A Word From the Messopotamians…
In case you do things like travel the world or follow the news, Iraq might not be very high on your “places to see” list. What’s going on there isn’t something we like to talk about too often, simply because the ensuing discussion would be anything but
Nevertheless, if you also happen to be one of those granola smashing, bicycle riding, counterprotesting everything kind of Berkeley people who thinks that the American government should be overthrown for such an illegitimate invasion of a legitimate state, you might want some of the perspective of those who were positively affected by the Iraqi invasion, and have the strongest right to be pissed off at the way things are going. Enter an Iraqi student in Berkeley writing to his blog 24 Steps to Liberty. Here is a piece speaking about his arrival in Cal.
I have been accepted to one of the best universities in the U.S. I am studying journalism now. I am a graduate student of a journalism school. Just what I always wanted since I’ve involved in this journalism thing. I am lucky, I guess.
But what about my mother? Father? Brothers and sister-in-aw? What about Habibti [my dear] niece? They are not safe living in Iraq. I hate being lucky. I don’t know what to make of myself. I can’t accept the idea of living an normal life and just watching my family and friends suffer all the time. I should be suffering. That’s just how I feel.
Tens of thousands of Iraqi youth would envy me now for having a chance of a life time. I know that. I realize how great it is to have the ability to study in the States. But…….. I don’t know. It’s not easy to say. But I am not happy. It’s been five days only and I already started to isolate myself from the community. I know that is not healthy, but I can’t help it.
You know what.. maybe I can’t listen to people talking about their problems when I come from Iraq. It is really hard for me to listen to someone who would say he or she “suffered a lot” before getting a place to stay in. just the word “suffer” it is not for such a “problem.”
I read bits and pieces of his blog–didn’t read it all, would’ve been way too depressing. But if you want some insight into the mind of someone who has been there, and who has his heart staked out in Iraq, this is a heartfelt place to find it.
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