This is one man's diary account of the war in 2006 that lasted from July 12 to August 14 that took the lives of over 1,200 Lebanese and injured and diThis is one man's diary account of the war in 2006 that lasted from July 12 to August 14 that took the lives of over 1,200 Lebanese and injured and displaced thousands more. I appreciated how Rami expressed his feelings about the war as a Shia Muslim and the prejudices he faced from all directions when everyone and their grandmothers had something to say about Israel's bombing of Lebanon and the Hezbollah-led resistance. Very dear friends of mine whose family had sought refuge in another Arab country because of the war told me about the fear they lived in with the military aircraft and bombs, and the death and destruction they witnessed and were traumatized by as only young preteens and teens. Though this diary is short, it is filled with Rami's feelings and lived experiences during those 34 days of hell. I loved reading about how he and a friend developed an idea to bring fresh produce to refugees/internally displaced people from local farmers to ensure the health of the people and the agriculture remained strong during the chaos. Most people may not be familiar with what led up to this conflict and how Israel was encroaching on Lebanon and trying to expand their colonized settlements of land they have no claim to. Of course this war was backed by the western imperial countries that have endorsed Israel from its genocidal inception of colonizing Palestine. Rami doesn't write this diary like a day-to-day log of every mundane thing that happened to him and instead focuses primarily on the war itself and his feelings about the unfolding events. It is so infuriating when Arabs are always demonized for resisting colonial occupation by any means. Yet, when we look at how the west views the resistance of the Ukrainians by the same methods (molotov cocktails, suicide bombers, etc.) it is honorable and justified. It is not the means of resistance that is being demonized, but the bodies of the people defending themselves against colonizers, invaders, and nuclear superpower countries. Rami discusses this at length in his diary (obviously without mentioning the current situation given this was written in 2006) about how the lives of the oppressed, refugees, armed resisters, etc will never be accepted and given any measure of worth due to imperialism and white supremacy only deeming white lives or those that hold great proximity to it as having worth. There is one passage in particular near the end of his short diary that I think Rami really hit the nail on the head when discussing how his liberal/leftist white American and European friends responses, willful ignorances, closeted racism, and colonial and imperial apologist true colors began to show. The same conversations I've had with former friends thinking they gave a shit about ALL human lives, but realizing I was dead wrong when they expected me to explain the case of my own humanity to them as an Arab, as a Muslim, as a woman of color who descends from indigenous bedouins screwed over and exploited by colonizers. It is something we've seen throughout American history and we still see it today with the dehumanization of refugees, building of walls, justification of invading and waging wars on 'backwards' countries, caging of migrants at the border, rampant xenophobia, mass incarceration, stealing children from bipoc families, etc. Meanwhile, when the invasion of Ukraine began and the anchors of western news stations began to air the refugee crisis from Ukraine that was developing we saw how they said that these refugees were 'civilized', were 'blonde and blue-eyed Christians', and were worthy of being welcomed because they were 'just like us' unlike the refugees that were created by those same western countries that claim ownership of civility. I say all of this to say that the people leaving bad reviews on this book and claiming it endorses terrorism don't know shit about shit and with the audacity of their double-standard bullshit would just as quickly defend any western country's right to defend itself from whatever but condemn any black or brown country for doing the exact same thing....more
This is the manuscript diary of Mohamedou Ould Salahi, a Mauritanian Muslim man that was detained and imprisoned for 15 years in Guantanamo Bay withouThis is the manuscript diary of Mohamedou Ould Salahi, a Mauritanian Muslim man that was detained and imprisoned for 15 years in Guantanamo Bay without ever having been charged for a crime. He was innocent. His crime? Being Arab and Muslim right after 9/11 had taken place when America was on a path of revenge determined to punish all Muslims and Arabs for the actions of a select few. To any person unignorant to the corruption of the American government, especially in regards to the “War on Terror�, the human rights violations and war crimes the US has committed just in the last few decades is astronomical. George Bush created so much harm through his corruption, initiating unethical wars he titled “Crusades� completely unsanctioned by the UN, opening up Guantanamo Bay, creating torture procedures used on prisoners of war despite the violatioins of the Geneva