A Family in Baghdad

Wednesday, 2nd. June, 2004

Good morning…
The weather is nice, the garden is green, and still has some flowers, which will probably disappear with the approaching heat, by mid-summer season.
The generator is roaring outside, the electricity is going off for long, annoying hours, while the temperature these days goes up to 38-40 degrees. We do hope electricity gets better before heat escalates to a degree of 50 C.
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Today secondary schools students all over Iraq start their finals…, these exams are very important, deciding the future of the students, and decides which collages would accept them. Majid went to school early. I wish him and all the boys his age God's safe keeping from explosives, and the best possible success in their exams, Amen.
Collage students also have exams these days, so Khalid spends the night with his fellow students, keeping the generator on till morning… I wish them a prospering success.
Raid is in Amman, busy with his Masters Degree, his presentation should be in two months time, he is very busy, and I wish him the best of success.
My mind is very tense and preoccupied, thinking of them, worried about them… I pray for them and all Iraqi students, I wish the hearts of all mothers and fathers to be joyous and happy for the success and well-being of their children... Amen.
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Today I have my final exams at the American language institute. I have some worries and anxieties, pushing me back to the memories and fears of my school days. We students feel sad because our teachers will be leaving to America for the summer holidays. There will be a small party after the exams, and, by God's will, we'll be taking some photographs.
We do not see these people as we see the occupying force... those people are civilians, risking their lives to help Iraqis, we have mingled with them, known them closely, and they have known us... we no longer have barriers between us. As for the occupation forces, we keep as far away from them as possible, for the matter is different here. It is a matter of politics, interests, armies, bullets, tanks, and things much more complicated … differences of opinions, and a soldier from the occupying force who would shoot me by mistake, then give account to no one for it.
How can I believe he is my friend?? Or that he is here to help me???
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Yesterday, the new government was announced, a President and Vice-presidents, the Priminister, and the Ministers. Of course, we feel happy for such an accomplishment, but also feel worried, for what the coming days would bring, thinking of what this government would accomplish of good deeds to Iraqis.
This is the important question.
What authorities dose this government have in possession to re-build the country??
Do they have a budget to implement the re-building program?
This is what concerns us in the entire subject…
This government has a period of time, the coming months till the end of 2004, until they prepare a new national assembly, elections, and a new government.
How shall we spend these six months?
Would they be spent as was the case of the late Governing Council? Without neither authorities nor achievements?
We want to feel that there is a state that has some dignity, that the streets would be free of litter, traffic policemen present to ease traffic-jams, policemen to provide security, prevent killings and kidnappings. We want to see a clear movement of re-construction, employment provided to Iraqis, the infrastructure re-habilitated; (water supply, electricity, communications, …etc), and, we want to see officials and ministers who care for the happiness and well-being of the Iraqi citizen, not the happiness and well-being of themselves, and those whom they care about.
The Iraqi people are sick of the injustice, the lying, and the corruption of state management..
We want to see a new Iraqi leadership, one that feels responsible towards the country and its people, dedicated to the nation…
And the leadership always sets the good example to the people…promoting them to do every thing that is good, sincere, and dedicated to their country…
We wish all the beautiful, good things to Iraq and the Iraqis …
We wait to see, for we have months, then years to work, to re-build….
As for the occupation forces, the earlier they would leave Iraq, the better for the Iraqi people and their unity…
The majority looks upon the Americans as an occupying force, refusing to deal with them…
But there is a minority that sees them as a liberation force, wishing that they would stay.
But I see that if they stay, they will be a reason to divide the Iraqis, which is not in our favor… their staying will give a reason to more violence and more bombings… because they still maintain the strong hand that kills and detains.
And they usually enlist some dumb Iraqis, who give them information about other Iraqis, so they would be detained, exactly as Saddam Hessian used to do…
There is no reason why an Iraqi would become an enemy of another Iraqi…
Iraqis are brothers, and there must be a common dialog among them…
They all love Iraq, and want the best for it; so, they must find dialog channels among them. The presence of a foreigner would only cause a rift between them, no matter how beautiful the reasons were, there is no need for him to stay…
Iraq has leaders among its people, and there are those who implement and work. If ever there was the need for a foreign expert in a certain subject, it's O.K., but the Iraqi is the original countryman, so he is supposed to behave in the best interests of his country and people. If he misbehaves, he gets changed by a better Iraqi … this is how I understand matters… as would any one who loves his country, and wishes for its independence.
In our hearts and memories there are old stories about imperialism that make us feel anxious about any presence of foreign forces on our land…

The alternative is to establish a strong Iraqi army, a strong Iraqi police force, and a strong Iraqi state, with real sovereignty…
And as the time passes, the people will learn to distinguish between the sincere leaders, and choose them.
The experiences of nations are very much like those of people; they make errors, and learn. So, it is imperative to get to the truth of matters, distinguishing true from false, at the end.
I wish all the good to Iraq and the Iraqis …
I wish they would join themselves in one word, for that is where their force would be…
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{translated by May.. Baghdad,Iraq}