My evening with Iraqi refugees

[proud2BlibKansan]

I went to dinner last night with a group of Iraqi refugees. It was a fascinating evening. We served a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and after dinner, we went to a church and heard the local symphony and the church choir perform Handel's Messiah.

Some members of our local peace group recently met these refugees and we are trying to plan activities with them once a month or so. We are also trying to help them settle in our community, learn English and find jobs. Last night was the first time I had been able to attend an event and meet them.

Hearing their stories was both fascinating and infuriating. One man told us his two teenage daughters cry themselves to sleep every night. In Baghdad, they lived in a big house and owned 2 cars. In 2006, they were forced out of their home and lived in refugee camps in Jordan until coming here about a month ago. His older daughter was in college in Baghdad finishing an engineering degree and now has to start her studies over again in an American university. And they are living in a small apartment. He also said they are working hard to get used to our cold weather. (I didn't have the heart to tell him it's only November and the real cold doesn't come until January or February.)

I asked him if he ever thinks they will get to go back to Iraq and he said "our neighborhood is gone". :cry:

That man asked us a lot of questions about our city and seemed interested in local history. He wanted to know where the oldest buildings were and how old they were. We told him about 150 years old. We asked how old the oldest building in Baghdad was and he smiled and said "about 800 or more years old".

He also asked about Thanksgiving and we told him the story of the First Thanksgiving and about the American treatment of Native Americans since. He smiled and said "Ah, American aggression!"

Another man worked as an interpreter for the UN in Iraq. He has been here two years and is still unemployed. He went to the nearest military base to try to get a job but they wanted him to enlist in the military - and be sent BACK to Iraq. I said that seemed so bizarre since there is a shortage of interpreters and the US does have contractors in Iraq. Why not hire civilian interpreters? He smiled and said yes it seemed strange to him too. But he doesn't want to leave his family here and go back to Iraq.

The kids were just adorable. Most spoke very good English, especially a 4 year old who had been in Head Start since September. Her mother was amazed by how well she was learning English. I ate dinner with her 9 year old brother who had only potatoes on his plate. I asked him if he didn't like turkey and he said he is having trouble getting used to American food. I said "I bet you like pizza and hamburgers" and he grinned really big.

One of the men used to teach English in a Baghdad university. He was more familiar with Handel than we were and talked about his own university education, where many of his professors were British and taught them about classical musicians. He said that even though he had a good understanding of American culture, he was still having a hard time adjusting to life here. He felt sorry for the Iraqis who didn't know as much about America as he did.

I asked one of the women if there had been very many Americans in Iraq before the war started. She said yes and many were our friends. I asked if they were angry about the US invasion. She said no, but they were upset with the British. Her husband nodded. I said but the British have pulled out, right? And he said yes and they were so glad to see them go.

The Iraqis want to teach us Arabic so we are going to try to set up some classes. And because my new 9 year old friend likes pizza, next time we get together it will be at a pizza place. :)

If you have any Iraqi refugees in your community, I would highly recommend meeting them. It was a very fascinating experience for us.

[slackmaster]

1. San Diego County has a very large number of Iraqi Chaldeans

Just about every Zippy Mart, small grocery store, and pizza place in my neighborhood is run by Iraqis.

They're great neighbors and for the most part very pleasant to do business with (except that one old fart who looks like Saddam Hussein...).

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I didn't have the nerve to ask them about Sadaam

Maybe next time.

[slackmaster]

11. The people at one of our local pizza places were all celebrating wildly

On the day that statue came down. Sure, the whole thing was staged and the war has been a giant fiasco but there are many, many people here who were glad to see Saddam fall.

The pizza place I am referring to is run by a Chaldean family. Two of the men are called "Sam". They used to always tell people they were Sicilian, but once you got to know them they would admit to being Iraqi Christians.

Oh, and Sam is short for Osama.

:-)

[jwirr]

3. Thank you for doing what many of us cannot.

m

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. You are most welcome

:)

[shireen]

4. other ways to help

if you can't directly help them, please, if you can afford it, support The List Project.

http://www.thelistproject.org/

The List Project is a U.S. non-profit, founded in 2007 with the belief that the United States Government has a clear and urgent moral obligation to resettle to safety Iraqis who are imperiled due to their affiliation with the United States of America. We are the first comprehensive organizational effort to honor the sacrifice of these Iraqis.

We've launched this site for Americans who want to help and the Iraqis who need it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Thanks that's a great link

[QueenOfCalifornia]

7. recommended and kicked

People who preach that Iraq should be bombed into a pile of glass need to read this. I urge people to copy this beautiful story and paste it in an email and send it to your right-wing friends and family. This places a human face on the people we are supposed to be liberating.

Thanks Proud2BLib. I hope you don't mind but I forwarded this to some very good people who will appreciate the story you told so beautifully.

Peace to you and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. :pals:

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. I don't mind at all.

Happy Thanksgiving to you too! :hug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. kick

[Robbien]

10. A fascinating read

Thanks for sharing it with us
k&R

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. You're welcome

I am hoping others are inspired to find Iraqi refugees in their communities.