convention, and so much much more yet he remains free and uncharged despite the fact that he is technically by many accounts a war criminal. If you disagree, perhaps you should do your research about the Bush family and their multitude of business and personal ties with Osama Bin Ladin and Sadam Hussein, both of whom both Bush Sr. and Jr. conveniently waged wars with in the names of American patriotism and “freeing Iraq�. After 9/11 my family was one of thousands of Muslim and Arab American families in my state alone questioned and interrogated, because in the US if you are not white you are guilty until proven innocent. It was then that the American government made it perfectly clear that regardless of our citizenship, we were not really Americans, not to them, but more like espionage villains as we were continuously alienated and othered with criminality we didn’t possess or practice. Islam and the Arab race have been so heavily vilified in the media, especially in post 9/11 America, that the word ‘terrorist� has become synonymous with both demographics, and even more so when you’re an Arab Muslim. ‘Terrorist� is NEVER used towards the largest demographic that commits the most terrorism in the United States and is completely homegrown; white supremacy. Mohamedou’s diary has been heavily redacted by the US government, nearly half of it is blacked out to hide the inhumane torture, the rampant sexism and rape culture of the US armed forces, international groups associated with America’s war crimes, and essentially the US government covering their asses for the abyss-deep corruption. Since this book was published before Mohamedou’s release in 2016 many of his words were censored, but with the help of Larry Seims who expertly used articles, research, and various reputable resources he was able to fill in the many gaps of the redacted manuscript with footnotes. It does not surprise me that fellow Americans are so blinded with patriotism and hesitant to believe that horrible human beings can be in the Armed Forces. Not everyone that wears a uniform is a good person regardless of the profession they’re in, and people really need to get that in their heads. Many of America’s most prolific serial killers served in the Armed Forces; Jeffrey Dahmer, Gary Ridgeway, David Berkowitz, and Dean Corll just to name a few. As both a Muslim and Arab American I have faced hate crimes by members of the US Army and Marines, and people I love have had their lives threatened and nearly taken by members of the Armed Forces on American soil. Go into any Army supply or surplus store in America and many of them have Islamophobic paraphernalia and accessories; Arabic text that declares the wearer is armed and will proudly kill Muslims. Think I’m lying? Go check it out for yourself. Many Americans drive around with bumper stickers declaring the same thing on the rear ends of the cars. Now, I do not hate the military and I posess enough intelligence to understand that there are good and bad people in every group. I’m related to and have known many amazing human beings in the Armed Forces who live their lives and serve their duties with honor and respect towards humanity. But unfortunately, so many fellow Americans are so blinded by patriotism they cannot see the difference between what is right and what is wrong so corruption, criminality, and inhumanity are overlooked. Guantanomo Bay is a disgusting stain on not only the United States� history, but on humanity, and those who disagree are either deeply ignorant or extremely racist and Islamophobic. Many of the detainees there have not even been charged with crimes and yet are considered “forever prisoners� and held without trial, without proof of criminality, and are put through the most inhumane conditions and torture. In 2013 when Edward Snowden gloriously leaked “Wikileaks� a ton of information about Guantanomo Bay was released including the sick methods of torture the guards were inflicting on the detainees; torture that is completely against the Geneva code and violates a multitude of human rights. When they were released I read through many of those documents; it was horrendous and I became physically ill and vomited from the sickening acts those monsters committed on human beings. Once these documents were leaked, America rushed to release over 70 detainees to the Middle East, South America, and Africa who were never convicted of any crimes and had been wrongfully held at Guantanomo Bay experiencing physical, psychological, and emotional tortures, and sexual assault and rape. Reading this book shattered my heart into a million pieces for so many reasons. The US government took away decades of Mohamedou’s life for no reason, and to this day despite his innocence being proven and freeing him he has received no justice, no compensation, no aid in rebuilding his life, no apology, nothing. Despite everything that Mohamedou was put through he holds no grudges and remains a kind and gentle spirit even though he is not allowed to leave Mauritania. Watching the British short documentary “My Brother’s Keeper� about Mohamedou and one of the former Guantanomo Bay guards Scott Woods he befriended who treated him with compassion and humanity my heart ached so much for Mohamedou and all of the innocent detainee “forever prisoners'' who continue to live in the hell that is Gitmo. ...more
