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Project Voice — Before the War

With a boiling conflict as a backdrop during the March, 2003, videoconference between Iraqi and American students, questions abounded. What did the Iraqis think of Americans? What did Americans know about Iraqis and their ancient culture? Over the course of a two-hour discussion, these teenagers broke down stereotypes as they attempted to learn more about one another, face-to-face. We were also able to talk to individual Iraqi students to get a glimpse of their lives before the war and hear some of their thoughts.

 

Question (Connecticut): "Are you guys scared of what's going to happen soon? About the war?"

Noordeen (Baghdad): "I don't think it's the matter of being worried or not. I mean, nobody is not worried. You know, I believe that we have a great deal of self-confidence and faith. That makes things look easier than, than what they really are."

 

 

Question (Baghdad): "What is your idea about the Iraqi people?"

Stacey (Connecticut): "Here in the US, it's kinda sad 'cause we don't get a good perception of the Iraqi people. We see the politics of it, we don't see the actual people living their day-to-day routine."

 

Shakir (Baghdad): "Every country has it's own history... it's own way of expressing things, and people should get to know more about Iraq and more about the situation, the people, the culture..." play clip

 

 

 

Amin (Baghdad): "I guess that all the people of the U.S. are not very different from normal people. We are all people of peace, no one loves war." play clip

 

 

 

 

 

Tom (Connecticut): "I don't really think that people in the US actually like war. There's people that think that this war should be fought. But I have family in the military and there's other people here that have family in the military and we might wake up in the morning finding out that some of our family had just died or was killed over there. So, I mean, we feel it too."

 

 

 

Farah (Baghdad): "So I guess they think that we are ignorant and we are still riding camels and these things, so I hope they will change their idea and know that we are educated students and we are just like them."
play clip

 

 

 

 

Sari (Baghdad): "I think the media has the biggest role in making false ideas about people. We don't look like bomb carriers. I don't have a bomb in my pocket right now. I don't like riding camels. And you don't look like cowboys who like to fire, pow, pow. I don't think so."