Jasmine's Story: A Kuwaiti Girl's Memories of Liberation

April 25, 2003 | Jasmine

[sweetliberty]

This past Saturday at our regular meeting of the Arkansas FReepers, we were blessed with the opportunity to meet Jasmine, a young Kuwaiti woman and one time student of the University of Arkansas (I think...correct me if I'm wrong on that y'all). Travelgirl has been a foster mother to her and at Christmastime, much to the consternation and concern of her family and other FReepers, she flew to Kuwait to be present at Jasmine's wedding. At the meeting, we all listened attentively as Jasmine told her very moving story, driving home for us once again how blessed we are to be living in America, so far removed is her experience from anything any of us could even imagine. At times she had difficulty containing her own emotions as she shared her personal fear and pain and that of her family under the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and her happiness for the Iraqi people as she recalled her own joy when she and her people were liberated.

We were so moved by her story, we encouraged her to write some of it up so that we could post it here, knowing that FReepers could learn from it and appreciate even more why we are in Iraq.

..

Jasmine's Story

I woke up August 2, 1990 to find myself without a country. The Iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein had invaded Kuwait; I was only 12 at that time. My dad left for Saudi Arabia as Iraqi soldiers were after him. The Iraqis had a list of names of people they wanted so they were everywhere chasing also famous singers and football players to make them part of the Iraqi team and others! My mom, my two brothers and I all went to live in the basement of my aunt’s house with seven other Kuwaiti families.

Iraqis were breaking doors to get men between 16 and above (military age). I remember my mom hiding my two brothers in the water tanks, and they used to stay there for hours. She was afraid the Iraqis would take them and she wouldn’t be able to see her sons after that. It was September around 4 pm I was looking through the only window we had in the basement. I saw two Iraqis carrying a black trash bag ring the bell of our neighbor’s house. Our neighbors, unfortunately, had left their house so the Iraqis placed the bag in front of the door and left.

The bag did not stand for long before it fell on the floor and it was open, and there I saw our neighbor‘s, my brother’s friend, body covered with blood, it layed there, he was dead. Haytham was only 18 years old and just graduated from high school and was planning to go study in London. I froze in my place. It was my first time to see a dead body. I did not tell anyone about it. Two days passed and then my aunt’s husband told us the bad news. I acted as if I just knew. I was scared; I did not know what to do. That picture shocked me and I have not been able to forget it for the past 12 years.

My twin cousins were taken as well and the Iraqi soldiers cut off their ears and broke their arms in front of their mom. Not only that, the soldiers took their 65-year-old dad and tortured him by electrical shocks and hung him upside down until he start bleeding from his nose. They also put out their cigarettes on his bold head.

In November, my mom was very scared with all the news about chemical weapons so we start making masks out of coals. We put the coal in towels and stitch the towels; we knew that was not enough, but thought it might help. Iraqi soldiers were burning houses and stealing anything they could carry. They also raped girls in front of their brothers as a torture to make them speak up, They also went into hospitals and killed the babies and stole the incubators.

The end of November we decided to leave for Saudi Arabia. We left home at 5 am traveling through the desert in a van driven by a bedwin man. The Iraqi soldiers were chasing us with guns and tanks!! It took us six hours to get to the border although it usually takes an hour and a half. We took the long zigzag way to avoid the check points in the desert.

Kuwait was liberated on Feb 26, 1991, thanks to all Americans for their help. My uncle escaped from Iraq prison in 1991 during the desert storm operation. He lost his memory a month after that, his brain cells were damaged from the torture. His twins are still in the Iraqi prison. My uncle passed away 2 years ago and did not have the chance to see his twins neither did their mom. This is only one of the Kuwaiti tragedies, we still have 600 prisoners of war in Iraqi jails, let’s all pray they’re alive.

Twelve years have passed since the Kuwait liberation, I’m 24 years old, I graduated from college in the States and just got married. I am glad I lived until I saw Saddam loose his power and is, hopefully, dead. Again Thanks To all Americans. I also would like to congratulate the Iraqi people and lets all appreciate the freedom we have.

