Iraqi Student Diaries

Collected by Ramzi Kysia, Iraq Peace Team, Mar 6, 2003

Lubna Saad, age 17
Monday, March 3, 2003

Lubna Saad. Photo by Ramzi Kysia.
I am Lubna Saad. I am seventeen years old. I am student in Al-Aadamya Secondary School for girls. I live near the school and I love watching TV, and specially the movies. I hope I will be a lawyer in the future and to travel to America and I want to told you something - when I get out my house in the night I saw the moon and I believe that all the people in the world would see it even in different times. So I wish that we all live in peace and visit each other. Thank you.

Tuesday, March 4, 2003

At first I would like to introduce myself and my simple family. My name is Lubna. I’ve one brother named Bashar and two sisters named Dina and Farah. I live with my parents in Baghdad. This is Tuesday I woke up on 10:20 morning and I have my breakfast at 11:00 o’clock. After that I began to do my homework. I studied Economics, Sociology and I suppose to studied computer because I have an examination in the computer lesson tomorrow. So I took a long time to do my homework. Through that I was went to my mother to help her in housework. She can’t do all of it alone as you know.

After that I have my lunch at 2:00 o’clock noon and I watched T.V. from time to time while I was eating it. I sat with my father an my mother and Bashar, Dina and Farah for an hour. We usually do that every day in different time. We talk about everything like what we do in school, what we need, and other things. At 5:05 o’clock afternoon I took my shower and at exactly 6:00 o’clock night I finished my homework.

My aunt call me and she told me that my aunt in Germany sent to my family and to me some things, so I was very happy to hear that my father bring it to us. It was shirts to me and to my sisters, coat to my brother. We wrote letters to her to thanks her about these stuffs.

My brother is not so good in school. My mother always push him to study, but he don’t listening to her. I am good in school well rather my sister is good in school too.

Today is a holiday of 1324, it is new year A.H. [the Islamic New Year], therefore my father doesn’t went out to work. He is a taxi driver in spite of our car isn’t a taxi, but work on it. At 10:00 o’clock I saw a T.V. program and I wait for the movie, but the actors of the film is not my favor stars. So I went to my bed and I wrote this diary. It is a simple life. It is like any other girl’s life. I don’t care of the news about the war and all of it because if I care I will not made my wishes till my death.

Wednesday, March 5, 2003

In Wednesday I woke up on 6:30 o’clock morning. I changed my clothes and I went to school. When I arrived everyone was reading to be ready for the examination and we do it and it was fine. And everything in school went well like other days. When I arrived to my house I changed my clothes and I have my lunch and I help my mother in housework. After that I went to my bed to sleep in about 3:00 o’clock afternoon. Later I woke up in 5:30 o’clock and I began to do my homework. I have an examination in Arabic lesson. It is not difficult like other lessons. I finished early in about 8:30 o’clock evening and I have my supper and of course I watched T.V. and I wrote this diary like every day and I went to sleep.

That is all. Thank you.

Thuraya El-Kaissi, age 17
Monday, March 3, 2003

Thuraya El-Kaissi. Photo by Ramzi Kysia.
My name is Thuraya El-Kaissi. I am in fifth class. I am 17 years old. I love N�Sync and Anthony Hopkins. I hope that we will see each other and talk about our dreams and hopes and our future … I am really hope that, inshallah (God willing).

We love American people but the government they hate us and want to done this war on us.

March 4, 2003

Dear Friends - All days is the same, especially these days in which we live under a very hard pressure that American government is continue it�s threats to strike our country, but in spite of all these pressures but the life must go on.

Before few days ago I lived wonderful days due to my brother came from London to see us that we had seen him before 2 years ago .. and he stay with us for 3 days only. It�s really a very short time but it was like a dream. In every day I wake up at 7 o�clock in the morning, at 7:30 I reach to school by bus, at 8 o�clock we starts the first lesson and we finished at 1 o�clock in the afternoon.

I love my family especially my father. He�s not only a father, he�s my friend. Our family includes of 5 members, 2 boys older than me and I the only girl .. and my parents. I love my school .. teachers, all my friends in my class. My ambition is to be a translator in English language. My hobbies .. computer, drawing, swimming and tennis.

