BAGHDAD (Thomson Reuters Organisation) – Artist-turned-soldier Mouayad Mohsen, 58, said the area he lived in had also been hit several times after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 with violent fighting between forces the United States and rebels. and forced to move to an apartment in central Baghdad. She misses her old home and hates her current life surrounded by walls, but it can’t be helped.
Stories like Mohsen’s are everywhere.
During the Hussein regime, many people lost their lives in Iraq due to the civil war, the 1991 Gulf War, and subsequent massacres by the state. But even under these dictatorships, those who escaped coercion and were arrested roamed the streets, gathering in cafes and restaurants to enjoy delicious meals.
After the US invasion, everything changed.
Between 2014 and 2017, Islamic State militants took control of most of Iraq’s northwestern cities, killing thousands, following a civil war. Murders and kidnappings became common.
Areas of Baghdad were divided into sects and militias, and areas such as the Mohsen neighborhood were surrounded by concrete walls to avoid confusion. Citizens hid behind walls and inside their homes.
Some have fled the country in search of freedom, while others find the violence so traumatic that they would prefer to live within walls if they were safe.
Baghdad is dotted with checkpoints and military armored vehicles come and go. Blast walls are placed along the road to absorb the impact of the bombs, blocking buildings and houses.
“It’s like living in a military barracks,” said 63-year-old Nadja Hadi, who was playing card games with friends in a cafe. “Everyone asks, ‘Where are you going?'” he said.
Hadi said most of his childhood friends were forced to flee the country to escape violence. Now I have to go through a checkpoint to meet them.
That said, Iraq has become more peaceful than it used to be. Last year, pro-Iranian forces came to power, ending a political stalemate that had lasted more than a year.
Young people who don’t know what happened before the US invasion 20 years ago are now trying to reclaim social space and explore new parts of Baghdad.
Ibrahim Abdelrahman, 26, was smoking with his college friends in the busy center of Baghdad. After feeling trapped in a suburban town about 10 kilometers away, he left his hometown in his late teens.
“I never thought I’d be moving around downtown Baghdad,” he said.
Many young people fled their hometowns in 2019 after widespread anti-government protests in Baghdad. This was the biggest anti-government protest since 2003.
“I didn’t love the country, but I felt love when the protesters from poor neighborhoods stood up for their rights,” said Hassan Faira, 23. “It made me feel that there are still young people who want to this country the best it can be,” he said.
Iraqis hope that freedom returns to Baghdad as more people overcome political and physical barriers.
Ali Saleh, 38, who works as a security guard, smiled as he watched his four children play in a park overlooking the Tigris River.
“He’s getting better. I’m optimistic,” he said.
The lights suddenly came on in the park, and the football field emerged from the darkness.
“Electricity is on.” One of the boys sitting behind Saleh shouted, put the ball on his head like a trophy, and ran out onto the field with his teammates in tow.
(Reporter Nazih Osseiran)
