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The Student News Site of Niles West High School

Niles West News

The Student News Site of Niles West High School

Niles West News

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Living through War in Iraq: What You Don’t Hear on the News

Junior Rand Jassar on life in Irag.
Junior Rand Jassar on life in Iraq.

I am a 10-year-old girl in Baghdad sleeping in the guest room with my parents and sisters. We gave up our rooms to my uncle, aunt and their families. Our neighborhood is safest. I wake up to sound of bombs and my mom’s voice telling me that our “safe neighborhood” is being attacked. We all rush into the most secure room in the house — our living room, the room with the least windows — and wait for the sound of the cruel bombs to stop.

Everything looks red for some reason.

Maybe it is the light reflected from the windows directly upstairs. Maybe it is just my wild imagination. I squeeze myself tighter between my mom and my little sister. I can hear them breathing deeply. I am scared, but I try not to let it show. Is today the day for us to die? My mom tells my sisters and I, “Everything is going to be okay.”

***

The school bell rings; it is time to go home. My neighbor comes to take us in his car. We are driving. I see a crowd of people hovering over something, but I don’t understand what is happening. My neighbor, Ahmed, tells my sisters and I to close our eyes until he says it’s safe to open. I cover my eyes with both my hands,  but I take a peek anyway through the little cracks that separate each one of my fingers.

I see the remains of a blown- up man. There are blood, clothes and pieces of this man everywhere. People are crying. I don’t think I should look anymore. I close my eyes to process what I just saw. It is not like what you see in an action movie. He was a man with a family that loved him.

***

I am in school. I walk into class with my friend Zainab. She takes her seat next to the window; I take mine a little further. We are in the fourth grade. We are talking because the teacher isn’t in the class yet. I hear an explosion; immediately, I know: A bomb exploded. The windows break but the curtains were strong enough to hold the pieces back before they touched Zainab. Kids are screaming. Teachers are rushing the kids out of the classes and into the fields. Kids are crying. I look around the crowd hoping to find my sisters or cousin. I don’t find them until our parents come to take us home.

***

I was born and raised in Baghdad. I lived there until I was about 10; until war struck my family, hard. Since our neighborhood was considered safe my parents decided it was a good idea to stay where we were. Then, in 2006, my dad got kidnapped by a gang from Baghdad called militia Al Mahdi whose goal was to ”liberate Iraq and its people” — yes, because kidnapping a 53-year-old man is a great step to liberation.

Our situation wasn’t original or unheard of, in Iraq after the invasion it happened all the time.  People kidnapped other people to get money, promising the family to return the victim safely after they receive the ransom, but instead killing them.  Telling the family where to look for the body– if they are kind enough to not let the parents go on a body hunt. We got lucky; they let my dad go after my mom paid them the amount of money they wanted, and we left Baghdad for good.

I will never forget that day, coming home after school and finding out my father had been taken.  I can’t imagine a scarier feeling.

Now I am 17-years-old, living in America and I don’t have to hear bombs going off on daily basis. Although America is a lot safer than Iraq, events such as the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting, the Aurora movie theater shooting and the recent bombs that went off at the Boston Marathon drag my thoughts back to what I escaped from. I feel a rush of fear and anticipation every time I hear about these terrible events. I don’t want to go back to how my life was, filled with terror and agony.

For people like me, who have lived in Iraq or other violence infested country, it’s obvious that no one here cares.

On the same day of the Boston Marathon bombings, Monday April 15, The New York Times reported 20 separate attacks occurred in Baghdad, Kirkuk, Hilla, Falluja, Nasiriya and Tikrit. Thirty-seven people had been killed and more than 140 were wounded.

We did not hear about this.

In fact, I didn’t hear about it until I checked my Facebook and read what some of my friends, who live there, wrote. It makes me wonder, why, in between hours of the same shots of Boston over and over again, could the media not take a second to report on these other bombings?  These other deaths. Obviously what happened at the marathon is a tragedy.  But what about what happened, continues to happen and might be happening as you’re reading this, in Iraq?