At the end I�d like to thank all those who reads our letters and have concern with peace and feels of our pains towards what American government is do with us since 13 years ago. I wish all the American people looks for peace and reject what their government do to other nations. Yours, Thuraya Faiq El-Kaissi, 17 years old.

Wednesday, March 5, 2003

Today I woke up at 5 o�clock in the morning as I heard the Mosque calling for praying. Then I pray to God and ask him to save our country, live in peace, and let American government lift up it�s hand from Iraq. Then I read some of the Holy Qur�an. After that I went to school by bus.

I am born and live at A�adhamiyah district which is considered an old place that contains a lot of the ancient places for Iraq. Among them the Royal graveyard it�s a preferable place for tourists. It is the graveyard of the Iraqi Kings. I can�t imagine that such a wonderful place will be turn into destruction by the American government.

Today when I was at school I had one examination of computer, then we continued the rest of lessons. When I arrived home I had my lunch and slept. I woke up and done my homework, and I saw my new messages on e-mail and I found 2 messages, one from California and the other from India. Both of them were from girls who were very interested of my message and they expressed their feelings and sympathy towards the Iraqi people.

Finally I finished my homework. Before I went to bed I sat on my bed and looked to heaven through my window and begged God that peace will be on earth and there is no war at all.

Sarab El-Anne, age 17
Monday, March 3, 2003

Sarab El-Anne. Photo by Ramzi Kysia.
I send this message to any one of you to know us (Iraqi pupil) as it should be! I really glad to make a friendship with the U.S.A. student.

My name is Sarab and I�m 17 years old and I have no mother because she died in cancer last year… So I think this friendship will help me to get out from this sadness that I�m gonna through… I hope I met someone of you face to face and to still friends forever… What I hope is our problems solve… In fact I really love American people from all my heart. I swear it�s true… I wish I can visit America and see you and you have to promise me that we will be a friends forever and ever.

I like dogs and I have one. It�s german shepherd dog, his name is Bone. Tell me what you like, like I do.

I love Backstreet Boys, specially A.J.

I feel we�ll contact with each other so in the second time tell me what you like to know you better.

Yours,

Sarab

Friendship forever [inside a heart]. Keep in touch and don�t forget me… your friend, Sarab Taha El-Anne

Tuesday, March 4, 2003

I wake up at 10am .. then I had my breakfast at 10:30am .. after that I watch the T.V. and in 1pm I started do my cleaning work at the home with my sister .. and I finished in 4pm - and I had my lunch and after that I took a rest for two hours .. and after that I took a shower and in 6:30pm and I started reading my exam about the computer and I finished in 9:30pm .. After that I do my homework and in 11pm I started watching T.V. and in 2am I go to bed.

Family: my father and my sister and me and my dog (Bone).

I have no mother because she died last year in a cancer about age, 37, year old.

Wednesday, March 5, 2003

I wake up in 7:20am. I came to school at 7:50, after that we went up to the classes and in the second lesson we make our exam. It was for computers. And after that we keep reading and in 1:10pm we went out to the houses .. Then in 3:00pm I went to the bed and in 4:00pm I wake up. I started studying because I had exam about Arabic .. and after that in 8:30pm I finished studying then I took a rest and I watched the daily news an in 10:00pm .. I feed my dog, then I keep living my normal life..

My relationships with my family:

1. My father is an ex-inspector and now he working in a free job.
2. My sister her name Farah and her age about 21 years old.

My relationship with my family normal like any family relationship. And my only best friend is my dog, and his name is Bone, and his date birth 1-7-2002.

My dreams:

I always wish peace for every single people. And everything doesn�t belong to me I consider it none of my business. I love the life, and I hate the death, because he always taking from me my lovely people. And I hate sickness. I love music and horses and dogs and cars and am always keep singing and my favorite singers: Backstreet Boys (specially A.J.), Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Bryan Adams, and I love watching T.V. and my wish is to be an actress and travel around the world - but my big hope is to be successful.