This collection of Angelina Jolie's journals during her travels as a UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) ambassador was raw and unfiltThis collection of Angelina Jolie's journals during her travels as a UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) ambassador was raw and unfiltered. Using her enormous platform of world-renowned fame Angelina shared her stories of working with refugees and internally displaced peoples (IDP) to implore people to have humanity. Sadly, we live in a world where people hate refugees while over 80 Million people last year were displaced due to war, violence, persecution, genocide, etc. It angers me and breaks my heart when people are so heartless and uncaring of the plights of our fellow brothers and sisters of humanity. How cold blooded must one be to hate and dispise people who are just trying to survive? I love Angelina as an actress and I love her as a human that cares about and loves other humans so deeply. This book made me respect her even more. So many of her journal entries were awakening and enlightening moments she had of just how fortunate and privileged her life had always been. She reflected on gratitude and humanity so much, and she touched my heart when she constantly wished that the people who hate refugees could see and experience what she was in the displacement camps. She sought to educate herself against stigmas the media created against Islam and the Middle East. At the start of the crisis in Syria she was one of the first people to visit the Syrian refugees in displacement camps while so much propaganda and fear-mongering was being generated by the media. This book was published far before those travels, and I wish I could read her notes from other visits she has made....more
"She said some words that made me shiver. She said that when she remembers her niece, she feels as if someone is taking her heart away and now there i"She said some words that made me shiver. She said that when she remembers her niece, she feels as if someone is taking her heart away and now there is nothing in its place. You know, that is exactly what I feel when I think of Baghdad and remember how beautiful it was and how much happier we were in Saddam's time" ~Hadiya (IraqiGirl)
On March 19, 2003 American sent 117,194 troops to Iraq on George Bush Jr.'s premise of his and his father's long-time business partner Saddam Hussein having "weapons of mass destruction", and to "Free Iraq". America "freed" Iraq by killing over 200,000 Iraqi civilians. America "freed" Iraq by never being held accountable for all of the war crimes American troops committed. America "freed" Iraq by creating Abu Ghraib. America "freed" Iraq by American troops and snipers target practicing on Iraqis, especially children. America "freed" Iraq by raping more than thousands of Iraqi women and children.
This is the diary of Hadiya; an Iraqi teenage girl who blogs about her life under the American occupation of Iraq. While war wages around her Hadiya tries to focus as much as she can on school and doing her best; she has no control over the world crumbling around her, but she is determined to be her best academic self. Reading Hadiya's posts and the fear, loss, anger, hopelessness, and sadness her and her family, and all Iraqis, endured during the first years of the American invasion was heartbreaking. What was even more painful was reading some of the comments ignorant Americans posted on her blog about how she and Iraqis should be grateful for America invading their country and for the "freedom" America was bringing them. I remember March 19, 2003 clearly. While my sisters and I were watching a 5 foot blizzard accumulate outside the news played in the background on the TV talking about "Operation: Iraqi Freedom". Meanwhile, Iraqi children were witnessing the unsettling first moments of an invasion as American troops were deployed into their homeland. I've always loved school, and have been in college getting degrees since I graduated high school a decade ago except for 1.5 years. Hadiya's love for learning and determination to do her very best to become a better version of herself despite whatever life circumstances she was going through was deeply inspiring to me. This is the only diary I've read by an Iraqi about their experiences through the war. I'm trying to find more diaries, especially of young teens, who have lived through wars/occupations/natural disasters/genocides/etc within our lifetime to hear their stories, their truths. It is one thing to read a book about an event or time period, and quite another to read the stories of people for whom it was their lived experience. ...more
