A good read - about Iraqis voting in U.S.

Los Angeles Times ^ | 1/28/05 | Teresa Watanabe

[hardworking]

They fled war and repression in Iraq. They renewed their lives in America. Now they stand ready to help recast the destiny of their embattled homeland after decades of dictatorship.

Three Iraqi immigrants in Southern California — Maha Yousif, a Muslim orthodontist; Father Noel Gorgis, a Chaldean Catholic priest; and Saman Shali, a Kurdish telecommunications entrepreneur — are among those poised to vote in Iraq's landmark democratic election.

After earning her doctorate in orthodontics, Yousif and her daughter, Dahlia, came to the United States in 1981 for a dental training program in Nebraska. Her husband, who was also a dentist, took a teaching job in the Caribbean for a year to support them, sending them part of his $20,000 annual pay.

Somehow, they scraped by.

A son, Omran, arrived. As they moved to Connecticut and four years ago rejoined family in Southern California, the couple worked hard and saved money. They began with a $57,000 home in Nebraska; they now live in a $2.7-million, ocean-view home in Newport Coast.

Yousif plans to vote Saturday for the United Iraqi Alliance, the coalition supported by the Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the Shiite leader. The orthodontist said the group recognizes Iraq's Islamic heritage but promotes the rule of law and respect for minority rights.

[HighlyOpinionated]

As long as there is RELIGIOUS FREEDOM in Iraq, is all I'll say.

Good read, thanks --