Translation

The little girl

She was embracing her little brother despite her small age, trying to contain her brother with both hands, Whenever we tried to come nearer, she threw stones and everything around. She was tired and her face full of dust, they were so small that can not be left alone. We were stunned, where are her family and what happened to them ?! And what brought them to this piece of land? We surrounded them from each side, she was as if an angel came down from heaven, and we tried to be blessed and asked God to have mercy on us for their sake.

We left her till she got calm, and as we got closer towards her, she was throwing stones at us, and her small brother asleep in her lap, therefore; we were barely puzzled what do we do ?! It is true that the stones she was throwing at us would not hurt us. but I felt that if we are closer to her more she may feel that they have lost life and lost everything.

We awaited her until she ran out of stones surrounding her. You all know when you are in a war every thing you possess is a gun and the smell of gunpowder that closes noses and overshadows the place ?! You do not have a game or something that you can calm the fright of such a small child in such a state . At this stirring situation, there are those who wept who will not forget it for ever.

We approached her tenderly and made peaceful and compassionate steps towards her, I told her" my little child don't be afraid, I noticed the more I advanced the more she grasped and folded the body of her brother tied to her lap. The distance had become very close. She put her small hand in front of her face.

She told us, don't kill us, my eyes full of tears I told her: I will not kill you , but I'm here to take you home, I sat cross-legged in front of her hearing and everyone around me waiting for what will happen next. Such painful situations never happen in whole life but only once. I told her; Where are your family and where are your father and your mother?

She said: They Isis killed them all.

Imagine the landscape as she was walking amid the rubble and destruction with this little child, with my hands I painted on the sand in front of her the sketch of a toy. I looked to the painting and told her: Do you like this kind of game?

She smiled and said: Oh, yes, uncle!

I told her: Come with me to give you one for you and your little brother. She looked at me and within her thousand and thousand questions, and I was waiting for her decision. Some may be surprised and say: the leader, Asaad al-Asadi, who fought Isis is waiting from a little child a decision .. !! Yes this great country is waiting for its decision!!! What it went through can not be narrated in any way.

She stood up and caught the hand of her brother after she stopped him and began to dust her dress out of the sand, it seemed to me as if she had shaken off all my worries that was in me.

She touched my hand and began moving.

While we were walking, she said: uncle my little brother is little bit hungry.

I told her to not worry, I carried her brother and I went…

…. And I think you see what is happening in my country

Narrated by : Asaad al-Asadi, a commander in Iraqi Army

Translated by: Ahmed Ali

A stirring short incident narrated by a military commander in Iraqi Army in the time of war in Mosul.

Translated from Arabic by Ahmed Ali

The disguised rich man

On a cold winter night, the rain was coming down hard, embraced the earth after a long absence. Some people were clutching their umbrellas to protect them from the rain. Some were shivering from the rain. In this extreme cold weather and rain, there was a man standing as an idle. With torn clothes, he does not move, some even think him a statue. He was absent-minded, some warm teardrops on the cheek.

A passer-by looked at him mockingly, why don't you wear some better clothes. He put his hand in his wallet and his eyes arrogantly saying

Do you want something?

He said calmly: I want you to keep away from my face and go away.

He left murmuring," Heck of you dirty crazy.

The man sat in the rain until it stopped.

He then went on to a hotel in the neighborhood.

Receptionist told him not to sit there. The

Begging is forbidden here.

He looked at him with a look of anger, he put his hand in his jacket and pulled out a key, It is No. b 1.

No. 1 is the biggest and the best suite in the hotel that

overlooks the river and then he completed walking to the stairs and turned to the receptionist saying: I would come out after half an hour and I want my car, The Rolls Royce to be ready. The receptionist was puzzled to see who is in front of him in such ragged and dirty clothes.

The man went to his suite and half an hour later, he came out different completely from that person who entered before. luxury suit and a tie and shoes that reflects cleanliness of a nobleman. The receptionist was still confused when he saw that poor man about to ride his expensive car.

Before leaving, he asked the employee about his fees. Not to much.

Man: Is that enough for you.

Employee: Not quite sir.

Man: Do you want me to give you some?

Employee: Who does not want that, Mr. ?

Man: Is not begging forbidden here? As you told before.

Employee: with embarrassment, yes of course.

Man: Damn you, you classify people according to their wealth, what made you change your attitude in few minutes. He added: every winter I try to dress in poor sense. In such manner, changing my figure like beggars every rainy winter to make me feel their agony and suffering and test people's behavior towards them.

If one does not have money, you do not respect, as if they are a disgrace to the whole world. I advise you:

If you don't help, don't despise them so !!

Translated freely from Arabic