After years of wanting to read this book I finally got to read Zlata's Diary. When I was really young a Bosnian family of refugees moved into our aparAfter years of wanting to read this book I finally got to read Zlata's Diary. When I was really young a Bosnian family of refugees moved into our apartment complex and quickly became good friends of our family. The youngest daughter became my babysitter and a dear friend who taught me so much about life, friendship, and Brittney Spears. Their father attended Friday prayer with my dad every week for years until the family eventually moved back to Bosnia when it was safe again. At 5 I knew that they had left their homeland because something bad happened, but I didn't truly learn about the horrors that occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina until years later in school when we were covering genocide. This book made me feel so many things and inspired in me a desire to read any published diaries of children living in a warzone. So far I haven't found very many which makes me sad that other children throughout history all over the world who may have kept diaries of their innermost thoughts will never have their stories told. Zlata's diary reminded me a lot of the way Anne Frank's diary made me feel; a sweet melancholy that shrouds a young girl's everyday little seemingly unimportant musings while experiencing a war and genocide. Many people have commented against Zlata's diary saying she should not be compared to Anne Frank because the latter was the first to have her diary published after a devastating war and genocide and she died before publication of her story. Yes, I'll admit there are a multitude of differences of the two girls' lives. However, just because someone has written their story of survival does not mean other survivors should not share their stories too. Zlata's diary is very important for many reasons. The war and genocide in Bosnia only happened a few decades ago in the 90s yet it is seldom discussed. I think when Anne Frank's diary is studied in school and children are taught of "Never Again" Zlata's diary from 40 years later in another country with a different ethnic cleansing should be studied as well. Zlata's writing was so mature that at times I could not believe I was reading the diary of an 11-year-old....more
In middle school we were required to read books about genocide while covering the topic in other subjects like history class and language arts. The toIn middle school we were required to read books about genocide while covering the topic in other subjects like history class and language arts. The topic of genocide shattered my world and always evoked a visceral feeling in me that would leave me nauseous and upset the rest of the day. Classmates would say at lunchtime "why are you still so upset about it?". How could I not be? I never finished reading Anne Frank's diary because I couldn't bring myself to read more about the Holocaust while at home in bed after learning all about it during the school day. It was all just too much. However, it has stuck to the back of my mind ever since to eventually read her diary, and now I have. I'm glad that her father incorporated missing pages and other sections that were removed from previous editions due to taboo topics she discussed within her diary like sexuality. Anne was such a real girl and reading her diary quickly feels like she's writing you letters about her day to day life in the Annex. Her intelligence and humor shone from the pages of her diary and had me cracking up at her descriptions of other members of the secret Annex. I love how you can see the amount of growth and introspective searching that goes on in Anne as her diary progresses. She was wise beyond her years even in the beginning, and it was incredibly painful to read this book at times knowing the very real fate that Anne and most of her annex family faced at the end of their lives. Books like these are so important for us to read because we always need to humanize the people who are victims of horrible crimes like genocide. Unlike how our society seems to love to focus on trying to humanize the people who inflict the pain and suffering on others. Hate is a very ugly thing and time and time again throughout history we have seen the atrocities that it has allowed people to inflict on others. It's important to study history, because those who don't are doomed to repeat it. Today we have so much racial supremacy going on in America alone it's too potent not to ignore. Racism is thick in the media and politics and should not be ignored, because that hatred blinds people into justifying crimes against fellow humans just as the Nazis did towards the Jews. A week ago I was walking onto my college campus and there were racist fliers everywhere against Muslim women. It angered and hurt me, not because it's nothing I'm not already used to being a Muslim in America, but because it caught me so off guard. I was so angry and hurt all day, but when I picked up Anne Frank's diary and she was describing her feelings on how racist people made her feel and that she still believed people were truly good at heart it really resonated with me and helped me take a step back. I fell in love with Anne through her writing; I'm so glad she got to share her story with the world even if it was cut so treacherously short. It all made sense to me in the end why my teachers made this required reading material in middle school. They wanted to teach us such a difficult subject when we were most impressionable to show us not the ugliness of humans, but to express why it is so important for us to have humanity....more
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