Eleven years of struggle
Nasra Al-Sadoon
Each
17th January memories rush to
our minds bringing back faces of those we lost, achievements we
accomplished, and a feeling of satisfaction that Iraqis foiled the
colonial US schemes designed to end all Arab
resistance.
Looking back to the past eleven years, I remember
the first night of bombing. The house shook with the effect of 2000 planes
flying over Baghdad. The horrible noise intercepted by the shocking
explosions one after the other. It seemed then that nothing could survive
the modern US Armageddon. That first night my son was nine years old. He
shook with terror, unable to utter a word. I took him in my arms and
whispered comforting words into his ears.
A few moments later he lifted his eyes,
whispering, “are we going to die?”
I smiled sadly, and told him, “yes, but we are
lucky for we will die together, and go to heaven as one family. They
cannot separate us, we’ll be together for eternity.”
He smiled and slept in spite the continued noise
and explosions. With the first light, we went out. My late husband,
Mustafa Al-Mukhtar to our son and walked in the neighborhood. They
accompanied my mother to stay with us during the bombing. The next night,
the bombing was more ferocious. My mother started reciting verses from the
holy Koran. My son came to sit by her side. He said, “Granny, don’t be
afraid. Sure we’re going to die, but we’ll always be together. The bombs
can’t separate us.”
We were among those who survived the first
military aggression. Our country was reconstructed in spite Baker’s threat
to bring Iraq back to the pre-industrial age. The UN sanctions, although
they claimed one million and a half Iraqi lives, but it is crumbling. And
most important of all, our Leader is still the symbol of resistance in the
whole world.
Two years after the first aggression, my mother
died, because the Angeside she had to take every day was expired. Mustafa
is dead of a sever heart attack. Many friends passed away for one reason
or another, Layla Al-Attar, Siham al-Saudi, Ghazi al-Abadi and many, many
others. But Iraq will always live independent, free of foreign presence
and steadfast.
Remembering the first days of Um-el Ma’arek and
our losses, give us a deep will to continue the path drawn by the lives we
lost and the suffering and sacrifices we offered. We will never forget,
remembering make us more determined to safeguard our independence and
freedom to face the new colonial schemes of the United States of
America.
At the time Iraq is gaining ground in its battle,
the US empire is falling apart, faced with renewed resistance all over the
world. |