Letter from Ahmed in Iraq

no more war

Hello. I'm Ahmed.

I'm 21 years old and

I live in Baghdad.

I'm fed up with this war.

It has been going on for far too long.

I have lost a brother in a bomb attack

while he was attending a friend's wedding.

I want to marry the girl that I love

and start a family of my own.

But raising children in a war zone?

We do hope the war will be over.

It seems to be wanting to go on forever.

Why do we have this war?

Because of different religious factions?

Would we have war

if God let us know it was enough?

Because of different political interests?

Would we have war

if interests would be made the same?

Because of economic interests?

Would we have war

if we did not have oil?

Because war sustains industries?

Would we have war

if industries had alternatives?

Some say there will always be war.

Because some people just like it

to play games in real

instead of on playstation.

I grew up to be an adult

while the war was on.

I want to grow old

in a land of peace.

Where there is only one kind of religion.

The religion of peace.

Where there is only one kind of party.

The party of humanity.

Where there is only one kind of economy.

The economy of solidarity.

No more power struggles.

No more killings for

religion, politics or oil.

Iraq, June 2008.