In Search of a Better Future for Their Country, Iraqi Students Visit Model United Nations
Iraqi Students Brave Sunni Triangle for NYC
Tony Azios
Issue date: 4/13/05 Section: News
All of the Iraqis in the room genially talk and laugh amongst each other. They speak of their wives' reactions to the news that they would be visiting New York City. "She cried," said Alkaaby. "Mine was happy," said Mohie. "Well mine was crying from happiness," Alkaaby jested back. Their banter moves on to teasing one of the Iraqi students, Zahed Alayan, 30, nicknamed "China" because of his ostensibly Asian facial features. At this point in the night, Alayan has begun to chain-smoke as well, and the others say that he is like a factory smokestack. They laugh, and the quietest in the room, Ali Al-Khaylidi ("Which means `immortal,'" he announced), 27, claims he smokes the least of them all. "Very, very little," he said in English. "Yes, which means half a pack a day," teased Defne Sarsilmaz, a junior at Ursinus College.
Despite the Iraqis' dislike for American fast-food and tea, which left Sattar mildly ill for his first few days in New York, the Iraqis vocalize an appreciation for the hospitality they received on their visit. Alkaaby said, "We were really surprised to see how well we were treated. In the Arab world we are very hospitable, and we were surprised to see how hospitable it is here. Everyone has been very welcoming and has made a welcoming atmosphere for us everywhere we go. It's been very surprising. It has been shocking, almost. I thank everyone very much."
Alkaaby, who acted as a delegate to the World Health Organization, gave a speech in his committee thanking everyone for their hospitality, but also thanking the U.S. troops for overthrowing Saddam Hussein's Baathist government. All of the Iraqis who attended the conference are in support of the American involvement in Iraq and used the statistic that 80 percent of Iraq feels the same several times. Alkaaby said, "Even before the U.S. came, I always believed that they would free us."
Jewad said, "We had two options. Continue living under the anvil of Saddam, who rules with an iron fist, or somehow get out of its darkness. We were afraid to not submit under Saddam Hussein. So, our second option was America. We chose this. This was our hope for change. Under the Saddam regime we were denied not just human rights, but some of the rights of animals. We were denied the freedoms of religion, we could not voice our opinions or our beliefs, and we could not even go pray at the mosque. We couldn't vote, but now we can do all those things."
Despite the Iraqis' dislike for American fast-food and tea, which left Sattar mildly ill for his first few days in New York, the Iraqis vocalize an appreciation for the hospitality they received on their visit. Alkaaby said, "We were really surprised to see how well we were treated. In the Arab world we are very hospitable, and we were surprised to see how hospitable it is here. Everyone has been very welcoming and has made a welcoming atmosphere for us everywhere we go. It's been very surprising. It has been shocking, almost. I thank everyone very much."
Alkaaby, who acted as a delegate to the World Health Organization, gave a speech in his committee thanking everyone for their hospitality, but also thanking the U.S. troops for overthrowing Saddam Hussein's Baathist government. All of the Iraqis who attended the conference are in support of the American involvement in Iraq and used the statistic that 80 percent of Iraq feels the same several times. Alkaaby said, "Even before the U.S. came, I always believed that they would free us."
Jewad said, "We had two options. Continue living under the anvil of Saddam, who rules with an iron fist, or somehow get out of its darkness. We were afraid to not submit under Saddam Hussein. So, our second option was America. We chose this. This was our hope for change. Under the Saddam regime we were denied not just human rights, but some of the rights of animals. We were denied the freedoms of religion, we could not voice our opinions or our beliefs, and we could not even go pray at the mosque. We couldn't vote, but now we can do all those things."