I thought it would be interesting to know where members of this forum (and guests) are writing from. Also when they where last in Iraq. I moved to Amman from Baghdad nearly 6 months ago. Have been back once to Baghdad and once to Arbil but have decided to settle in Jordan for the timebeing. What about you?
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Score: 9 Joined: 10/26/2004 From: California Status: offline
For everyone's info. I left Iraq in 1977 (that is before Saddam became a president) I was 26 years of age then (you can guess how old I am now) I settled in California in 1979, and have been here since. Any one wants to tell the authorities on me?
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God bless the whole world, No exceptions. الدين لله و الوطن للجميع
Harry, How do the Yanks treat you when they know your Iraqi? I'm sure its different depending on where you live but how about Californians, are they more enlightened than most Americans? The last time I was in the US was 20 years ago and hardly anyone I met even knew where Iraq was.
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quote:
ORIGINAL: azinorum
LOL...ready for the nursing home Harry?
على كُل حال، كل يوم آني أصلي و اطلب من الله سبحانهُ وتعالا ان يرجع الاستقرار للعراق حتى اکدر اروح و اشوف وطننا الحبيب کبل ما I check into a nursing home.
Posts: 476
Score: 9 Joined: 10/26/2004 From: California Status: offline
Actually most people here are against the war, once they hear that I am born in Iraq, the first they do is be surprised how well my English is, then they ask me if I still have relatives back in Iraq and how they are coping with the war. They also sympathize with all the killings and deaths of Iraqis. Some of them even curse the day they elected Bush for a president, and wish they never have done it.
ORIGINAL: Harry على كُل حال، كل يوم آني أصلي و اطلب من الله سبحانهُ وتعالا ان يرجع الاستقرار للعراق حتى اکدر اروح و اشوف وطننا الحبيب کبل ما I check into a nursing home.
Insha Allah. Lets hope we all get a chance to see a peaceful, prosperous and free Iraq before we kick the bucket.
Posts: 476
Score: 9 Joined: 10/26/2004 From: California Status: offline
quote:
ORIGINAL: Zeynab Hassan
Wow..didn't know I was communicating with people that old.
Eat your heart out ( just kidding).You thought young people are the only ones who are experts in computers huh. Well I started using them since they used to occupy an entire room. Then there was the Commodore 64, then the ones from Radio Shack until today. At my work place, members of the younger generation come to me if they have a problem with their PC’s, some times for a very obvious thing that they could solve by themselves if they are a little more observant.
Actually most people here are against the war, once they hear that I am born in Iraq, the first they do is be surprised how well my English is, then they ask me if I still have relatives back in Iraq and how they are coping with the war. They also sympathize with all the killings and deaths of Iraqis. Some of them even curse the day they elected Bush for a president, and wish they never have done it.
How were they just before the invasion (for or against) and has there been a marked change in peoples feelings since? Do they actualy trust their own government?
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Score: 9 Joined: 10/26/2004 From: California Status: offline
Before the invasion they were mostly split in their opinions, although most of them agreed that Saddam should have been removed from power, however the majority did not want nor expected the war to last this long and cause this much casualties.
No, most of them lost their trust in the republicans, even some high-ranking republican officials are now blaming Bush for all the deaths and destructions, and want the troops back ASAP.
ORIGINAL: Harry No, most of them lost their trust in the republicans, even some high-ranking republican officials are now blaming Bush for all the deaths and destructions, and want the troops back ASAP.
Do they realize that even if the Democrats win they still can't withdraw completely? Iraq is too rich in resources and strategically important to let fall into the wrong hands. The US government on both sides knows this all too well. The democrats might reduce the number but never withdraw completely.
الاخوان الاعزاء تحية وبعد والله لا تعرفون سعادتنا عند مجيء المعارضة للاطاحة بنظام صدام ولكن ما ان دخلوا العراق حتى تبين الغباء الامريكي في حل الجيش كله وبتر وزارة الاعلام والتوزيع الطائفي للحصص الوزارية والمجيء بالصهيوني برمير ليكرس الطائفية القذرة حتى قلبت الدنيا على رؤسنا وتحول العراق الى دولة نهب وسلب للتراث والمال وحتى الرجال وكشف بوش عن وجهه الغبي لنصل اليوم الى ما نحن فيه وتتكالب علينا قوى الشر الكريهة المتطرفة ولنا في الله ومن بعده العراقيين الامل في اعادة العراق الى العز والمجد والسلام
< Message edited by al ani -- 2/3/2007 6:29:11 AM >
I left iraq in 74 after doing my first degree, and settled in england by mistake, since then i did 2 more degrees. Now who is the oldest among you?
I was the moderator for Iraq.net in the good old days, until god knows what happened to it. I wasn't told, and no one got in touch with me.
When I visited home the last time, I cried when I saw our beautiful house turned to an old battered shell, filled with cracks and unrepaired damage from the bombing. My brother said whats the point, if I repair the house they will think I have money and kidnap someone, or a shockwave from a bomb will inflict more damage.
My father collected roses, and bulbs, fruits. Our garden was a picture. It was neglected for lack of water, lack of interest.
