16 March 2008

2003-2008... Iraq, where to ? Part 2

Hi. Since 2003 and till this moment Iraq has been facing major security challenges. So many innocent Iraqi civilians have either lost their lives or got serious disabilities. Satistics estimate that in Iraq at the moment there's one million widow and five million orphans. Bombed cars, roadside bombs, morter shells,explosive belts and sudden curfews have become an integral part of our daily life routine. The exact number of the Iraqi civilians who have been murdered since 2003 and till now is unknown, but may be the range that most satistics agree on is from 300 000-600 000 people. One of the most important consequences of the deteriorated security situation in Iraq is the massive immigration of Iraqis to the outside (2 million Iraqi immigrants most of them in Jordan, Syria and the UAE). Another problem which may be considered as a part of the first one is the massive brain drain from Iraq. Since 2003 and till now organised gangs have been threatening and targeting Iraqi brains. So many Iraqi doctors, college professors, journalists and artists have either been murdered or had to leave because of the threats they've received. It's pretty obvious that there has been always a systematic plan to empty Iraq from its brains in an attempt to disrupt the cultural structure of the Iraqi society. At the moment the ultimate dream of Iraqis in general and Baghdadis in particular is to survive. Almost every Baghdadi family has lost one or more loved ones during the last 5 years. Our hearts are already bearing so many scars that it's really so hard for us to endure a new scar. After 5 years of the US invasion Iraqis are traumatised, scared, extremely and continueously worried, despaired, disappointed, and so tired of themselves and of everything around them. With my love. Yours forever, Lubna. PS, to Precious Amy in Oregon, USA : Your place will be always in my heart.

3 comments:

stardumb said...

lubna my sweet.

thank you for telling all of us how it is. you are my hero and sister of my heart, soul-sister, fellow worshipper of the ONE who is HIGH ABOVE, yet cares for us and watches over us, in this wretched mess of a life that can be so cruel. i will not mince words and say, "oh, but there is hope," or other such optomistic things in light of the tragedy, both prolonged and acutely present, that you tell of.

i stand with you and say, "how awful is this. we are sick of it! sick to death of it!"

lubna my sweet, i am praying for you, for you and your family; you are in my heart always.

and you know my family and friends and sweet ava are on the lookout for you, always tracking you and rooting for you.

i believe you will make it, and there is a purpose for your life. look at me, here i am, being optomisitc! i can't help it! your spirit demands it!

some day we will stand together. and laugh and hug and drink tea.

i hear you saying that for the majority of iraqi's and bagdadians in particular, survival is the goal of life."

i am appalled and mute by the fact that your existence has been wittled down to that, and i stand, wait, work, hope, pray, SPEAK OUT for something different!

ava bean and sheri and i are going to a vigil on wednesday night in bend oregon to testify to the mark of this five year stretch of fresh killing in iraq. it was going on, before, but we in the US brought it to a whole new level five years ago, and for that and other grievances of ours, i can never say sorry enough.

so we are going with our signs and our presence to say, "No! enoough killing!" and in my mind, how do we get out of this mess,with as many iraqi's and US soldiers alive as possible?

sheri is bringing a sign that says, "hope." she showed it to me today. i thought of you.

love me, anita
your dr. angel

Amy said...

Lubna, I echo the sentiments of Anita. I pray for you and your family. With each post or call you make to WHYS, I know you have made it through one more day. I worry when it has been a while (it must be the mother in me!) Your place is and will always be in the hearts of me, my husband and two daughters (one is only 4 and is, thankfully, unaware of events in the world; the other is 8 and prays for you every day). I meant what I said....if you ever get to the states, you have an open door here in Beaverton, Oregon! Take care, Amy

stardumb said...

i echo what you say, "There're times when hope seems so close, but there're also other times when hope seems too far away. But as an Iraqi, I do believe that there's always a place for hope, and that this long night will surely come to an end, soon or later it will, Inshallah !"

love you, lubna. anita

here's to holding out for hope, on this easter, and every day.