Lost in translation: another day in exile
Updated on 12 June 2007
The second in a series of blogs from a former British army translator now in hiding.
"It is another day here in exile. All days are the same here, not like at home. When I was at home my mother woke me up every morning. I slept as much as I wanted to - sometimes mom got annoyed because of this. Here in exile I wake up early every day to prepare breakfast as my dear mother does back home.
After breakfast I put the television on - I like to watch world news and especially news from Iraq. Some days I just go back to sleep. But many days I cannot sleep thinking of home and family.
After the news that I like watching American and Arabic movies. And one night when I was watching a horror film I closed my eyes and began thinking of my lost future. I've lost everything I dreamed of after I graduated from the University of Basra.
I always hoped the coalition forces would not come and liberate us from the dictatorship and I believe this is a view shared by the vast majority of Iraqis. Even in the time of Saddam we were safe - even if we could not insult him.
But now things have become worse. Now there are many dictators. When we talk badly of one of them we end up with a bullet in the head. They do not have any mercy in their hearts and it seems that Allah has taken it away of them. Even Saddam was merciful to his people sometimes.
The fragile government, which promised to protect its own citizens but cannot even protect itself because sectarian parties and militias permeate the country. These bandits killers are ruling the country. They are weapons of mass destruction that the United States was looking for.
Bandits killers are ruling the country. They are weapons of mass destruction that the US was looking for.
In the coming elections I do not believe the people of Iraq will elect the Islamist candidates. They have used religion in a disgusting way to reach their heinous goals. Iraq is now divided into two sections:
1: The hunters These include thieves and murderers, some representing the government. Perhaps they don't care about what they are doing in the country (terrible administrative corruption and personal benefits among other things).
2: The poor They do not have enough money to support their families. They elected the government which told them they would make their country a paradise on earth. Those poor people are not interested in anything but securing a decent living for their children and ask God every day that they can go back home safely after work. That is all they want.
Many of Iraqis around the world returned home, especially after news spread of the success of the security plan carried out by the government with the assistance of the coalition. But they quickly returned to Syria, and elsewhere, shocked when they saw conditions were even worse than before - the daily killings, the piles of unknown bodies in the street.
As for Basra, the killing continues especially after the head of the Mahdi army in Basra (Abu Qadir) was murdered. The people said the British forces have killed the man, the British said they didn't. So who? Iraq special forces?
Civil war in Iraq is approaching. A few days ago the extremists bombed a Sunni mosque and shrine. Then later, a Shiite mosque was destroyed. It is obvious they are encouraging people to fight each other. The Iraqi body is firm, yet sensitive. It can recover from a simple wound but when the wound is deeper recovery is more complicated.
Every day I ask Almighty God to preserve Iraq and the world from evil."
