Non-Iraqi Iraqis
I have been away from Iraq for two years and three months and 24 days. I lived in Jordan about two years and I met a large number of Iraqi families. All these families live just to go back to Iraq and all their hopes are about going back to their homeland.
Staying in the UAE for four months I met many Iraqi families and what astonishes me is that they never talk about Iraq, excluding a very few individuals. What astonish me more, were their children. Those Iraqi children left Iraq when they were very young (few years-11 years old) and they know nothing or remember nothing about Iraq!
I don't know whether we should blame them or their parents. There are to versions to this story: the parents got really busy with work that they forgot to teach their children about Iraq! Or is it: they just don't care. Each version is worse than the other.
What about the kids themselves? Don't they want to know anything about their homeland? I knew many foreigners who just love Iraq and the old civilizations used to be there.
They don't even talk the Iraqi dialect. And when I wanted to get to know them they just speak few words and switch to English! (Even those who were raised in Arabian countries !!!!). I've been studying English just like any other Iraqi child living in Iraq, since grade five; in addition to four years collage and I've been away from Iraq as mentioned above. Did I speak with Arabs but in Arabic? I don't think so.
Those kids or grown ups, who left Iraq early, went to the best schools. They've been to more cities that any Iraqi people can visit in Iraq itself. And they never bother themselves to ask about Iraq. They eat, drink, dance and enjoy their lives even better than non-Iraqi people who do care about Iraq.
What made me feel sorry for them is that they don't have a real nationality. They don't feel they are real citizens of the country name written on their passports because they know they were/are Iraqis. On the other hand they don't feel they are Iraqis and they don't even know or remember Iraq.
I'm sorry for them they never knew what "Shorja, shari3 al nahar (river street), al mutanabi (best street where you can buy books), abo Noas, Karada, Mansoor, Masgoof (kind of grilled fish) and many many other things and places in Iraq. Sure those who've been to the Eiffel tower would never think of the dusty archeological places in Iraq nor would they care about it.
What is really hard for me to take was those people are the same Iraqi people who went for voting just because their friends, family or religious chief recommended certain list numbers.
Those are some of the people who will decide Iraq's future even though they are non-Iraqi Iraqis.
Staying in the UAE for four months I met many Iraqi families and what astonishes me is that they never talk about Iraq, excluding a very few individuals. What astonish me more, were their children. Those Iraqi children left Iraq when they were very young (few years-11 years old) and they know nothing or remember nothing about Iraq!
I don't know whether we should blame them or their parents. There are to versions to this story: the parents got really busy with work that they forgot to teach their children about Iraq! Or is it: they just don't care. Each version is worse than the other.
What about the kids themselves? Don't they want to know anything about their homeland? I knew many foreigners who just love Iraq and the old civilizations used to be there.
They don't even talk the Iraqi dialect. And when I wanted to get to know them they just speak few words and switch to English! (Even those who were raised in Arabian countries !!!!). I've been studying English just like any other Iraqi child living in Iraq, since grade five; in addition to four years collage and I've been away from Iraq as mentioned above. Did I speak with Arabs but in Arabic? I don't think so.
Those kids or grown ups, who left Iraq early, went to the best schools. They've been to more cities that any Iraqi people can visit in Iraq itself. And they never bother themselves to ask about Iraq. They eat, drink, dance and enjoy their lives even better than non-Iraqi people who do care about Iraq.
What made me feel sorry for them is that they don't have a real nationality. They don't feel they are real citizens of the country name written on their passports because they know they were/are Iraqis. On the other hand they don't feel they are Iraqis and they don't even know or remember Iraq.
I'm sorry for them they never knew what "Shorja, shari3 al nahar (river street), al mutanabi (best street where you can buy books), abo Noas, Karada, Mansoor, Masgoof (kind of grilled fish) and many many other things and places in Iraq. Sure those who've been to the Eiffel tower would never think of the dusty archeological places in Iraq nor would they care about it.
What is really hard for me to take was those people are the same Iraqi people who went for voting just because their friends, family or religious chief recommended certain list numbers.
Those are some of the people who will decide Iraq's future even though they are non-Iraqi Iraqis.
posted by attawie at Wednesday, January 11, 2006
8 Comments:
Maybe this is true, but maybe you should imagine what they have recieved in their life. They may have been opened to western propaganda that you have never seen, their is reasons behind why they are the way their are, and neither them nor their parents are to blame.
There is no blame, that is just how they are.
Voting in the election when you don't understand what you are doing is a big problem, especially here in Western Australia aswell...
good post :) don't feel angry at these people though!
great post.
a nice point which no one has brought about so far....sister, i feel your need to be here and i can really understand your desire to return here, i may be farting half the time, but whenver i went outside the dusty aroma that previals Trebeel into the clear air of Jordan i miss that dusty air and want to go back and stay. It is no lie that there's no place like home.
Greetings..
Oliverbranch.. Welcome here again. It's true; they have been open to things we never heard before but if you get to know those people I'm seeing here you know they are really empty that they know nothing about Iraq history or even what's going on there.
I can't blame them for not knowing but I blame them for being ignorant about the place they call home. If they vote they need to know everything about these lists and the thing they give to the country.
Hi Kid...
It's right, with each step I take I wish I can go back home. I know the feeling of leaving Iraq on that border. I tried it twice. The last time was the hardest. I looked at each mount, each farm and the horizon to keep it in mind.
Take care
I think you should talk to them and tell that you wonder why do they not talk about Iraq etc? It is the fairest thing for yourself and them.
I sometimes don'tlike to talk about Iraq with people becouse its too difficult to put my sad feelings into words.
So go ahead and talk to them, ask them who knows maybe they are hoping for you to take the first step so it can be easier for them. Give it a try! I send you good luch wishes!
Hey girl, that was a great post. You always have excellent thought to write in your blog.
I always think of this matter! And what is worse is that I started to notice that there are such people inside Home!
It's hard to leave home, but it's even harder not knowing about this home. Maybe they are not concious about this fact cuz they are kids as you said. I hope they will realize this one day soon and start to make up for what they are missing about their country.
Greetings for all..
Nadia, welcome in attawie.
It is, indeed, hard to put sad feelings in word.
The poeple I'm talking about unlike me or other people I knew. they just talk about dresses, food, and movies. When I say Baghdad or Iraq, they stare with empty look.
Though it's fair as you said to give them a chance.
Hi Smile..
There are such people home!! It makes me sad to hear that. They might be kids but kids can do great things and change others lives. Hope eventually everything will be alright so they make up for things they missed.
Take care
I Think that you are right coz i'm living in amman and i know people who doesn't care about what is happening in Iraq.. and i really feel so sad for those who doesn't know anything about our country and how great it is.. i hope we call back and be one Family..
it's a good post
Thank you Anonymous though I hoped to know who you are.
Post a Comment
<< Home