Election Day in Gayara: Meran's Perspective

Since i read the story by Nirgaz it expired me to write my story during the election day in Q-West,Iraq. we had the same kind of the day it was cold but not rainy. i went THT office to talk to someone about all these Iraqi to vote for thier country that work for us fanilly we had a word late in the after noon about 7:00 that all iraqi's that work with qualition forces could vote in side the FOB(base) they brought the plactice boxes and paper i came and see the area that they put was not a good place because it was the internet cafe and there was a lot of soldiers were there on internet i told them i think it will be better if we go to the next room and do it becuase it is empty and it has trowers so it represent everyone is free and the democracy is taking place no matter how much the poll is big or small, to give it to who ever want without some one looking over his head.

the election went very well praise to allah everyone got to vote and they were very happy and they were thanking American for that effert.

there is no comment on my side exept an exellent job

i did got to vote for my country (kurdistan)

Meran Abdullah Email Homepage 01.31.05 - 2:22 pm #

Mossa Mossa, former Peshmerga, and wife, Jemila Hadi outside election site in Nashville on their way to vote. 

(Mossa Mossa is the uncle of Meran)

Despite the drizzling rain and overcast sky, nothing yesterday could dampen the spirit of Mossa Mossa. Mossa, a former Peshmerga (Kurdish Freedom Fighter),has had this day coming for a long time, something he only dreamed of before. He, along with his brothers fought against Saddam's regime in the 1980's. It was during this time that his brother, his sister-in-law, and nephew were all killed by a gas attack on their village in 1988, one of many such attacks during Saddam's Anfal campaigns. This day is bittersweet for him because of all the loved ones lost to get here, yet a source of hope that such atrocities will never have to happen to his people again.

Early yesterday morning his wife, Jemila Hadi, called to wake me up. "Are you coming, hurry up!" She said. I threw on a scarf, woke up my three boys, and hurried them out the door with some juice and snacks. When we arrived a half-hour later, they had already showered, eaten breakfast, and were warming the car up. So I dropped my three off with their six, and we were off to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds.

On the way we chatted, and I asked them their feelings about this day. They were beyond excited, the opportunity to actually take part in their government, something most of them had never seen in their lifetime, was not something they took for granted. Jemila told me "I didn't vote in the US elections, but this one I have to, it is important to the Kurdish people, every vote counts." Mossa, a loyal member of the Kurdish Democratic Party, on the other hand did vote this past fall. As we neared the entrance to the fairgrounds Mossa reminded us to mark 130, the Kurdish ticket. Just to make sure we understood, he wrote it in Arabic,and looked at us and said "Don't make a mistake!"

At the entrance to the fairgrounds, it was more reminiscent of Duhok, Iraq then Nashville, Tennessee. There were concrete barriers,police on horseback, many security people, and a checkpoint at the entrance. There, everyone in the car had to show an ID, and the truck was opened and searched. As we were ok'd to proceed, we had to make our way through a maze of concrete barriers put in place as a precaution to any violence that might occur. After this we entered a big field of parked cars, half of which was flooded with the rain that kept drizzling down all that day. Mossa moved his way to a spot closest to the entrance tent to the elections so that we could try and not get to muddy, although that day it was rather unavoidable.

At the first of a series of heated tents we went through to get to the polling site, we were asked to show ID's again and were questioned if we possessed cameras, purses, or Cellphones, all of which were not allowed on the premises. Then we had to move through a metal detector. Those the alarm went off on were patted down and had the hand-held metal detectors swiped up and down their bodies. We went through no problem and proceeded through four tents, all of which we were made to show ID's. At the last tent there was a man arguing with the election official. Apparrently, him and another man had traveled all the way from Texas to vote and were denied because they hadn't pre-registered. The man was livid and finally some security had to escort him away.