Yasmine

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[shezza]

What a blessing we have to live free all our lives in this glorious country of ours. So many of us take our liberty and our bounty for granted, until we're shown a glimpse of unspeakable evils in the world. Thank you, Jasmine, for sharing your story.

[WaveThatFlag]

Thanks for this nic.

[Yasmine-Q8]

A touching story, but sounds the same story that a Kuwaiti ambassador's daughter told t Congress back then, she was 15 and it was a similar account and it was found out that she made it up and was a publicity stunt to get us to support Gulf War I and it worked

well am familiar with that you're talking about Nai'ra Saoud Al-Sabah, she did say the truth, but at that time we did not have any reporters to prove ( killing babies and steeling incubaters) as reporters were prohibited by Saddam, but soon after the liberation it was proved by Doctors and nurses at the hospitals, i guess our stories has much in common because all Kuwaities lived almost the same tragedy, each and every Kuwaiti has at least one missing if not killed member of his family.

[dsutah]

Well, you're right in that it was fiction, based on real characters and events. That's Hollywood for you! I think it was like that with "Braveheart", as well! For example: (If you've seen the movie)Was the princess he had a fling with before he was executed. This young woman was a little girl in the time of William Wallace!

Number two, there was no young wife murdered in the village, by King Harry's (Longshanks)forces. There was a woman he was involved with who was murdered. A lot of the parts where it depicts his childhood didn't happen the way it was in the movie. Also, it is believed that William Wallace and Robert the Bruce never even met in Wallace's lifetime. Robert the Bruce knew of WW, and he did 'carry the torch' for Wallace's cause, and won the epic battle.

As for "The Patriot", I loved the movie. However, I was aware that not every part was historically accurate. Still, the story was so compelling. And it did let us have a glimpse of the struggle within people, and between people as to the cause. Much was as it was. I do know that as far the church burning with the people inside, probably didn't happen. There are so few "Revolutionary War" era movies, I suppose I didn't want to be picky! :)

Another thing I noticed, was that "Tavington" was not in that much hot water with Gen. Cornwallis. Cornwallis actually didn't blame him for losing the battle, he supported him most of the way. He may have rebuked him for his brutal, ruthless, tactics, but there was not the scolding from Cornwallis as in the movie.

Of course, the man that "Tavington" was based on wasn't quite the devil that he appeared in the movie! He was apparently, a tireless fighter, and very courageous in some ways. He was ruthless, and could be a bit cruel, and wouldn't "give any quarter" to his prisoners. Also he didn't die in the battle. He lived to go home, retire, and leave his 'past' behind him.

Still, it was a fine movie, and just what we needed at that time!(obviously!)

[nicmarlo]

yw, WaveThatFlag....it's always good to hear reaffirmations.

[Darksheare]

Thanks for the ping Nic.
That's one brave lady.

This former soldier has his hat off to her.

[sweetliberty]

Hi Yasmine. I am glad you signed up to post. How much longer will you be here? I hope you will continue to have access when you return to Kuwait.

[Yasmine-Q8]

Thanks, well i'll be leaving some times mid May,i will keep intouch :)

[sweetliberty]

Please do. I am glad you will be here a little while longer, and I hope you will spend more time on FR.

[Yasmine-Q8]

well am sorry to say that the news about the 18 kuwaities that were found was a rumer, they went up with our spirt and let us down as usual .

[BlindedByTruth]

You're probably right, I do't dubt this woman's hardship, it just sounded like a similar story, and my thoughts and prayers go out to that woman and her family

[BlindedByTruth]

Thank you for correcting me, you're probably right that the hardships are shared by all Kuwaiti women and families, but thank God that Saddam Hussein and his regime are no mor and all in Kuwait and Iraq are free from his tyranny, my thoughts ad prayer to those good people

[sweetliberty]

She signed up to post and I see that she responded to you in post #44.