Days of My Life

Talk about daily life of a teenage girl in Iraq, and days of suffering and success. My nick name will be Sunshine..

Friday, August 10, 2007

Ana Iraqi ....

After we won the game , I hoped that the coming days and months will be peaceful and we will live happily ever after !..
The situation now is not good at all , two days ago I was waiting for my friend to come (the girl I am teaching) , and a mine exploded behind my house , of course the doors and windows were opened, my friend was walking in the street with her mom when the explosion happened , they ran to my neighbor's house for a while . we kept hearing explosions every now and then during her lesson , after 4 hours her mom came to pick her , she was still in her way to my house when another explosion happened but with heavy shooting this time , her mom started to run until she reached our house , she was exhausted and afraid..
Last Thursday , mama came back from her work , and said 3 mortars fell on the hospital , there were injured and dead people , it was a horrible day , so many explosions and shootings , while she was talking to me about her bad day , her mom called and said " aunt Nazly died" I was upset as well as mama ..
Aunt Nazly's brother came to my grandparents to tell them about his sister, he kept talking to himself " no , no , she is not dead , she is asleep and will wake up" .he was shocked and in denial …
Grandma , grandpa , and two neighbors started to search for and call everyone in their phone copybook , to find any one of their Armenian relatives ,their church.. they don't have close relatives here, they came from Armenia so many years ago , & both of them are not married .
Grandpa started to call the churches , he didn’t find any presbyter , or monk, all of them were threatened and left Iraq .. luckily , grandma called a woman who was 75 years old relative , she came after few hours with a young monk, he took aunt Nazly alone ,to the Armenian cemetery in Bakooba ( outside Baghdad) they put her in a car with 20 large ice moulds because of the very high temperature to protect her body ..
This fabulous woman who dedicated her life to serve the community and was loved by everyone , didn't have the funeral she deserve , she was a nurse and saved many souls ..
At that day, her brother who was in shock went to sleep in the afternoon , grandpa kept looking at him from the fence , and he stayed in the same positions for hours , he was sleeping horizontally in his bed!!! , grandpa got suspicious, he came in the evening for the poor neighbor but he was till in the same position and did not respond to my grandpa door knocking or phone calls. Another neighbor came and said" he is tired and need to sleep, don't worry, we will visit him early in the morning ,inshalla"…
in the early hours on Friday morning , grandpa , with the help of the police broke the door and they found uncle Berg dead ..
Poor man , uncle berg was really a kind peaceful man , may god bless his soul
The biggest problem was the high temperature (56 C. ) , he died at 5 afternoon and stayed in the room until the next day , and there was curfew , the woman who brought the monk live far away, and the cemetery is outside Baghdad !..
Berg and Nazly were my grandparents' neighbors for more than 40 years, so it was very hard for them to lose them both in one day , the neighbors (and friends in the same time ) who kept cooking and tacking care of them before they died were Muslims (Sunnis and Shiites) as well as Christians , what you hear about the fight among the castes is not true , the citizens don't do that (only the politicians as I believe), and I talked about that a lot , the same terrorists who kill a Sunni , kill a Shiite , Christian , Armenian etc , in a name of a caste , religion or so.
PLEASE the last thing I need is someone argue with me and tell me the war is for our own good , because I live in Iraq and I can tell you , we had a better life , (who see the death satisfy by fever ) .. at least we were able to make a consolation and bury the people we love ..
I can write about our life in the past and now forever, but it won't change some people's minds……
YOU can't know how do we suffer , because you don't live with us , our life in much harder than your imagination , you can't judge us until you live the way we do ..
****************
I really appreciate my reader's compassion , I get a lot of E-mails and comments say " what can we do for you , how can we help?" and people offer to send money and stuff , I know your intentions are good , but I really don't need anything , my family can afford me everything I want , we are not poor , our financial condition is good , people think the Iraqis are poor (because of the media) but in Iraq there are VERY RICH people , rich , average , poor , and VERY POOR .. my family considered to be from the average level , You've seen my room and house in my post " Against the world media " ..
Many rich people here help the paupers & many families take a salary from the mosque, I hear about soooooooooooooo many benefaction's deeds , specially in Ramadan , and religious occasions.
If you like to help , there is one thing you can do , pray for us , pray for Iraq , as I always do..
May Iraq return peaceful and beautiful like the past , and all the Iraqis abroad come to Iraq again , may the violence end and the terrorists fade away..
My neighbor visited us few months ago , she went to Mecca and said that all the Muslims in Mecca prayed a special prayer for Iraq , men and women , from their hearts , she said it was emotional , and all the Iraqis' eyes were filled with tears , I wonder when God will hear our prayers ? I am sure everything is happing for a reason ..
Anyway my neighbor continues " then a woman from Iran said " god give people what they deserve "" and went away .. my neighbor didn't reply her .
I was astonished , in Mecca people go , wear the same clothes to feel that they are the same , request the same god , and praise god .. the people's heart there should be without rancor nor hate , I think that woman came to Mecca for touring, shopping or showing off.
My neighbor continued talking about her visit to Mecca, she said " in our way to Al Madena,a place near Mecca, a woman from Jordan said to me " who say I don't love Saddam he'll be hashed in the hashing machine " my neighbor replied " oh yea, you have the right to say that , he gave you oil for free, he didn't make you eat the fodder" after that answer , she shut her mouth and never spoke again!
It is really bizarre why some people don't like Iraqis!!
Sunshine...