At this last tent we waited, as they only allowed a certain number to go to the polling site at a time. After about five minutes we were given the ok, and we headed accross an empty field to a fenced in area where two large tents were set up for the voting. There again we showed ID's, but also we had to show registration cards this time. On the registration cards, each person was assigned to one or the other of the tents. Jemila had been assigned to the one on the left. At the entrance to the tent, once more you had to show ID and voter registration card. As I had not registered, I did not have one, but I was allowed in to help Jemila. Inside the tent there were two voting areas set up, each with tables, a ballot box, and booths to cast your vote in. We proceeded to the first area, and as you entered you gave your ID to one of the Election workers, there they checked to see if your name was on the registered voter list and the number on your card matched. Then a check was placed next to their name. Then you had to dip your pointer finger in purple ink, signifying you had voted. At the next table, a ballot, really a rather large sheet of paper listing all 111 parties, was given to the voter and instructions on how to vote were given. The lady working there said "We can help her, you can just leave", but I insisted, I am rather stubborn, I had come to witness the entire process and there weren't nobody who could stand in my way. Another man also told me "This is her husband, he can help her." From his tone, I got what he was inferring, I said "Why?" And he said "Well...Can you even read Arabic." I grabbed a paper from the table and wrote in Arabic the number 130, the Kurdish party number on the ballot, and he just stood their flabergasted.

We went into the booth and opened the ballot, quickly found 130, but were slightly confused because the party's flag was not there. Instead, beside it was a map of Kurdistan in white and black with tiny print that wasn't legible on it. Luckily, the name of the party was listed next to the number, and it clearly said Kurdistan. I told her this is the one, and she asked "Are you sure? We don't want to make mistake". I said I was sure. Then she made an x in the box beside 130 and folded up her ballot. The ballot box was on your way out and she stuffed it through the top, her face beaming.

Mossa had been assigned to the tent nextdoor,but he had chosen to wait on Jemila to make sure everything went ok. He got up as we passed and we all went to the other tent so he could vote. The official inside told us to sit down in some empty seats since we weren't voting as we waited for Mossa. As we sat there, Iraqi's streamed in there, many had chosen to wear their ethnic clothing, the kind saved for special occassions. Finally, Mossa had also "gave his voice" as they call voting literally in Kurdish.

As we headed out, a group of Kurds, traveling all the way from Dallas Texas arrived, full with spirit and joy. Their spirit and joy at a chance for democracy for a country that had known only terror and sorrow for way too long, was enough to bring a smile to anyone's face.

This is my son-in-law, Meran Abdullah. Meran is an honorable young man who has been through more than most of us, and thankfully has become better for it. I am so proud of both him and my daughter, and what they are doing to make their lives and family. Here, Meran is shown getting ready to fly to another location where he is needed as a translator/interpreter. He has mainly worked in the north of Iraq, in and near the areas where he grew up in Iraqi Kurdistan, but also sometimes to the South... 

Eva wrote me this week to say,

Just thought you might be interested in how my visit today went with the Psychiatrist Zainab recommended to me...

His name is, Shaidul Islam, and as his name implies he is a Muslim...He was also very nice and in the entryway I saw he was a Captain in US Navy...honorably discharged in 2003.

I filled out this rather long form about symptoms and then answered questions...In the end he put me on Welbutrin XL for the depression and recent anxiety attacks, and Eskalith to balance out my moods, I mentioned how I tend to go from happy to angry to sad all in a matter of seconds...

Then after a week, I am going to go see him again...we will see how these effect me and if I like them better...

Hopefully this can help me get some more stability to how I am feeling so I feel in control of things again...cause right now I feel like a person with a whole lot of responsibility and barely the sanity to handle it...

I have faith in this Doc though...so Godwilling that faith is not misplaced...

Love,

Eva XXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Meran, ever the entrepreneur, emailed me today about investment opportunities in Iraq (most probably in the north, where he's from...) He said*, "Hay if you are thinking of buying some iraqi dinar let me know i will buy it for you becuase i think there is a chance of worth a lot more after elections or in couple years.

for example $1000 dollars will become $1,000,000 iraqi dinar and may be
later you could change it for at least $700,000 becouse there are a lot of corporations waiting to inter Iraq after elections. think about it."

