The most I know about Iraq is what my uncle told me as a veteran of Desert Storm. I remember hearing about the fighting when I was a kid and my uncle being gone for months at a time to fight overseas. He brought me back some currency and a crucifix, but I was too young to understand all of the conflicts in such a wartorn country. I’m honored to have RJ here on the blog to talk about her experience living in the Middle East.
So Your Character is … series is where I interview lovely volunteers from around the world to give you a firsthand account of being a citizen of their respective country or having a disability. I’m hoping to encourage international diversity, break stereotypes, and give writers a crash course on how to write a character from these different places on our planet. If you haven’t checked out last time’s So Your Character is from Palestine … be sure to hop on over there and give it a read!
Disclaimer: The content below may be culturally and politically shocking to some. Each of these posts is as uncensored as possible to preserve the authenticity of the cultures of each of the interviewees.
(None of the Images are Mine)
My name is Raghad J. Zarkani but I go by R.J. for ease. I was born and raised in Iraq, managed to escape the war and move to America in 2008. Learned a new language while cleaning tables in restaurants. Got my first degree at a community college in town and after 10 years of college, I received my doctorate in pharmacy in 2018. I currently work at a hospital specializing in cancer treatment and research.
Everyone I met along my journey here in America asked me about my back story, about the war in Iraq and how it was like, so I started writing short poems about it until it evolved into a poetry book collection. I combined the good, the bad, and the lessons learned along the way in my book titled “Stranger Paths” fitting for the strange journey I went through to get where I am today.
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What do you feel is unique to your country? Landmarks? Celebrations?
Iraq is a small country about 1.6 times smaller than Texas. I was born north of Iraq in Tikrit and lived there until my dad’s factory was bombed around 1990 which forced us to move south. I lived the rest of my time in Iraq in Al-Kut until 2008 when my family and I earned a special immigrant visa to America!
During most of my childhood, we rarely had electricity, food, or water depending on the siege that was imposed on Iraq. So we bundled up in winter next to gas-burning heaters and slept on the rooftops of our houses in the summer to keep cool. Iraq couldn’t import or export, so we ate what we farmed. Having a Pepsi or coke was a huge deal, and when one is available I used to make a small glass bottle of Pepsi last a week or longer! I would drink a little and pour the rest of the Pepsi in a tin bowl and put it in the freezer and eat a little bit a day every day until all gone. Today I have to purposefully avoid Pepsi due to its sugar content, funny how life goes.
One month every year, Ramadan happens, and adults, and those who are able, fast from eating, drinking, cursing, and sex from sunrise to sunset. After making it through the month, Eid comes right after which is a three-day holiday to feast, buy new clothes, and have family gatherings. Mom would make Kleecha which is a sweet dough filled with different sweets like dates, sugar, and coconut, or lokum. Picture attached from my sister’s Instagram.
Tell me about your country’s environment. What are some of your favorite places?
Iraq’s winters are harsh and cold especially in the mornings, but my favorite part of school morning was waking up early to go to the baker to buy bread that was made in a fire oven, the baker made the whole street smell wonderful! After having our hot black tea and eggs with bread my sister and I would walk thirty minutes across a desert plain to get to school each morning. The patch of the desert had wild dogs that were aggressive but we had dogs of our own. Our dogs would follow us from our home to school to ensure a safe journey and keep other animals at bay.
Tell me about your country’s food. What are some of your favorite dishes?
Other favorite foods are made by different family members and all my 8 aunts and their kids gather at my grandmother’s house. Dolma is another favorite food of ours. Veggies like bell pepper, onions, squash, grape leaves are filled with rice, beef, and spices on top of lamb meat. Just delicious! Picture below.
Tell me about any different speech patterns in your country. Slang? Idioms? Words for things such as “biscuits” instead of “cookies”?
Iraq is an Arabic country, that has its own slang of Arabic although all Arabic countries speak and know the proper Arabic “Faseeh”. Iraq was colonized by the British during World War I which led to different English words turning to slang Iraqi words. Like pants are called bandaroon in Iraqi slang for the English word Pantaloons. “Yawho” is Iraqi slang for “who”. And like in British English Biscuits are cookies usually hard enough to hold together when dunk in hot tea.
Briefly describe three of your country’s historical events that you feel are important.
Iraq’s two large rivers in a mostly desert terrain made it the hub of early civilization through the Bronze and Iron Age where Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian civilizations thrived. The earliest evidence of literature and mathematics traced back to this region of the world!
Iraq was a part of a bigger united Arabic country (like Texas is a part of the United States) and during World War I, Iraq was colonized by the British and cut off into its own country as it stands now.
I am definitely not a history buff and I barely passed the subject in high school but I lived through the Iraq war of 2003 and it completely and literally changed my life.
What are some stereotypes about your country that irk you? What media portrays your country badly be it a movie, a book, or a TV show?
When I tell people I am from Iraq, I am faced with odd/funny questions/statements at times. Like: did you live in tents, did you ride camels to school, is it always hot in Iraq, and you don’t look like a terrorist. Also, Americans often lump Persia, India, and Iraq into one concept but the three are separate countries with different races and ethnic origins.
In Iraq, we live in brick and concrete houses, floors are usually made of tile or marble. I have never ridden a camel in my life. Iraq winters are similar in temperatures to Tennessee’s weather and it snows rarely. Temperatures reach highs of 120 degrees Fahrenheit and lows in the 30’s.
Lastly, terrorism has no common face, race, nor religion.
What media portrays your country well be it a movie, a book, or a TV show?
Haven’t watched an accurate portrayal of Iraq or Arabic countries, usually overdramatized or plain fantasy.
Who are your top three favorite fictional characters native to your country in books, movies, or shows?
Aladdin was a favorite movie growing up since it took place in Iraq’s general region and Jasmine was the only Arabic princess on TV. A Thousand and One Nights was a favorite book that mom recited as she put us to sleep. Most current movies about Iraq involve war which I can’t watch due to flashbacks and PTSD.
Are you interested in participating in this project? Check out the tips archive to see which countries have been filled and if you’re from a different country, shoot me an email at howellvictoriagrace(a)gmail(dot)com. I’m especially looking for Cuba, Croatia, Belarus, Zimbabwe, and Laos.
This was great! Thanks Tori and RJ!
My eldest brother, he’s in the military, has been to Iraq several times, I believe he was even there during the ’03 war. He was part of the Intelligence unit, but my memory of it is a bit hazy.