultures. But the disaster happens when the media becomes directed against a particular country. Like what is happening against Muslim countries. The media gives the impression that we are monsters that love explosives and terrorist organizations. We are in a painful state, who will explain? Who will believe?
****
When I criticize federalism, it is because it came now, during these tense times when everybody is holding bad feelings towards the others. Saddam tried hard to divide Iraqis and isolate one group from the other, Sunni and Shea, Kurdish and Arab. This is a hateful way to classify human beings that live in the same country and have common traditions, morals and nature. So why do we forget all this and hold on to the one thing the divides us…. Don’t tell me that this holds a greater good…. What good can come from divisiveness? Saddam failed to convince the Iraqis of this tribalism, they lived despite all the hardship united. The danger now is greater. Chaos is the mistress of these times. Europe was able to be united after wars, hell and a history that is stained with blood.
The US got united after the civil war between the north and south, and the tensions between whites and blacks. We on the other hand, are entering into this dark tunnel that others have left hundreds of years ago.
****
At the end of my work, I was buying fruits when I came across this poor lady. She used to work as a cleaners in a nearby building to where I work. I asked her about herself and about her children.
She told me that she left work because of the safety situation, she is afraid to leave her home,she waits to get the retirement wage from her late husband. When did you get paid last, I asked her as I was feeling sorry for her. We got an installment before Eid Al Sagheir (muslim holiday) that was during Ramadan (holy month of fasting). I thought long and hard, Ramadan? when was Ramadan?.That was two months ago? She nodded in agreement.Ok! what about the other installments? They say there is no money … Maybe in another month, maybe more. And how do you live then? She bent her lip
and said I don’t know. I can help this woman but what about the hundreds and thousands of other families? Who will help them? I remembered a saying, “Like a poor camel that is eating dry prickly plants while carrying boxes of gold on his back”. Isn’t that the state of the Iraqi people that live
on an oil well yet some are hungry and some are unemployed. You keep asking me why I have a headache?
translated by ihath
# posted by Faiza Al-Araji @ 11:31 am 
