The worst in Iraq may be coming to an end, but some Americans continue to struggle to make sense of the events of the war. Many Americans of Middle Eastern descent find it especially difficult to join the growing crowd of war supporters.
Ida Abdalkhani, a senior in marketing who is of Iranian descent, views the Iraqi invasion as a good cause and something that needs to be done, but grieves for those civilians caught in the crossfire.
“Innocent people caught in the middle are being hurt,” Abdalkhani said. “I try my best not to be brought down, but it’s still rather depressing.”
Mahssa Taghinia, a junior in philosophy, is a first generation Iranian-American. She said she finds it difficult to support the U.S. government’s actions in Iraq. Taghinia has similar sentiments and questions as most other Americans, but views the situation in Iraq with skepticism.
“Being Iranian, this definitely hits home,” she said.
Taghinia criticized the U.S. government’s attempt to find evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq as a justifiable reason for the invasion.
“So where are the weapons? Where is the threat? Above all, where is Saddam?” she said.
Like Taghinia, Bakr Younis, a graduate student in electrical engineering from Palestine, is irritated by the U.S. military’s failure to prove Iraq was actually harboring weapons of mass destruction. He fears that other nations, such as Syria and Jordan, could be next on the U.S. government’s list of inspections.
Taghinia said she feels the American public is generally uneducated about the Middle East and that ignorance contributed to the conflict in Iraq. Differences between Arab and Persian cultures, along with variations within those cultures, create a need for a better understanding from the American people, she said.
“Unfortunately, many people are quick to blur race and religion. For example, many people don’t know that Iranians are not of Arab descent,” Taghinia said. “This is not a religious war, as Bush has been quick to peg.”
Younis, also harshly opposed the American invasion of Iraq.
“The administration has no idea what they’re dealing with,” Younis said. “Life is becoming a living hell, both there and here.”
Younis scolded the media’s coverage of the war for being one-sided, allowing the American people to see the situation from only one angle.
“What we need is more fair, unbiased media coverage. Let the average American see both sides of the story,” he said.
Taghinia and Abdalkhani expressed similar views of the media.
“The media concocts this fabricated fear. The conflict is needed to sway the public,” Taghinia said.
“We need to keep the side we don’t see in mind,” Abdalkhani said.
