HW 28: An Open Letter to Riverbend

To be honest, I am not well informed on the happenings in Iraq and or the war. Reading what you have gone through and what you see on a daily basis and your thoughts on the war is completely new to me, I know what I see on CNN or hear from other people but that is where it ends. In fact, most people are not aware of any thing you go through or see, what you have written is not readily available information here in the states. I think it takes a lot of courage and ambition to write what you have written especially in the situation you currently live in. I am naïve to the situation as a whole, I do not know the current events in Iraq, and I do not know which countries are in occupation in your country nor their business there. I do not know how long, where, what the purposes of their occupancy is or anything other then that my cousins and loved ones are doing it and it is a risk of their lives to do so. Your book and blogs, however, have enlightened me about the situation you are in as an Iraqi citizen and what the impacts are on your life especially the impact it has on being a woman. Being a woman is something to embrace and be proud of, here in the US, women burned their bras to enhance their rights and lives yet for you, you are covered from head to toe and cannot show your pride of being a woman. Part of being a woman is embracing what you can do and your strengths and you cannot do that either, you cannot work and show your skills you cannot show off your body as a woman and feel the thrill it feels to know you can do something and do it well, that saddens me. The things you see and feel should not be shame and guilt for being a woman it should be accepted not punished by abductions and destruction of who you are. You should be free to walk the streets and go to the market just as I am, I do not understand the differences in our countries, I do not understand why I am free and you are not, I think it is preposterous. I am sorry I am so naïve and I am trying more and more to better understand and relate myself with your situation, country and the war. Thank you for what you are sharing with me, with everyone, thank you for being a woman not afraid to speak, thank you for who you are and I hope you stay this way wherever you are.