A Letter from Iraq from an Iraqi

While I was reporting from the Middle East, I gathered a large local network. After I left, my friends continued to write to me to tell me their stories. Below is a small email from Sahal in Baghdad:

hithat word mean life is better you see aleasha mean life or our every day life ,ahsan mean better this kind of _expression we say in iraq to tell others that ok life good not great but good.

To understand what Sahal is saying is: the Arabic word “aleasha” is the everyday life, “ahsan” is an Iraqi expression that says, life is ok, not great but good. It is a form of expression.

He later sends me this email:

you can see the letter i send on lack of medicain in iraq ,i know my styell is need alot of work and i have speeling problems but iam working on itiam from baghdad and work out sid it in hosptial in the country thats why i see the real suffering of poor people and i hop to find any one how can help themwhats happen to iraqies donot differ to what katrina victums suffer and i feel pain to both sides suffering no one should face evacuation and hunger or disease or death just becouse he live in plce threaten by war or natural disaster and any person how suffer must geat help and compation and mercy in spit of his couler nationalty or relagion
thank you