Love and War

 

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"Why don't you convert to Christianity?" he asked.

"No. I've been a Muslim all my life," she said.

"Well, I'm older than you and I've been a Christian all my life."

After many tears she said, "I guess we can't get married."

"I love you. But I guess we can't," Leo told her.

There quickly developed a widespread impression among Iraqis that U.S. forces just didn't care about the intense pride they took in their intertwined culture, history and faith. The Americans' obliviousness engendered anger, then hatred as U.S. troops broke down doors in the middle of the night, herding women into kitchens, men into yards. One of the incitements to battle in bloody Fallujah was the rumor that members of the 82nd Airborne were looking down on roofs where women were sleeping at night. The wellspring of insurgency lay, not least, in a sense of humiliation among people who felt violated by the very presence of foreigners. In such an environment, any cultural slight grows that much more treacherous.

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  • Posted By: jjjfffrrr @ 04/28/2008 12:10:25 AM

    I am a woman and fell in love with an Iraqi man. I agree to a few bellow replies. I had a mission and had no intentions, no desire, no interests other than my mission. What I learned and what I thought I knew are complete halluncinations of each other. With a fixed strongarm to my country and what was happening to me, I did not let my guard down but opened my mind to education from fact, fiction, and misconseptions. I am not with him but he knows I will love him forever and he knows how much we have changed each others lives.

  • Posted By: iraq @ 02/27/2008 4:24:20 PM

    First of all I think this americans that are out there - military and contractors that fall in love with these iraq girls, yes girls. It seems they are a little young for these men. They should be ashamed of themselves seeking someone so young and converting to muslims just to please their brides. If these are true love stories why doesn't the bride convert to the man's religion if they really love them. Therefore, it looks like these women just want to marry american men to use them for the own freedom. Guys wake up. Do you see what they are doing to you, they just want to become us citizens. Dummies have them covert to your religion i am sure not even your charm will make that happen.

  • Posted By: Aztec @ 12/11/2007 10:08:04 PM

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