18 Comments:

At 5:57 PM, Blogger jhondie said...

I like Iraqis... Even the kid who gave me the middle finger yesterday. I just smiled at him and he smiled back. I pray every day for the safety of the innocent people of this region. I wish I could do more.

 
At 6:51 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

oh sunshine, I can only try to imagine what life is like for you. All I have is my sympathy and love. You do so much for iraqi relations with the world. please take care.
starliz

 
At 7:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anybody who still believes that this war is for Iraqi's own good must suffer from some kind of mental problem. My heart hurts for all the pain and suffering that you and all Iraqi's must go through everyday. Lets hope that someday soon God will take mercy on the people of Iraq.
People who offer you help and money only have your best interest in mind. When we know that we can't be there to help it seems sometimes that money is the only way people can help. It's the thought that counts.

 
At 10:36 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

We mourn for those we love and lose, but celebrate their lives, for what they have given us can never be lost. Keep your Sun shining Sunny.

 
At 1:26 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

In June this year, Baghdad's Armenian Archbishop Avak Asadourian, primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church (See of Etchmiadzin) in Iraq, said:

"My message to churches outside Iraq, especially to those in the occupying countries, is: Help us to make life better for the Iraqi people, to alleviate its suffering, to keep their governments' promises for a better future in all walks of life, and ask for God's help in this humanitarian endeavour."

I read this out in our Anglican church last Sunday (I am a "lay intercessor"); and a friend tells me that, when she visited Wells Cathedral recently, the prayer on the hour was for Iraq.

 
At 2:17 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear Sunshine,

I’ve been reading your blog and other Iraqi blogs for several years. Lately it’s been hard for me to read your posts because my eyes fill with tears. It’s heartbreaking that you and all Iraqis are suffering as you are. Thank you for telling us so much about your life. It helps us see life in Iraq from your point of view. I wish, in addition to praying for you, your family, your country and all the brave Iraqis, I could do more to help end this horrible occupation/war.

Stay strong!!
Jane

 
At 6:49 PM, Blogger Ripama said...

Sushine,

I won't tell you that the war is GOOD for Iraqis anymore than I can tell you any war is GOOD for anyone. Violent death, fear, hunger and destruction is not a good thing.

Also, I won't tell you about the geo-political reasons for the war. I'm sure you know all the arguments and are capable of making your own judgments and determinations.

The only thing I can say is that I hope that it ends in victory for those who believe in building a a great country and society.

Iraq is known as "The Cradle of Civilization". I believe that you, and others like you, can/will rebuild Iraq into a great country and society.

