The Melting Pot and Vito Corleone
I may not have ever been in the Shoes of the Iraqi's how have Migrated either legally or Illegally to the four corners of the Earth, I can not say that I do know what they have Experienced or are experiencing, I have no Idea whatsoever.
The same thing applies to those Iraqis whom have left this country, especially those whom have left before 1991, the reason.. well to simplify they have not gone through the sanction era of Iraq. Some people may also argue that people who have fled during the eighties have suffered also of the Regime. That is true, but my personal believe is that there could be no comparison.
It is widely said that you can't change what a person believes in unless he chooses to.
In the real world that is absolutely correct, Saddam was never able to change our hearts whatever he did we just showed another face, being cautious is not being hypocrite.
Iraqi's who have fled this place and have settled in other countries have a choice. What they choose is their business, no one can interfere.
I have seen many Iraqis who choose to give their children names that are neither Arabic nor Aramaic or Kurdish, when you ever meet an Adam he may be from an Iraqi decent, when you meet a Jude he may be of an Iraq decent same thing goes for the Sara's and Mariam's and the list goes on.
If it stops at that well we all would understand, but loosing your religion and language is a bit edgy. But we may also understand this.
But being not even the bit proud of Being an Iraqi for whatever reason that I can't understand.
If you believe that you are going to be respected more if you jump in the melting pot by denouncing your religion, your faith, your way of life then you are blinded.
Look at the Chinese the Italians the Koreans the Pakistanis and the Indians, they stick to there culture they don't care what others say.
Then of course, I really understand, the laws in these countries "Anti terrorism Laws" and the way the media show Arabs and Muslims not that I believe that the media falsifies everything; all this causes people to do the above. My young cousin in Canada, a Canadian was called a "Terrorist" by a group of kids in her school because she's dark skinned…
That's why people denounce their background and jump in the Melting Pot.
On other news I was stopped today trying to hunt for gasoline during the glorious morning curfew by the Mehdi Army the asked me to get out of the car and give them my Car registration papers, well I did and one of them said that "your papers are illegal and this is a stolen car, we are going to confiscate it" I told him my name is "Zappy! Vito Corleone" so he apologized for the "misunderstanding", and let me through.
That was a close one...
Have a great Day!
Zappy!
7 comments:
Sorry Rubin your last post I can't publish, you understand of course.
I live in California now and a good friend of mine is Iraqi. Her family left after the gulf war and moved to America. She always talks on the phone with all her family in Arabic, and her mother is even going to begin teaching me Arabic this week. Our town doesn't have a purpose mosque, we have to drive to the nearby city, but maybe one day we'll build one.
I always felt the 'melting pot' in America didn't simply strip all immigrants of identity and make them white. I'm a white male from a protestant Christian background, yet the 'melting pot' has brought me into close contact with other language, culture and religion that are now an inseparable part of my identity.
Of course, that's just my life.
zappy,
I admire you! But how can the thousands of iraqis like myself who were born outside of Iraq or left very early in their lives that they can't remember a thing - how can they associate themselves with Iraq having nothing concrete other than the dialect. "We're Iraqis.. we say 'chifcheer'", or "one of my parents (a great deal are halfies.. half-iraqi half-something) is Iraqi so i'm Iraqi"..
I haven't seen much of Iraq myself and I am most grateful to God that I was given the opportunity to mingle with Iraqis who were able to non-directly give me the feel of how Iraq is like and what Iraq is all about.. but not many people had the same opportunity as me.. many of my friends don't know anything about iraq except 'saddam ruled the country for 35 years.. killed shia, killed some kurds, oh and iraq has the shrines of many imams and prophets'.. isn't that just sad? what's sadder is that the elder generations are doing absolutely nothing to make their children better informed of their home country.. most of their parental strategies result in the kids being driven away from Islam, Iraq and anything decent our culture has to offer.
Uff.. such a crap world..
oh, and with regards to your Mehdi Army inquisition, sod them all!
With Love from Lenden
My argument is simple, "Some" Iraqi Migrants either feel Ashamed of their culture or need to protect their children from ignorant bigots.
That is All.
by the way its now called "Lendow" :)
lol, why lendow? there must be a story of some sore behind it.. solif..
I don't see why a person should be respected because of what country their ancestors came from. Nowadays people from all over the place live all over the place. And wherever they originate, that country will have a history and traditions. Iraq, Iran, Nigeria or Iceland are no different in this respect. _____If you are going to be respected at all, it should be for what you have accomplished yourself. But then, if you do accomplish something good, it is because it was worth doing, not in order to gain respect. Why does it matter whether or not people respect you, anyway? What matters is to know in yourself that you have done the best you can.
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