The Impact of War on Public Health in Iraq

I got invited to this event, it was called the impact of war on public heath in Iraq. Th event is hosted by codepink Organization and the main speaker was a doctor from Iraq, Baghdad. I was hoping to hear things like what is the situation of health systme now after the war, what has changed and what didnt, and so on. But I was shoked to sit there and listen to politics, which I shoudnt be surprised to hear from an Iraqi woman. My shoke was resulted by the fact that the event was suppose to talk mainly about health problems and difficulties, but instead she started talking about what the Americans did and are doing in Iraq, and start calling for the American to leave Iraq immediatly. Not to say that Im against or with that, but I wasnt happy with it. The fact that you want people to listen to you is ok with me, but you have to understand that people here are not ready to listen unless you give them a reason to. By talking about what the Americans are doing and how aweful it is to live in Baghdad and that a bomb went off here and a car exploded there, you are basically talking about news which most Americans dont sit and watch. At the time when that happened I wished that I could take the stand and try to speak to the audience who attended only to hear about that main subject, HEALTH. I wanted to say that if you want to talk about the health system then look at the corruption within the hospitals, the ministry of health and the contracts that are being signed now to export some medicine inside the country. Health and hospitals in Iraq are suffereing from lack of medicine and lack of supplies. That is not somthing that the Americans are responsible for a 100%. The Iraqis in the government are also reponsible. Everyone who is considering himself as an insurgent trying to librate the country is responsible by killing and injuring the people who need the help now. So Who are we kidding by saying Americans are the ones who should take the blame. Im not here to defend anyone. But I have lived there in Iraq, and Im living here in the US right now and I see what is happenning. People are different whether its here or there. You cant blame somthing on someone unless you have true reasons to believe so. Where is your avidence? What could be a relieble avidence? In the case of Iraq, why should it always be either black or white? Americans or insurgants? why shouldnt it be Gray? why dont the Iraqis try, in the little that is left there to help stop who ever is doing that? Why the government in Iraq, try even at least a little to be more of a help to the people than being the same exact bad picture that was before the war. What did the American do since they have been to Iraq? Did they do better things, bad things, did they change anything? Did the Iragi government change anything since they were elected? Was it for the good or the bad?

Lots of questions, no ANswer unfortunatly, although I have my own opinion which I dont wanna express now about that because I need further observation of all the questions. But I thought of these questions and if you are talking politics then this is what your presentation should be about. As for the public health, it became only another subject that is forgotten like thousands of other things in there.

In Memory of Atwar..May your soul rest in peace

I was in high school when I first met her. She sat there and she looked so elegant. It was my first time joining the student union, and had no idea of what I would be doing there. I asked her and she told me that I have to fill out some paper work and stuff. That was in 1997, It was good. After that we became friends, not really close but she was always nice to me, and to everyone. I went to college after that and didnt see her for quite a bit but I heard her news all the time through other friends I had. Just when I started working with the news there, I found out where her work was and I got to see her more. At the time she started working as a reporter for one of the Arab News Channels in Baghdad. She was smart, bright, sweet and she had the prettiest eyes ever. But when the tension increased in Iraq in the last couple of weeks, she was doing her work as usual. The mosque in North of Baghdad was attacked and destroyed. She was covering that story. They didnt even give her a chance, they shot her in her car. Some insurgents or whatever they call themselves. I cant say more about her, because whatever I would say its not enough...We will all miss you Atwar. You were good to us and God will be good to you...May your soul rest in peace, God bless you and all the Iraqis.

American Spring Break

Well, We used to have two weeks holiday back home. We will not call it spring break, but it always comes after the mid terms of the whole year because in Baghdad we dont have a semester. We normally have a whole year, and then we will have mid terms in January and then we will take two weeks break after that. For me this is the first time I have a spring break. I went on the weekend to Daytona and Orlando. Orlando was good, we went to Downtown Disney and had a good dinner. We drove to Daytona afterwards and it was awesome, I havnt seen that many people out in the streets before. It was crazy. I saw different kinds of people there. I didnt know what to think first, but surely I missed my brother so much. Because if he was here we would have had so much fun laughing at things and mocking stuff around us. Its funny how different cultures can celebrate somthing. well at home we never really went out for spring break. although some families used to go to the north and enjoy the weather there, but for my family we always stayed at home and enjoyed watching TV and not having to study as much. My mom would tell us to study though when we get some time for the other half of the year. so Basically we just get some time off to sit at home.

Here, its not about the holiday. Its about how much money can you make and how much money can you make people spend. Flights are expensive, Hotels prices are higher and everything is almost crazy.
Anyway, Here its all about the market. The profit companies can make out of holidays.
I dont think I have anything else to add for now but I will try for later.

Good night

Used To

So yesterday I decided to go out with my friends, just to enjoy the night and stay away from my books and my mid terms. The night is about to start and somhow through the conversation one person asked me how was my family doing, so I said well they are doing fine, ok you know they got used to it now. My friend from Palestiine smiled and said somthing that made me think of it for awhile...he said, "just like us, they got used to it..haha". I stopped myself to think of this. Its really somthing to feel scraed somtimes but once you live through it you just pass that level of fear and you start somthing else. Instead of fear it will be worriness. When I the gulf war happend I was only 10 years old. I remember waking up in the morning and there was no power, I went to wash my face and I heard Mama's voice saying go back to bed, there is no school today. I was upset, I asked why, she said the War started. I was scared because after all its considered as the first time for me to go through a war although I was born during the Iraqi- Iranian war but I was only a child, didnt remember alot of it. The gulf war passed by and everyday we were scared of dying in some attack. I was so scared but I got USED TO it. Then the Blockade happened and again we got USED TO it. All of a sudden we got into this war in 2003, by then when the talk of war started Mama prepared everything that we might need to survive the War, its like we just got USED TO it.. and now even though Im here and far from home, watching the news and hearing about someone getting killed or some car exploding here or there makes me angry, but then it passes just like everyday's life, simply because I got USED TO it.

Hello

Hello everyone,

I just decided to start writing what I think, and what I have in mind for what is going on around me in this world....so here it goes and I hope you enjoy reading it...