An Iraqi artist and journalist, Ahmed Fadaam, has recently visited Elon University to spread light on the effects of the war on his country and his people. Being a journalist for the American media, Ahmed was not too popular with the Iraqi people, to the point where he would receive death threats for both him and his family.
Us Americans do not understand the severity of the situation in Iraq. “Have you ever seen a man die in front of you? Are there bad memories you still have in your mind that you remember just like yesterday?” asks Ahmed, stressing that today’s conditions in Iraq are in no way suitable for a child to live in, let alone anybody. Faddam shares many stories with his audience, portraying what is seen by the eyes of innocent children. There was one instance where a father was driving his son and daughter to work where he got pulled over by an Iraqi checkpoint. The father was beaten in front of his children and soon after set on fire. His daughter was forced to watch the brutal killing of her own father, for if she did not, her little brother would be killed as well. These types of situations are in no way suitable for a child to experience; having to remember the sight of her father being burnt to death is something one can never forget, and the thought alone will forever haunt her future. In addition, these next generations of Iraqis are growing up in a horrible time and place, where the first thing they see is war and where they lose their parents as a direct result. Because of this, the generations subjected to this horrid time grow up resenting the Americans, which only hinders the attempt to repair U.S.-Iraqi relations even more.
According to Ahmed Fadaam, the loss of Saddam Hussein gave the Iraqi people a positive view on life. After the ongoing horrors of war, people’s views have drastically changed. Under Saddam, the government controlled everything; prices, media, jobs and nearly every other aspect of life. In the past few years, Ahmed states that political rule in Bagdad has spun out of control, housing “thousands of Saddam’s” as opposed to just one. People are using violence to bring themselves to power, making everyday living scary to be apart of. He states that the war has destroyed Iraq, leaving access to basic human needs far worse than at the time under Saddam. Ahmed blames the negative relations of Americans and Iraqi’s on the lack of direct communication between the two groups. “I’ve been pushing for some time now to open up a communications channel between the two people. You are open minded, and so are the Iraqis. But the Iraqis cannot see you.” This understanding can be spread through journalism, helping unite and discover the whole story without leaving out the opposite perspective. “There is no American in Iraq explaining to Iraqis that there are Americans that oppose the war and wants to live a normal life without violence. But there is an Iraqi here in the States who is trying to do this.”
