This post is contributed by Dr. Diane Hassan, author of “Angels Among Us Even in Iraq”, who is currently participating in “On Loan at You Served” as a guest blogger.
In my book I try to show how good the Iraqi people are ,no matter the type of government the people lived under. Good people are found all over the world,they just become a circumstance of their environment. I arrived in Iraq in august of 1975 at 12 midnight.
I remember vividly how I felt that night, it was like going back in time a 100 years. I was raised in a small town in South Alabama among family and friends. I never realized the cruelty found in the world. My adventure began as an innocent southern girl later to be transformed by the harsh reality of living under a dictator.
The Iraqi people were very kind to me and tried to help me adapt to my adoptive home. When I was shopping in the market they made sure no one cheated me. They were very caring and protective.
When Saddam came to power, things began to change in Iraq. He caused a division in the Baath party. He knew that he would eventually place family members in position of power. As an outsider looking in to what was going on in Iraq, I felt the evil that would take place in Iraq. Saddam started the Iran war and was the cause for Desert Storm I saw a country that was very rich in resources become a land of beggars because of the leadership.
As a medical student, I treated patients that were dying from malnutrition because of the embargo. Simple medications were not available, that could save many lives. The people suffered in silence. The most important freedom we have in America is the freedom of speech, which was unknown in Iraq.
As the years went by,one learns to survive by not having an opinion, not trusting one’s closest friends or relatives. People become robots, learning to say everything is great. Freedom is not Free!!!
