People often ask me "Why don't you go back to Iraq?"...Honestly, I don't understand how a sane person, who is living in the west, can pack his bags and go live in probably one of the worst countries in the world. Even if you don't get caught up in the daily suicide car bombings, you don't get hit by a stray bullet, you don't have masked men knock on your door and if your lucky enough to live in an area that is not controlled by militias...Your life would still be a living hell.
Although the weather is getting much better, I just simply cant comprehend how people can live with 4-5 hours of electricity a day. Of course I don't feel the pain (not physically atleast) the normal Iraqis feel in Iraq, but its not just about the pain. I cant even begin to imagine how they are coping with this unbearable torture. In my city, they get around 2 hours just before dawn (for "suhoor", their last chance to eat before they have to fast) and another 2 just before dusk (for "fudoor", when they can finally break their fast). Of course many Iraqis have power generators, but not everyone can afford them, and only God knows what these people do in the scorching afternoon heat with no electricity.
I used to always complain when it hits over 24°C here, but now when I do feel the heat (which is probably only a few days in the entire year) I just think to myself how it must feel for the people in Iraq. Suddenly, the thought of being in 24°C heat and stuck in London traffic seems like heaven compared to the 45+°C heat with no electricity and bombs going off all over the place. Here I worry about missing my bus and arriving late to my class, over there I would be more worried about the bus blowing up or having my head cut off because of my name. Frankly, I would rather be in hell.
The only difference between hell and Iraq, is that there is still hope in Iraq. Sometimes, I wonder if hope is the only thing that keeps Iraqis on their feet and keeps them going. Hope that maybe one day maybe things will change. Without hope, it is impossible for people to live in these conditions. Conditions that are unfit for animals, yet alone humans. God bless Iraq.
