So, meeting people that defy my stereotypes and challenge my commonly held beliefs has become a common occurrence here in Iraq. One powerful example of this occurred today when I met an Iranian man named Sirwan. He’s been a friend of a fellow intern here, Ben, for a while now, and Ben invited me today to go eat lunch with them. Sirwan is a Iranian Kurdish man who makes his living as a journalist, a profession that can get him killed in his home country. He’s quite the character. With an aggressively happy personality and an intense eagerness to learn, he was very interesting to listen to and talk with. We sat down to eat at one of our favorite restaurants here in Sulaimania, and I started asking him what it was like growing up in Iran. His replies were unexpected. He said that in Iran the government goes to great lengths to paint Americans as evil, non-human beings. As he explained, from an early age children are taught that Americans are evil and should be destroyed. During the elementary years of school, they are taught that Americans are like wild animals with sharp teeth, horns, and talons. After moving to the Kurdish part of Iraq and meeting new friends like Ben, however, he says that his perceptions have been changed and that the virus of his preconceived indoctrinations have been “cured” by the antivirus of free-thinking. Ben gave him a bible because Sirwan wanted to read about the Jesus that he wasn’t allowed to understand as a child, and he says that the lessons he was taught as a child are completely different. In his Iran, Jesus is a violent man of evil.
While listening to Sirwan speak, I couldn’t help but reexamine my own preconceptions of the Middle East, and Iranians especially, coming into this internship. I mean, have I ever heard anything positive about Iranians in the news that cast them as actual humans instead of government pawns? No. Have I ever attempted to understand the Quran? No. But now I’ve met a man who defies all my stereotypes and has taken it upon himself to be what he calls a “free-thinker” and accept people.
Another acquaintance within the last couple of days occurred while I was watching the World Cup. In Sarchinar Park, I sat on a stone bench next to an Iraqi man who went by the name of “Billy” (a nickname he was told to use instead of his actual name). After noticing his exceptional English, we stuck up a conversation, and it did not take long before we got on the topic of his work with the U.S. Army. Apparently he does translation for some pretty amazing American military men. His story was great, and I respect what he does along with every military man. I couldn’t get past the way he talked about his own country, however. As he explained, he’s an Iraqi with an American mind, and his assumption seemed to be that everything “American” is right. At one point he brought up something about Iraqi culture and in less tactful language said that he could care less about his own culture. I know that this is one man and one opinion, but the one-sided words coming out of his mouth just seemed so much more... wrong. If I would have heard those things from an American friend, they would not have seemed nearly as unusual, but coming from him they cast the whole American pride thing into a new light. Our conversation made me question exactly how much our beliefs are based on what makes us feel validated of valued. How far can our search for validation take us before we lose sight of reality?
On a bit of a different note, a few people that I’m looking forward to meeting soon are the kids that PLC has sent to surgery in the past year. The banquet for the PLC kids that I’ve been a part of planning is coming up this Friday, and I can’t wait. I know seeing them will be a bit of a world-view changer as well. Thank you everyone for supporting these children and allowing me to have this experience with them in Iraq.
Best wishes,
Preston
