Abu Khaleel has to let his son leave him, and Iraq, behind. This is his story:

Written by Morbido for her blog “From me with love” and cross posted to the Olivebranch Network
No more waiting, people! After a whole year of idleness, the so great and wonderful scholarship program rewarded me with “UNSUCCESSFUL TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS YEAR’S PORGRAM” . I am so angry that it overcomes my sadness. The light [...]

Written by Miraj for her blog “Baghdad Chronicles” and cross posted to the Olivebranch Network.
Today while I was filling my car with fuel, the two lines of cars (women’s line with men’s line) moved in such an organized way. There was some cars waiting a side for a chance to sneak in but they soon [...]

Each time I sit to write something in my blog I just can’t. Not because there’s nothing to write about but because of the boringness and the loneliness I’m going through. It’s not only me you know, me and all my people who lives in beloved Baghdad; today we found a headless guy next to [...]

Written by Chikitita for her blog “First Words, First Walk, First…in Iraq”, Wednesday March 22, 2006 and cross posted to the Olivebranch Network
Commuting is the most fun, educational, inspirational, and sometimes boring blessing bestowed upon Iraq – alright, alright, at least to me. Some people think otherwise. It was difficult for me to come [...]

(Cross Posted from Global Voices Online)
As the old Chinese curse goes “may you live in interesting times”. And this week we have been witnessing some interesting times indeed. I am not going to play ‘my war is better than yours’ but it is enough to say that by Iraqi standards the whole crisis in Lebanon [...]

It was probably June 14, two days after my four friends were killed. We decided to hold a funeral for them in the college, I remember being a cold sense of detachment from the world and everything in it…I quickly dressed in ALL OUT BLACK. Black shirt, black pants.
Looking at myself in the mirror, I [...]

Every country has it is own traditions and it is important to be enlightened about them before we judge.
I wanted to write about that because many people think that we have the arranged weddings, the kind that the guy sees his bride in their wedding day! I got a letter from a reader asking me [...]

I am naïve. To me conspiracy theories are not myths. I do believe that behind every pawn there is a bigger and smarter bogeyman with countless axes to grind. My home is collapsing and I’m watching with folded arms. I am weak. The only thing I’m capable of is weep as much as I can [...]

(Cross Posted from Global Voices Online)
Writing this post is not getting any easier, and this week is especially hard. I can even notice that I have been subconsciously avoiding it. The stories that Iraqi bloggers are telling this week are of sadness, horror, disappointment and general depression. If you are looking cheerful uplifting stories, don’t [...]