Events like this, both here in America and in Iraq, make me wonder if there can ever be peace.

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  • S

    Sameeramees khamouApr 28, 2021 at 4:56 PM

    Thank you for sharing you are amazing ? xx

    Reply
  • R

    Rand JassarApr 24, 2013 at 12:34 PM

    Thanks you, everyone, for all of these amazing and kind comments. Each one of your words is cherished. It makes me extremely happy to know that there are people who care. I am glad to know that writing this very personal piece brought so much positiveness. I feel honored to be some what of a ‘voice’ to the people who have gone through similar situations, or are going through it now, but can’t share theirs. These things happen every day, not only in Iraq or the Middle East, but in the entire world.
    Thank you again for all the support!

    Reply
  • H

    Hussein El-EdroosApr 20, 2013 at 9:58 PM

    Great job describing life in Iraq. All Iraqis have my sympathies. Your writing reminds me of another brave girl Malala from Swat Pakistan.

    Keep up the good work.

    Reply
  • .

    .....Apr 20, 2013 at 11:41 AM

    Your writing is pretty amazing…
    Great job 🙂

    Reply
  • M

    Ms. VillaApr 19, 2013 at 10:14 AM

    Thank you for courageously sharing your story with us at Niles West. You paint a picture of your life in Iraq and also the transition here. Your story is a gift to us to help us see/understand what most of us have never experienced.

    Reply
  • C

    ClaraApr 18, 2013 at 10:30 PM

    Wow Rand! I truly wish that everyone in the world was like you. The world would be a peaceful place to live in. I hope that this amazing piece of writing helps people see that they need to step up and take action, so that we can have a non-violent world. Thanks for telling us your story. You know I’m here for you!

    Reply
  • S

    Sarah AApr 18, 2013 at 8:56 PM

    Great job Rand!! You are just the perfect person who chose to share with the people what does it feel like when you are from a country that have terrorist actions almost everyday, such as bombing, and hundreds of innocent people die there, kids, women, teenagers, students celebrating their graduation, and men, and in return no one of the countries mention the horrible events that are happening. Thank you for the great article.

    Reply
  • G

    Gabby AbesamisApr 18, 2013 at 8:26 PM

    Rand, this is such a beautiful piece! Thank you for sharing your story with us. There aren’t enough words to describe how much I look forward to having you on staff next year.

    Reply
  • S

    Sheila DodkyApr 18, 2013 at 7:27 PM

    Rand
    What a perfect depiction of what it was like to live in Baghdad during the war. It breaks my heart the mess that has been left behind. I feel so deeply for those still there and am so happy you are here in my life and sharing a story that must be told. I agree with one of the comments. It is articles such as these written by lovers of humanity like you that can provide some hope for peace.

    Reply
  • Y

    Your mom LinaApr 18, 2013 at 6:58 PM

    Read this article written by my daughter Rand! I am so proud of her. I always wished to understand what was going on inside my daughters’ minds during these traumatizing events; now I know!

    Reply
    • D

      DeeApr 19, 2013 at 10:43 PM

      Your daughter is a very smart and courageous person. Reading this article literally brought me to tears the way she describes her life in Iraq is just so strong. Rand you are an amazing person. Im so happy to be called your friend:)

      Reply
  • S

    SarahApr 18, 2013 at 4:08 PM

    Wow Rand!!!
    your like an amazing writer!!!!! this is totally flawless!!
    love ya girl <3

    Reply
  • M

    Mr. AliApr 18, 2013 at 12:31 PM

    Thank you for giving us this first-hand account of what happened there. Your strength and courage is an inspiration.

    Reply
  • M

    Mrs. HsingApr 18, 2013 at 10:13 AM

    Rand, this is a powerful piece of writing. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  • M

    Ms. ChandaranaApr 18, 2013 at 9:53 AM

    THANK YOU, Rand, for allowing us a view into your open heart. It is you who will create peace in the world, one ripple at a time… Bless you, and your family. I am honored and humbled to know you.

    Reply