When we made the decision to move to the Middle East, I figured our nationality would be perceived negatively at one point or another. The topic of politics doesn’t come up right away, for us it has only happened with people we know. It begins with our opinion of Bush and then come the pictures….Abu Ghraib.
I have had to look at these appalling photos more times than I wish to. Our friend Jamal showed me the pictures of his brother’s corpse. Our friend Maher showed us various images of Abu Ghraib repeating, “look, look”. I couldn’t help but to cry. It is painful to look at these images but also a bit unfair that I have to be the one to look at these photos and repent. I didn’t commit these actions, I wish no harm would come to anyone.
I can’t deny these events didn’t occur and that they weren’t terrible. I cannot defend the actions of my country. I am beyond being able to apologize for these acts. I couldn’t help but thinking when he was showing me these pictures that America isn’t the sole perpetrator in committing these horrors. There are innumerable instances throughout history far worse than anything that the Americans have committed in Iraq. The main difference of why it is so offensive is that we are supposed to be the “good guys”, there to liberate a suppressed people from a brutal dictator. Yet we imprison and torture the educated class of people and then wonder why the reconstruction hasn’t been swift. The people with the skills to help the country to recover fled in the millions, taking their life savings with them. The people who remain in the country fear for their lives daily since the war started and we wonder why they aren’t grateful.
The best response that I could muster with my limited Arabic was “all war is horrible” but that certainly doesn’t say enough. We will have to deal with the effects of this war for many years to come. I suppose that as long as I stay in the region, I will continue to be the sole American contact to which our Arab friends file their complaints.