* Forgive the spelling - English is his second language, but he does very well overall!

I was manning the front desk at work today, and a man came to the window. He was an interpreter who was looking for a hearing that he thought was at our office. I checked the sheet he had been given and yes, it was our address and today's date, but no hearing was scheduled according to our records. We left a voice message to a phone number on his sheet explaining the problem, but before he left, I noticed his name tag said he was a Kurdish interpreter, first name of Kazim. I mentioned Meran Abdullah to him, and he said he knows Meran. What a small world, sometimes...*

* I later received an email from Meran saying yes, he remembers Kazim!

Eva and Meran become overcome with emotion as he is called to board the plane... 

Meran says goodbye to his boys; he returns to Iraq to continue his job as interpreter/translator... 

Meran is tackled by the boys on the new trampoline! 

Mu'min proudly displays his new work of art (December 2004) 

Call me crazy, but the more I read and hear about pain/war/injustice around the world (or am I just becoming more sensitive to what's been going on all along...?), the more I am being pushed by my conscience to get directly involved. If you hear about me pulling up stakes, and becoming one of those funny old lady peace volunteer/activists you hear about, going overseas to help whereever & whoever, or walking the streets to publicize the evildoers and the evil they do, don't be surprised...

These are some of my heroes...

I'm stunned. My sister forwarded this article to me tonight. For those that know me, you'll understand. For those that do not, let me explain...

Shortly after I received the message from my sister, I received another from a mutual friend of ours we grew up with. He is now a tenured professor at a prestigious Eastern university...

I lived in Turkey and in North Africa and have a very different view of Islam. I think that there are many positive features to Islam and what we've seen in the form of extremism is not a reflection of the larger religious tradition. I lived in Sweden and there is toleration and respect for different religious traditions contrary to the columnist. I think there is a danger confounding Islam with radical fundamentalism just as this country that it is a mistake to confound true Christianity with the right wing brand of fundamentalism that is sweeping our country. The two brands of fundamentalism actually share a great deal in common. The self-identified hypocritical types who encourage violence against abortion doctors and sponsor hate share a zealotry. I am writing this to you to get your opinion as opposed to register a dissenting view. What do you think?

I wrote back to him, saying...

I have a different view also, Mike, as you might suspect...

My initial reaction was very similar to your last point, about there being a similarity in all zealots of any faith or belief system (there are most definitely non-religious, even atheistic, zealots...It knows no boundaries...) The fear, hate, intolerance, etc. I see in many corners of this world, whether it be politics, religion, economic power (and many times these overlap and blur), is the core of what drives the worst in humanity.

The columnist is one seemingly innocent soldier in the WRONG cause - the cause of misinformation, ignorance, and confusion. It's nothing new, but it never fails to amaze me how powerful it is...

As I said at the beginning, I couldn't believe it when I received the message from my sister. I was so sure she was more open-minded since her niece - my daughter - is Muslim, and Betty has met some of my son-in-law's family, etc. and should know better than to promote generalizations. I immediately forwarded it to my daughter Eva for her reaction, writing to her, "While there may be some truth in some of the points this writer makes, the overall article is simplistic and misleading..." I have yet to hear back, but rest assured I will share with the Yard when she does. Better yet, I hope she shares it herself, since she's one of the Team!

Kevin Sites, a reporter whose work I follow and respect, talks about a recent incident that left some big questions...

I have been reading that a good share of the "Iraqi forces" that are being used in conjunction with American troop in Fullujah are Kurdish. Kurds in general are getting more and more nervous. Kurdish children are being kidnapped, and some have been executed, being held for ransom. Fingers have long been pointing north with "Collaborators" being whispered on many lips. They see Kurds as traitors at worst, separatists at best (wanting their region and the oil-wealth Kirkirk would bring with it...) I see no way for Americans to fully pull out of Iraq anytime soon. It's a powder keg that's already went off, but there's a lot of gunpowder left...

How is it really in Iraq?

