Iraq won the Asian Cup for the first time, beating the three-time champion, Saudi Arabia 1-0. It was also the first time for an Iraqi team to participate in the Asian Cup semifinals in more than 30 years.
It is very rare, if not never, that I get happy notes about Iraq from family and friends. And when it happens, I always think that it is not going to last, because usually something bad or violent happens before we can enjoy the slight happiness and draw a smile on our faces.
This morning, I was walking in the streets of Washington DC when I received this message on my phone: “Mabrook foz el montakab.”
It was from my friend, Ban, who moved from Baghdad to DC a few months ago. The message said “Congratulations on the victory of the soccer team.”
Now, I’m not a soccer fan at all, but the news cheered me up and made my day. Not because we won a cup, but because I know how happy that made many Iraqis. I know my brothers are very very happy now. I know my mother is laughing and my aunts and cousins are laughing and talking about things that are not car bombs and assassinations for a few hours.
A few days ago, when Iraq won the game against South Korea and came to the semifinals, I got a very touching email from my American friend who lives in Egypt now. After she heard about how the Iraqis went to the streets that day and celebrated the victory, she wrote in the email: “It’s just a tiny thing just one little moment but oh god it just made me want to cry. The beautiful, dear, lovely sweet Iraq I love is there and these people are proof of it.”
The email hurt me to the core because I knew the happiness wasn’t going to last. I knew that in a few hours I will read in the wires that scores of Iraqis were killed while celebrating the news. And her email didn’t forget this fact. She added “I know tomorrow will be back to the same old shit but god, at least for a few hours, people were happy. It makes me so happy to imagine them feeling this joy and dancing in the streets even if for just a moment. It also makes me even more determined that we are going back Amouri! We are going back and no one will stop us ok?” [Amouri is my nickname]
A few minutes later, I refreshed the wires window, and there it was “car bombs kill more than 50 Iraqi soccer fans.
Today, I know for sure bombs will end the Iraqis happiness over winning the cup. But to hell with sorrows even just for a few minutes, just one entry. I want to write something happy about Iraq because I am tired of sad news and I am tired of talking about turbaned snakes and politicians.
I actually got emails from friends overseas congratulating me. For once, I felt like a normal citizen of this globe. People emailed me not to talk about the last casualty number or the last development in the idle political process in Iraq, but to say congratulations. Oh people how much I miss this word.
“Hi Champion - Congratulations from Jerusalem!” said one of my friends and professors.
“IRAQ WINS IRAQ WINS IRAQ WINS!!” said the subject of another email from my American friend in Cairo. “Mabruk alayhom!!” the message said, congratulations to them, "it's the best news ever. I hope they are celebrating in the streets again!”
“A million mabrook for the Iraqis,” said my cousin in UAE in a message he sent to dozens of friends and family on Yahoo! Messenger.
“Crowds of ecstatic Iraqis wept tears of joy and fired rifles into the air on Sunday after their soccer team's victory in the Asian Cup triggered the biggest street celebrations since the fall of Saddam Hussein,” Reuters reported.
In Iraq, thousands of people including members of the security forces defied a government ceasefire order to welcome the victory with a barrage of gunfire,” Bloomberg reported.
Ahhhh, it is delicious the taste of happiness.
Congratulations for every Iraqi in and outside Iraq. Let’s have the day off. Let’s not think about bombs and civil war today, these things are always there waiting for us. But today, this hour is precious. Happiness is visiting us. Let’s welcome it.
Painting by Iraqi artist Betool Fekaiki
At 2:54 PM, 
RhusLancia
At 4:12 AM, 
Your soccer players have shown the world and the Iraqis that unifications can be done in a non-violence means. It was the determination of the players, that won the hearts of the Iraqis. They should be regarded as the real heroes and model of Iraqi. Congrats. I hope your victory would be a wake up call to many, whose countries is still suffering from wars.
At 9:03 PM,
"They should be regarded as the real heroes and model of Iraqi. Congrats. I hope your victory would be a wake up call to many, whose countries is still suffering from wars.
"
Well I will agree the footballers
should be used as inspiration/a source of pride and hopefully
they can advance an Iraqi unification process ...However
the real heroes of Iraq are the average Iraqi ...
The legitimate police officer/the
non-sectarian members of the military/ the housewives who go to market/the shopkeepers who open up/
the electrical workers
/the mini-bus drivers etc ...
lets hope the Iraqi parliament
comes back to work sooner then the one month ... and gets down to business ... the corruption and waste must end ... government offices need to be opened to deliver services throughout Iraq ...
Incredible amount of work needs to be done ... take a week ... take 10 days ... but then get after it
one month is too long when the average person is suffering.
At 1:39 PM,
Hello. I am contacting political bloggers around the country since I am one as well. I hope this email is not an intrusion. Like you, I am competing in the Bloggers Choice Awards.
Anyway, I would like it very much if you would go to http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/21020
and vote for me for best political blog and best overall blog as well, IF AND ONLY IF you feel my blog is of a high quality. I really think I have a legitimate shot at winning. If you are open to spreading the word, that would be cool as well.
Thank you.
eric aka www.blacktygrrrr.wordpress.com
P.S. If you are open to doing a link exchange, I get some pretty decent traffic.
eric, i went to your blog. the post is not about politics, it is about religion and god.
this country was founded apon the principles of separation of church and state. therefore, it seems rather logical a discussion of politics in america would not be based on ...
It seems that people are under attack in America for simply wanting to lead lives that are centered around belief in God.
frankly, i think you seem a little paranoid. the president is very religious. he has appointed extremely religious people in all positions of government. the supreme court has extremely religious people representing the american public.
i think you are in good hands. lots of americans, the majority in fact, believe in god. relax. don't let your paranoia re/athistis infiltrate your thinking wrt politics.
At 3:56 PM, 24 Steps to Liberty
I am not competing anywhere and I am not interested in competing on any blog-related spheres. That’s not what I do. Awards don't mean anything to me as long as my country and my people are suffering. I leave the awards to those who are writing and stealing others work to publish under there names to get recognition and money.
Therefore, don't include me in this. And don't say "Like you, I am competing in the Bloggers Choice Awards," because that is not accurate
Congratulations on your country's victory!