I was lucky to leave Iraq back in 1978 as I knew it is not the place to live in.
How I wish my family had listen to me back then and moved to Canada with me while was easy to immigrate . They thought Canada is full with polar bears and we have to walk so slow so we don’t sink in ice .LOL
One of my brothers was driving his taxi when one of the Iranian militia stopped him , killed him and stole his car!!! As this is a norm in Iraq now days. .
My father suffered great deal before that too he was a political prisoner, and he was tortured back in 1962 until 1968 for his work as oil painter ,artist of the president family !!!! he was lucky as so many of his friends were hanged and killed.
When the army came to our house they knock the door , I was looking down from the balcony, and my mom opened the door , then those army thugs asked my mother to go and get my father , so she did. And as soon they captured my father, they started to kick him and punch him all over With sticks and rubber rods. I scream from the balcony …leave my dad alone , leave him alone you gypsy bastards , and I start swearing at them , they pointed guns at me and asked me to go inside and shut up. Then they took my father away in the army jeep and drove away. All of them eshroogies ( Iraqi gepsies).
I didn’t sleep that night I wished I was a man, so I can go and hurt all those criminals one by one , I wished I had a wings to fly and follow the jeep ….but my dad was gone.
My older brother Sam died in USA in 2001, I washed him and buried him in las Vegas where he used to live and work.No one knows when and where he / she will die.
When my dad was in the prison , the Iraqi government at that time and now days didn’t help the people or gave them food, there were no social and welfare assistant like we do here in the free world.
The guards used to kick my mom when she used to go ask for my dad salary or his retirement, They ask her to leave .
That’s when I started to curse that Country in my prayers , every time I cures I get a result , like God is listening to me. My curse work every time .God destroyed those people, but now he brought worse people in the face of the earth , the pure gepsies Iranians to control Iraq. That country is so evil since nabokethnosar and Babylon time ,Abraham and Nimrod, and the list goes on until the khawarej safwai / Persians killed Ali cousin of prophet Mohammed and then his son Hussein, they left him alone to the Syrians, and took the gold , run away from him and locked their doors . Now they crying for him to repent their sin, but they tell you different stories of course IN THE NAME OF SO CALLED TAQEYA ( Lies of faith ).
My brothers and I used to work and support my mother ,so she can make ends meet. she used to feed the boys and give little to my sisters as she want us to be good at school and don’t sleep hungry .
Many time my little sister cries from hunger and I used to share the food with her. My mom told me to eat first , so I do good in my school, and she used to give my sisters only bread and tea.
I used to give half of my food to my sisters , and some time all of my food, without letting my mother sees me , and I go sleep hungry.
Sometimes I used to go to the street trees and find green apples, and some barriers to eat that was my dinner in those days in the evil country called Iraq.
I remember one day back in 1963 my sister Ahlam was about 5 years and she was hungry , she said that the bread and tea is not enough and she don’t like it.
She Start to cry for food, and my mom told her she will bring food the next day for sure and start to keep her quiet and told her that she will sale her wedding ring and bring nice food.
My sister didn’t care of tomorrow , and asked me to go and see if there are some apples on the streets trees ? I waited until my mom went to sleep and I told my sister to go and ask GOD for help and he will give you some food .
I don’t know why I did that , because I was afraid to give her my share and then she tell my mom and mother will get mad at me.
My sister went upstairs to pray to God , and I could hear her asking God and saying in Arabic (( OH God ,this is Ahlam I am 5 years old, my brother told me to pray for you and ask you to give us some food, please give me some food I am so hungry )) My eyes was full of tears when I heard her prating.
while she was praying I went and put half of my rice and beans with small piece of meat in the empty pot that was in the kitchen.
Then my sister run down stairs and told me That she prayed to God, when he will give me food? she asked.
I said, well go and see in the kitchen , if you are good then God will put some food for you . So she ran to the kitchen to find out …to her surprise she came running back to me with big smiley eyes, and told me come, come harry up , GOD is really listened to my prayers. There is food in the pot .
She was jumping from happiness. I asked her to be quiet and don’t tell my mother, so God can keep providing food . She took the food and started to eat and then she said, I will wake up my other sister and share with her …..WOW little sister want to share the food with the other one .I said to my self .
I told her , no it is OK, this food for you , it is OK eat , and wash your mouth and go to bed dont tell my mom.
Then in her way back to bed she said , you know what, I will pray to God tomorrow so hard , and I will ask him for more food with meet and some desert, and sweet.
No no, no , Dont do that, I told her.
Don’t ask God that, he is not a Cook , he is very busy , so just be happy whatever he gives you for now.
She said OK then, and hugged me and went to sleep. It was out of season for the trees to have any apples. I started working and making more money to give to my mother , while went to night school . My other brothers did the same and we all worked after school to support our mother . Until my dad was out of prison and managed to support us.
years go by with many long stories between . I managed to migrate to Germany ,Holland and Greece then came to Canada, and did my best to study and graduate. My English still broken, my heart was broken many times, I was broke as a student but my spirit was intact .My spirit was nor broken and that whats kept me going , walking with faith, walking with God in my side .Until I manged to work hard and helped my parents 10 times over and still can not even match their caring for us when we were children.
I don’t have children , as until now I think mu sisters are my children and my responsibility. They all growing up now , married and half their own children……I still remember my sister praying asking God for food.
I think we all are having GOD inside each of us to do good deeds , to help others, and that GOD is watching over us and listening to us , and that we are his hands to act with, and his legs to go and seek knowledge, work and migrate to distant land and help others.
Make sure that people around your house , close friends, new immigrants do not go to bed hungry , many people shy to ask for help . Act first and help them even with some info, find them a job, where to go , what to do. Etc..
It is so hard to feel hungry , and it is even harder to ask people for food or help. and even worse when someone kick you and tell you to leave. Be kind to each other , listen to your soul and look deep into the eyes of the poor ,be respectful. and thanks God that we dont have too much fanatics and wars in here in our country, even though the media give us the sad news every now and then.
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life, so I kept myself in positive mode, when I fall I wake up again and keep going,
Attitude to me is more important than facts…. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.
We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have in life , and that is our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes our love ,life, future and not what we do as workers, or what we have ,how much we have. All of us have lots and purpose in life and all of us do our parts to survive, provide, help to improve ,pay tax and get along in this society no matter who we are and how smart or less educated we are, we all deserve love and respect as human been.
All of us are wonderful human been, hard working ,smart in our own way, and we all will meet in the cross road to help each other , learn from each other and keep this life going.
So trust in yourself , your ability , don’t be rude but work on your attitude, we all in this together, we all are children of God.
Thank for reading and may God bless you , wish you a happy new year
Steve Ramsey( Saad Ramzi Ismail), Calgary- Canada.