We sat down to talk, and all what I can see is one broken man. My brother is four and half years younger, yet he looked in his mid sixties, and man just lost his wife for cancer in last October. "We aren't human anymore but a bunch of wild animals he said, I can't sleep at night worried about the family, I miss dreaming he laughed, even day dreaming. I don't go out, I don't let my son who is 14 out or even go to school. Between here and the school there are dead bodies everywhere and every day, you in the west don't hear the whole story. Its nothing to do with americans, we just killing each other for the hell of it. I saw them in my own eyes, walking in our street 3 men, just walking, suddenly one of them tooh a hand grenade out od his pocket, and threw it casually at house. He killed two children, and the grandmother." Sorry I am ready for my nursing home. I stopped praying a long time ago, now I am begging god. Enough killing.
Posts: 476
Score: 9 Joined: 10/26/2004 From: California Status: offline
quote:
ORIGINAL: azinorum Do they realize that even if the Democrats win they still can't withdraw completely? Iraq is too rich in resources and strategically important to let fall into the wrong hands. The US government on both sides knows this all too well. The democrats might reduce the number but never withdraw completely.
Yes they do, it is too late now, the damage is done, and there is no turning back. The democratic congress now is only playing the role of objecting what the republicans are doing. However, at the end of the day, they both want to abuse the exploitation of the region economically for the benefit of the United States, and remaining there is there best bet to accomplish that. They are now fighting two wars, one to get their hands on the regions resources; the other would be against the nuclear advancements of Iran, although they are labeling it as “stabilizing the region”.
_____________________________
God bless the whole world, No exceptions. الدين لله و الوطن للجميع
Allah Esa3deck Harry. It must be very difficult for Iraqis living in the US especially those who settled there before 1990. I guess you are torn between 2 emotions. The first is being grateful to the US for giving you opportunities that you could only have dreamt about living under Saddam and the second is hating it for what it has done and how crudely it has masked its real intentions. It can't be easy wrestling with these feelings.
Posts: 476
Score: 9 Joined: 10/26/2004 From: California Status: offline
You said it bro. I have been very polite up until now, but I am starting to blow on the faces of some of the idiots here who still believe that all those deaths are worth it, and it is a price that Iraqis should pay for democracy.
I am starting to give them real harsh responses, even at work; I am not letting anyone take advantage of me being the only Iraqi, or my politeness. Some cry for the loss of one of their relatives calling it barbaric attack on them, while regarding the vicious murders of thousands of Iraqis every month as a price has to be paid for the freedom of the coming generations.
Others are still so naive they back the president regardless of the outcome, they still think this is a winnable war, and still believe that there is no civil war in Iraq, and this will end in the next eighteen months or so, not realizing that they have been saying it for the past four years.
_____________________________
God bless the whole world, No exceptions. الدين لله و الوطن للجميع
You said it bro. I have been very polite up until now, but I am starting to blow on the faces of some of the idiots here who still believe that all those deaths are worth it, and it is a price that Iraqis should pay for democracy.
If some of the comments here piss you off you should visit another Iraqi site called aliraqi. The majority of its members describe whats happening at home as if its a blessing and the general concensus is that we must be grateful to the US for giving Iraqis democracy etc, etc. I no longer post on that site because its admin and core members show no flexibility towards those that argue against their jelously guarded general rhetoric. In any case everyones entitled to their opinion and given that the owners father is part of the new Iraqi government, it's not surprising to see such pro invasion threads and posts. Good site though, very well organised. If you get the time take a handful of Prozac and check it out.
still believe that there is no civil war in Iraq, and this will end in the next eighteen months or so, not realizing that they have been saying it for the past four years.
I hope you're wrong, as I'm sure you do. As things stand I can't see a way out of this mess either so I totally understand were you're coming from. I don't like to think too long about the future but its impossible to avoid the issue. Reality bites, especially this reality. Who knows, perhaps God will finally grant us a miracle. After 30 years of this s#*t I'm pretty sure we deserve it.
Back to the topic at hand, there was an article in the New York Times (2004 I think) which reported that American Gov began monitoring Iraqis living in the US supposedly to guard against terror threats etc. I guess this is still going on with gusto. Iraqis living in the US must be anxious right now. If the US is attacked again by fanatics of the Muslim variety you can bet those responsible will issue a statement using Iraq as an excuse or at least one of their excuses. The paranoid US public will again jump on this and take this statement at face value. I don’t mean all Americans but definitely the naive majority. This will again put further pressure on Iraqis living there. I guess you're lucky to be living in California which has always been on the liberal side. An Iraqi living somewhere in Texas will have a totaly different perspecive to one living in NYC or LA. How Iraqi-Americans are treated depends largely on where they live in the US.
Living in Jordan we obviously don't have that problem although with one million Iraqis living in Amman and Irbid there could be a backlash later down the line. We've made Amman too expensive for the average Jordanian/Palestinian and I can feel they're starting to resent us for it.
< Message edited by azinorum -- 2/5/2007 5:22:17 PM >
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