Bettejo Passalaqua, Iraq Peace Team in Baghdad

- I hope that all is well with everyone on this first day of Spring. It is a beautiful day here-the sky is clear, the sun is bright and the air is warm. It may seem strange that I write about the beautiful weather here when the "story" is the wrath of war, but I feel it is important to acknowledge the beauty that remains and will not be overcome, even in the midst of war. This truth is so very evident in the people I have come to know here in Iraq. They have lived in the midst of war for so long, suffered its horrid consequences, and yet remain a flame of beauty to all of us on the Iraq Peace Team.

Last night I was able to get acquainted with two of the families who are staying in our basement shelter. There is a large family-Deva (8 y/o) and Fady (about 14 y/o) with their grandparents, parents and several aunts and uncles. There is also a young mother with 2 young daughters, aged 2 and 3. When the bombing began last night, I got out our hospital art supplies and asked the kids to draw some pictures and make paper chains and such. I think it helped to distract both them and myself, but it is shameful that the best our world can offer these children are paper chains in a makeshift bomb shelter.

I can find no beauty in the knowledge that there are generations of children growing up in Iraq for whom war is simply way of life. These children have done no harm. They are entirely innocent. And yet they will at best carry the fright of these dark days with them for life, and at worse they will perish because those who purport to care for their safety think they can bring safety about with bombs.

But we only have the moment, and at this moment these children are beauty in the midst of everything which speaks otherwise, and they are an incentive for all of us to continue the struggle for a world at peace.

Today we needed to get copies of our visas to be on file in the hotel records. Of course, it isn't easy to find anything open in war time. And even businesses which might open during the day were closed today for the Muslim Holy Day (Friday). But we needed to get these copies and so went in search of a miracle. We walked for some time but was having no luck at all. We passed a group of soldiers and they tried to help us but to no avail. Then we passed by a couple of men sitting in front of a shop and asked indicated our need. They directed us to a stationary store very near by. But when they saw the doors were closed up, they came along with us and banged on the steel security doors until the owner came out. In all honesty, the owner didn't seem thrilled to open up, but he did so and he made the numerous copies we needed. We traded names and explained through our limited arabic and the magic sheet who we were and why were in Baghdad. When he was finished with the copies and I asked him how much I owed, he said there was no charge.
On our way back to the hotel, we passed two groups of soldiers. Understandably, they appeared suspicious of us. But we wished them peace and they returned the blessing to us with sincere smiles.

If the United States were being bombed by a foreign country, what chance do you think there would be of those of the aggressing nation would be allowed to walk around so freely and made so welcome.

arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)