That seems to be what's on everyone's minds these days...Well where my husband, Meran, is working as a translator for the coalition forces...Things are not good.

He tells me of people higher up quitting left and right, for example he is suppose to have a site manager that visits every now and then to address their employees, Titan corporation, concerns and to authorize vacation time etc. Since he has been in Gayara, July, nobody has come by. He has repeatedly asked around and heard nothing except "they'll be there". Besides that, he is being asked to do translating jobs that he is not able to do because of lack of personnel with the right language skills. It is assumed that because he is Iraqi, he must know Arabic, which besides hello, how are you, he really doesn't have a grasp...At least not well enough to translate where one word mistake could lead to a wrong arrest or raiding a house that is not involved in the resistance.

And violence-wise things have gotten a lot worse...He is currently about a hour and half to two hours from his uncle's in Duhok. But he is unable to go there because conditions are so bad that it is not safe to travel that roadway. This in comparison to last year where he was visiting once or twice a month on his off time. Also a car bomb exploded in Duhok a couple weeks ago, and up until that point Duhok had yet to see the violence the south had seen. You know its getting bad there and more out of control when the violence has spread into Kurdistan in the north, an area that had things pretty much under raps until now.

But it is time for us to admit that we do not know what we are doing and to go back to the drawing board...What we are doing right now is letting things get worse. Since when does admitting things are going wrong=failure.

To me the bigger failure is to let things be. Any great leader will sit down and reevaluate himself and the situations he faces from time to time, if things need change, he changes it.

Guantanamo Bay represents an attempt by the Bush regime to place itself above the law in a manner unprecedented since the seventeenth century crisis, which produced the English civil war and the beheading of Charles I. - From Guantanamo Bay, Habeas Corpus and the Texan Who Would be King

We've all been hearing about Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for a long time, and in reference to post-September 11th detainment there, in particular.

There are stories being documented now that posit, when presented collectively, that the detainments at the naval station camp are, in essence, a virtual internment camp...*

Detainees include citizens of over 40 different countries from around the world, including those of our allies. International watchdogs continue to document violations of the Geneva Convention at Guantanamo by the United States, the so-called cradle of democracy. Those with power use it as they see fit, and justify it only when necessary; admitting wrong, making things right, that is never usually done voluntarily. If we see this as wrong - we the citizen of the United States, or even we the citizen of the world - then we must insist on change against wrongs such as this.

What am I going to do about it? First, I won't be voting for President Bush in November. Second, I will continue to keep myself informed. Third, I will continue to tell people about what I find out. Fourth, I will continue to find ways to make a difference. Finally, I hope and pray when I find those ways, I will have the courage to ACT on them. If each person does that, it will make a difference.

* Meanwhile, over in Iraq, Abu Ghraib isn't unique...

BBC Photo Journal: Baghdad Surgeon

I read everyone I can. To be exclusionary is to limit yourself. I want many perspectives, and I use my own common sense, then I draw conclusions.

I say conclusions, but they really aren't. They are opinions that are constantly in a state of flux because I feel it is crucial to remain open-minded. Leaders don't have that luxury.

I cannot imagine what I would do as, say, President of my country, America. It is always easy to be a backseat driver...

My son-in-law Meran is a translator/interpreter for the Titan Corporation, which is under investigation* for various charges by our government, who contracted with them in the first place.

For me, it is fascinating on two levels. First, my son-in-law, a decent, hard-working man, is getting caught up in a typical profiteering atmosphere common in war situations where rebuilding is going on. He went to Iraq with idealist motivations that are undoubtedly still there in him, but my instincts are telling me it's gotten a bit muddled in the past year. Second, as a federal employee myself who has seen and continues to see more and more private contracting out of former federal jobs, I'm seeing that the two main reasons put forth for private contractors - saving money, and better/faster production/results - is clearly not happening. The same problems that the federal government heads had before is still here - no decent oversight, no true accountability. Who watches the watchers?!

*Which just lost them a lucrative buyout with Lockheed...