Guest
Contributor
Susan Dakak
Susan
Dakak is an Iraqi American living in Knoxville.This piece
was provided courtesy of Spirit
of America.
 An
Iraqi-American Votes
Democracy in Iraq..
[Susan
Dakak] 1/29/05
About 27
years ago when my family and I immigrated to the US, Iraq and
Iran were not fighting, Iraq had not invaded
Kuwait,
Saddam was not the president of Iraq, and the Iraqi economy was
better than all the surrounding countries. Our family’s
decision to move to the US was based on education, promising
futures, and fulfilling the American dream.
I received
a good education from Tennessee Tech University; and over the
years,
my life kept improving. I worked in my field of civil engineering,
got married, and was able to have a great little family when
our miracle son was born.
All this
time, while my family and I were enjoying the fruits of this
prosperous and very blessed
country, the friends and neighbors I grew up with were facing
the worst days of their lives. Some were killed in one or
the other of Saddam's multiple wars. Others suffered the loss
of
family members through torture and sufferings at the hands
of Saddam and his people.
While my
life was getting better each
day, the lives of my Iraqi friends just kept getting worse.
About two
years ago, the same country that had for all these years given
me so much to be thankful for, decided
to extend
those same opportunities to my old friends and neighbors. The
government of this great nation gathered up its troops and went
over lands and seas to help folks I cared about.
My reaction
to such an overwhelming, humanitarian act was to volunteer
to do what I could to help the American government. And last
January,
I went to work with the Coalition Provincial Authority to join
the Iraqi reconstruction efforts in the fields of sanitary
sewers and women’s rights issues.
It was an
experience I will cherish the rest of my life; because I was
able to see
the hard
work that was put into the whole operation from both sides--the
Americans' and the Iraqis' . I saw Iraqis working very hard,
day and night, to quickly absorb knowledge and expertise
from Americans. I saw women and men from both countries working
together toward establishing a whole new nation. I saw cooperation
and
team work that is unprecedented in the history of the world.
I also saw the humility and appreciation the Iraqis had for
every American who had come to help them.
When I went to Iraq, my whole objective was to transfer my
technical knowledge of 26 years to my Iraqi friends. I had not
anticipated the knowledge I would gain from watching the Iraqi
people so willing to learn and so ready to make every effort
to make this war a success. They wanted to prove to the world
they are worthy of the sacrifices the men and women of the US
military had made on their behalf.
Today, I
am faced with yet another proof of how wonderful America is--this
country I am so proud to call "home."
After
freeing Iraq, the United States is now helping the Iraqis elect
a President, Prime Minister, and an entire 275 - member Parliament
--a government that is by the people, of the people, and for
the people of Iraq.
While it
is a huge step to establish voter registration for all 25 million
Iraqis, the US is also providing
those of us who have not lived in Iraq for many decades,
the opportunity to vote for the first legitimate Iraqi election
in over 70 years. Because of the war of Iraq and the new
temporary
Iraqi constitution, Iraqi expatriates are able to hold dual
citizenship.
This means that we are now eligible to take part in this
historical event.
I took my
mom and dad with me last week and went to
Nashville (one of the approved Iraqi election centers)
and registered to
vote. It was an emotional and unbelievable trip.
We arrived
at the voting site and were greeted by security and other
officials working there. The City of Nashville was holding
a press conference
at the time we were there. The whole town had experienced
a major
undertaking with all the security forces, continual bus
service, and police escorts to and from the voting site.
And the United
States did all this to enable us to take part.
It was
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for my parents and me.
I was
watching my parents taking this whole experience
so seriously and asking
so many questions about most of the candidates (about
270).
At their age and because of security issues, traveling
to Iraq to
vote would have been impossible for them and for
many other Iraqi Americans in this country.
I couldn’t help
being so thankful to the US for making this possible. I thought, "They
couldn't go to Iraq so this great Country of ours simply brought
Iraq
to them.”
For over 26 years, now, I have started my day by counting the
blessings the United States of America has provided for me. The
list has grown enormously over the years.
Today, I
added a new blessing to my list--I can cast my basic right
to vote in the
upcoming Iraqi elections.
May God continue
to protect America and may He bless and guide her from sea
to shining sea. tRO
Susan
Dakak is an Iraqi American living in Knoxville.This piece
was provided courtesy of Spirit
of America.
copyright 2005 Susan Dakak
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