The Eid finished yesterday and it was different a little bit this time. For the first time since four years, I have this quite nice feeling about the Eid. So, instead of drawing sad pictures from Iraqi daily life and since we used to these sad pictures to the extent that we consider them as a part of our daily life, I decided to make a kind of balance this time. I’ll reflect two pictures that attracted my attention during the two days off I had (Sunday and Monday).
The first picture is the crowded streets of Baghdad. It was really nice to see so many big number of families moving going to the parks, giving their kids a chance to run in the yards, to play soccer and even to fight in a funny way with each other. I don’t know how to explain it. Is it because these families felt bored of the bad ideas and fear that control them or because they decided to break this fear and fight these bad ideas. But, anyway, the result was so positive that I felt Baghdad streets are so happy with the steps of the children and their parents.
The second picture is related to the first one in one side only, the kids. Its really nice to see the kids playing in the streets but we miss our old peaceful games like soccer or marbles. Instead, I saw the kids specially the boys play with the fake guns. In each street, I saw a battle and kids shouting like” hey wait, I’m out of ammunition, let me refill my machinegun, its unfair to shoot me” or “my machinegun is bigger than yours and I have more bullets”.
OMG, some of them look like real guns because they are made with the same size and same details accept for being made of plastic and they don’t kill innocents. When I saw these kids playing with the fake guns, I felt happy because they at least could have some fun but I felt so sorry because its not the type of fun I wished for them. Such a violent game destroys their personality because it teaches them that the only way to deal with life is by violence.
I wished they play some games that can improve and increase the positives sides in their personalities like spirit of team when we used to play soccer. I blame both the government and the tradesmen who brought these games. I hope that the government issue more roles and criteria for importing the kids game especially in such a country that is already rich with violence.
When I was a young child, the boys in my neighborhood used to play war with actual old WWII memorabilia. Movies about WWII were still a big deal as well. Eventually, those boys moved on to other things. Playing cowboys and indians was also about guns and violence. I suppose it's been handed down through the ages, this type of play.
Posted by: ljm | October 17, 2007 at 12:07 AM
al_salam alaikom mr.liath iam glad to read your story after(it`s only bad luck)not only bagdad streets are crowded but all iraqi street are crowded with happy people in iraq it`s strange to see the people walking in the night about(9:00 PM) and this remembering you in the days before war iam asking the god to keep the safty and security .. about the second picture all of them notice that my small brothers took (al-eedyia)from my father and bought plastic weapons and made like areal battle in the garden for bad luck this is danger thing thanks for all
Posted by: noor | October 16, 2007 at 07:51 AM