July 19, 2020

My wife is my heart’s strength. We have been together for many years now. You cannot imagine what this is and what she has been through with me. She was only 13 when we got married. I was the only child and my father was sick and was living with me. Ismat served him very well, she would even shave his beard for him. Now the children have all grown up, all went their own way and we are alone again, busy gardening.

We faced many Baath challenges. I was a soldier for several years. Afterwards, the Iran- Iraq war started and I was in Kirkuk. They told us to escape and become fugitives because the situation was really bad and anyone who returned who not make it out alive. So, I escaped and I can say that I am still a fugitive.