Iraq
How to wear hijab for the first time? 4
I decide to wear the hijab for one day. Here is the story of some of my encounters.
Interview with Deborah Campbell Author of A Disappearance in Damascus
A story of friendship between two women. One Canadian, the other Iraqi. Both must find strength to deal with gigantic difficulties. This is the story of A Disappearance in Damascus. What I appreciated most about the book is the detailed portrayal of life of an Iraqi refugee in Syria around […]
I wish graffiti 2
In march of 2015, ISIS decided to destroy the ancient city of Nimrud in northern Iraq. I tried to imagine, If I took away all concern for history, culture and learning what would I choose to vandalize. Here are a few things I came up with. A nightmarish vision quest. […]
Increase me in Knowledge 1
“Write what you know” I heard it said before. Hmmmm! …… I disagree. At age 19, I immigrated from the middle-east and found myself in an in-between state. Wet from the all immersive experience of being deeply embedded in a culture; dry as a cracker observing new set of social […]
Gollum and Ring :: A story about my Canadian passport 1
Gollum and ring inspires me to look differently on the cozy long-term relationship with my Canadian passport.
أخوة في الدم
A translation into Arabic of a story of two soldiers, an Iranian and an Iraqi, meet on the battlefield. 20 years later, they meet in vancouver
Poop and Democracy – a radio broadcast 2
Can the waste material veto right maintain the iron grip of ihath’s dictatorship?
Advice for Rep. Joe Wilson 7
Next time do the Iraqi thing and throw your shoe at the president. Given the state of the country it is clear that the Iraqi way is not always the best, but it is always more entertaining. I read in the news that Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw […]
Play About Iraq in Vancouver 2
PALACE OF THE END: is Western Canadian premiere of Judith Thompson’s trio of monologues based around the war in Iraq. Contains three monologues: A portrayal of the soldier who took the fall for the Abu Ghraib prison scandal; the dying reflections of the weapons inspector who blew the whistle on […]
ICD-9-CM Diagnosis 338
My uncle in Baghdad thinks that I have become too western.I live three blocks away from my parents, instead of living together in one big house.My friends in Vancouver think that it is weird that I enjoy hanging out with my parents as much as I do. Strong family ties […]
Should I get a dog ? 2
Are you asking yourself “Should I get a dog?” Wait until you read the story of how my family struggled with that question across generations and continents.
Sleepless in Dallas
Recently I returned from a work related trip in Dallas Texas. While there, I had an unexpected encounter with a peculiar big little fellow. One evening as I lay in bed in my hotel, pondering the busy events of the day, I saw a cockroach climbing the wall of my […]
ihath reads: The Shia Revival 2
I just finished reading “The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future – By Vali Nasr”. It is a good introduction about the Sunni and Shia conflict over the last 1400 years. The book also describes how the new Shia dominant Iraqi government is tipping the status […]
Hijab wearing doer, gets a laugh from ihath.
At Last! Somebody decided to stop compailing about how the media always potrays us in a negative light (terrorists and fanatics) and decided to do something positive and constructive at last. I am talking about Zarqa Nawaz, the woman behind the new sitcom LITTLE MOSQUE ON THE PRAIRIE. A sitcom […]
Good bye Saddam
Two weeks ago my mother dreamed that Saddam came into her living room and asked her to make him a cup of Turkish coffee. He looked tired and weary. He told her that he just wants to sit down and have some quiet for few minutes. “I just need to […]
Like the deserts miss the rain
I walk out the door Past the newspaper stand again Iraq in the news I don’t live there anymore It’s years since I’ve been there But now I’ve disappeared somewhere like Canada I have found some better place And I miss you – like the deserts miss the rain And […]
The Message (movie about prophet Mohammed)
After a 20 year wait, I finally get to see a highly anticipated movie about prophet Mohammed. Here is my review.
Secret Society of Sexual Predators: Arabic Da Vinci Code
Watching how badly Arabs and Muslims are depicted in Hollywood movies inspires me to rewrite The Da Vinci Code with a twist. It becomes a story of a secret society of sexual predators.
Losing Sanity
I love it when people give me advice. Especially when it is from complete strangers. Usually those are the best kind of advice. Over the years I have benefited greatly from advice given to me by various people. Take the advice given to me by Abdullah (not his real name)., […]
Eye of the beholder
If somebody told me that I was prettier than Janet Reno I would feel insulted. That woman has the charm of a door knob. On the other hand, if I was compared to Kate Winslet I would find that flattering. You don’t even have to say that I am prettier […]
Immigration 1
Mohammed sent me an email sharing a short story from his life which reminded me of this story. Thank you Mohammed and here it is. “Welcome to Canada”, said the immigration officer to me at Montreal airport. “You are now a landed immigrant”, he continued as he stamped my passport. […]
Losing Weight 1
I myself hoped that Adnan Pachachi would be the next Iraqi president. Anybody whose last name is that of an Iraqi national dish has to be ok. Pacha is a slowly cooked combination of sheep’s head, stomach, feet and other variety of meats in broth. It might sound disgusting to […]
Losing Sleep
If I hear one more American say that they are sorry about the pictures of the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, I will gag. A year ago, each time you said you were Iraqi, people would transpose the head of Saddam over yours in their imagination’s Photoshop abilities. Nowadays, each time […]
Losing Some Food
Did you see how excited that American chick got over seeing an Iraqi man in the nude? You would think she never saw a naked man before. But I have to remind myself that this woman grew up in America and not in the middle east. In the middle east […]
Losing National Pride
The darnest things have been said about Iraqi people. Take this speech for an example. “ O people of Iraq! You are like a pregnant woman who, on completion of her pregnancy delivers a dead child and her husband is also dead and her period of widowhood is long and […]