 
At 12:56 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello!
i wrote to you ages ago, I'm still reading your blog, anyway! :) I'm so sorry to hear that more horrible stuff happened, and like you, i really hope that things will improve in Iraq and i'm so sorry about what our stupid Prime Minister decided to do there along with even more stupid president Bush...:(
thinking of you!
Rhiannon x

 
At 3:52 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear friend Sunshine,

I am so sad about all the violence in your country.

During my life, I have spent years in wars but none of them was the same as is happening in Iraq. We did not have terrorists killing innocent people. That is why I can not understand all the shooting and suicide killings.

We want to help you in any way we can but do not know how. We understand that your family is not poor. We still want to help if we can.

There are people all over the world that are praying for you and all innocent Iraqi people. I pray for you all at least one time every day and some days more times.

I care deeply for you, your family and all innocent Iraqi people.

 
At 6:03 AM, Blogger pansypoo said...

sigh. i hope things in iWaq are back to normal as soon as possible, while knowing it won't be for many years thanks to the son of a bitch georgie. and if you knew, sh is one of the biggest bitches, while looking like a granny.
sadly there are too many bad people and they seem to get all the power. to be human is to hate.
grab for the sunshine. it's all we can do.

 
At 7:48 PM, Blogger John said...

Dear Sunshine,
I am so sorry about your aunt and uncle. I will be praying for you and your family and your country. I am so sorry.

 
At 9:15 PM, Blogger Linda G. said...

sunshine, I too, pray every day for you, your family, and your country.
Thank you for telling your story and don't lose hope.....Iraq will rise from the ashes of this war.

 
At 12:02 AM, Blogger Dancewater said...

I keep you and Iraq in my thoughts and prayers all the time, and I try to pass on your message.

But there is some more that westerns can do.... here are a few ideas:

http://www.collateralrepairproject.org/
the Collateral Repair project was started by an Iraqi blogger in Amman. She is trying to help Iraqis.

There is also Red Crescent - via the Red Cross. I believe you can mark donations to go to Iraq.

http://www.redcross.int/en/default.asp

And the Veterans for Peace have been running an Iraq Water Project for many years:

http://www.iraqwaterproject.com/

There are many others. It may not be possible to help the people still inside Iraq, but there are 2 million outside of Iraq in Syria and Jordan, and they are often in need of help.

 
At 9:10 AM, Blogger David said...

Hello Sunshine, your story about Aunt Nazly and Uncle Berg is a sad one, but it seems they were well loved by many people. Every time I start to lose hope for Iraq, I read a story about Iraqis coming together to care for each other. Your story tells me there is still hope. Thank you for sharing it.

 
At 8:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

 
At 9:32 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

hello sunshine,
sometimes I get so depressed because I cannot think this world has anything good left to offer. Sometimes I look around at all the priviliged rich spoiled kids in America who are so full of emptiness and I want to give up because all I can think is no one cares enough to make a change. When I read your blog though it gives me hope, hope for humanity and hope for Iraq... I am so sorry for your pain and your losses and the terror you feel but I am also so greatful for the fact you do not hate us and that you still have hope and still have dreams. You have so much to hate the world for and yet you do not. I hope more people can learn to be like you. I hope you experience much happiness and peace in your life. May you find more joy today then you even know existed...God bless little one.

 
At 3:41 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

People have often claimed that the Iraqis have welcomed the invasion, that it saved them from Saddam. I always wanted to know what an Iraqi thought, first hand. Thank you.

I wish I could help. Sadly, I only sit here feeling guilty.

Good luck. And may you see this sad phase through.

 
At 5:29 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sunshine, I grieve for those who's lives have been lost. And I agree with you in the fact that you say you had a better life before the war started there in Irag. But you know something...so did we. We lived a better life before 9/11. I don't think in any way shape or form that the Iraqi people "deserve" what's going on in their country right now. But, I do think something needs to be done about the terrorists that hide there and take refuge there. I think great things are being done (not referring about the death tolls....there will always be friends who die in wars no matter what precautions we make) in Iraq despite the war: Voting, schools being built, relying more on your own Iraqi forces than American forces. I think the American troops will soon be coming home (I don't know when, nor will I predict a date).

 

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