The Story from American Public Media - Ahmed's Diary

Ahmed: Art and War

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:00:00

Ahmed: Art and War

"Grieving Woman" statue and photo by Ahmed Fadaam

Ahmed recently visited the military base at Ft. Bragg, NC. He talks to Dick Gordon about the profound ambivalence he felt about meeting troops there: how it was both difficult on one level and yet humanizing on another. He also talks about returning to the art studio, after 5 years of not creating any sculpture. Despite wanting to escape the war through art, he finds that the war still haunts his imagination.

See more of Ahmed's statue
Check out Ahmed's blog

Ahmed in New York

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:00:00

Ahmed in New york

Ahmed's self portrait

When Ahmed Abdullah was last interviewed on the program, he told Dick Gordon that in Baghdad, the only Americans he knew were associated with the military. Now that he's here in the U.S., Ahmed is on a personal mission: to meet ordinary Americans. He tells Dick what he's learned so far from his time in North Carolina and New York City.

Ahmed is a visiting scholar at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Ahmed Out of Baghdad

Mon, 19 May 2008 04:00:00

Ahmed Out of Baghdad

Ahmed's self portrait

It's been months in the making, but Ahmed Abdullah has finally come to the U.S. He's here as a visiting scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dick Gordon and Ahmed last saw one another in Baghdad five years ago. Now, they finally have a chance to catch up in person on everything that's happened in Ahmed's life: how his wife and children are faring in Damascus, how he nearly got caught in a cross-fire the day before he left Baghdad, and the death threat he received from a militia.

Ahmed tells Dick that his mission here is to meet ordinary Americans, and then tell his own people about what he learns. Ahmed has dreamed about coming to America for years, but as he tells Dick, he already misses his home.

April 14, 2008

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:00:00

Ahmed's Diary

The Iraqi government has fired nearly 1,300 police officers and soldiers who refused to engage with Shiite militias in Basra. The city has been the site of bloody infighting among Shiite factions for several days. In today's diary, Ahmed Abdullah (who is Sunni) talks about giving a ride home to a Shiite colleague, who was upset and embarrassed over the violence. But during the ride through Baghdad, both men realize that overcoming divisions is crucial to rebuilding a new Iraq.

March 19, 2008

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:00:00

Waiting for Justice

It's been five years since the U.S. invaded Iraq. Baghdad is quieter than it has been. Trials of war criminals have come and gone. But Ahmed Abdullah is still waiting for justice. In today's diary, Ahmed reveals just how deeply the Sunni-Shia divide goes. Even going to the hospital can get you killed if you find yourself on the wrong side of the divide.

February 4, 2008

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 04:00:00

Ahmed's Diary

Ahmed Abdullah is back with his latest audio diary.

How does an average person earn money these days in Iraq? Ask Ahmed. Ahmed has managed to earn a living but his own brother cannot find a job. And when a person does find a job, the danger may increase.

December 17, 2007

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 04:00:00

The Two Baghdads

Dick became friends with Ahmed Abdullah in 2003 when Ahmed was his interview "fixer" and translator. Since then, the two have remained friends, and Ahmed has been keeping an audio diary since The Story's inception.

Ahmed's latest entry is a study of the two Baghdads that he sees in Iraq. During the day, the city has become somewhat calmer, but at night, the city itself becomes the biggest fear weighing on its citizens' minds.

October 22, 2007

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 04:00:00

Ahmed's Diary

People in Baghdad are still talking about what happened on September 16 - the day an incident involving the private security company Blackwater USA left at least 17 Iraqis dead. Ahmed Abdullah visited the scene in Nisour Square and talked to witnesses. One witness, an Iraqi soldier, told Ahmed that he tried to get Blackwater personnel to help the wounded. Instead, one of them took aim at the man and shot him in the chest.

October 3, 2007

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 04:00:00

AHMED'S DIARY

Ahmed has gotten used to hearing about friends and colleagues who have been killed. But he is still shaken by the news. When a young friend, Khalid, was killed recently, Ahmed learned some new lessons about Iraq.

September 10, 2007

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 04:00:00

Ahmed's Diary

Today, Gen. David Petraeus makes his report to a Congress hostile to the war in Iraq.

Last time we heard from Ahmed, the war had made its way into his neighborhood in Baghdad. He had found spent bullet casings in his backyard. Now Ahmed's attention has shifted inside the house - his brother Ali and his family have moved in. If the neighborhood gets even more dangerous, Ahmed wonders what will become of all of them if they lose their home.

July 31, 2007

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:00:00

AHMED'S DIARY

In Ahmed's last diary entry, he talked about the death of a Christian neighbor. Afterwards, Ahmed and his neighbors took turns guarding the Christian's house. Then one day coming home, Ahmed was told by a U.S. serviceman that American troops were going to occupy the vacated house. Ahmed feared that he and his family might face a crossfire between U.S. troops and insurgents - and that's just what happened on the first night.

Ahmed Wins an Award

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 06:00:00

Ahmed Wins an Award

Ahmed Abdullah was Dick Gordon's translator and fixer when Dick went to Baghdad in 2003.

Shortly after The Story was created, Ahmed began sending the program audio diaries, which chronicle his life and the lives of ordinary Iraqis he knows.

Ahmed's Diaries were just awarded a gold medal at the New York Festival of Radio Broadcasting, to which 20 countries had submitted entries. The award underlines how powerful Ahmed's stories are.

Today, we present some excerpts from a year's worth of his diaries - and Dick checks in with Ahmed to find out how he is doing.

Learn more about the New York Festival
Listen to Dick's first and second interviews with Ahmed

June 11, 2007

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 06:00:00

AHMED's DIARY

Last week, Ahmed talked about a neighbor of his who was killed. This week, another neighbor died. This neighbor was neither Sunni nor Shia, but Christian. He was killed because he told authorities about an explosive he saw planted. Ahmed continues to wonders if his turn is soon.

June 5, 2007

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 06:00:00

Ahmed's Diary

Ahmed has been under a lot of stress. His family is under a lot of stress. He is trying to work, and that means being on the street. But as we hear from Ahmed, being on the street these days may be no more dangerous than staying close to home.

What should I write about? The death, the fear, or the lack of hope. Maybe I should write about waiting for my turn to die. And thinking all the time of the way I am going to die. Will it be ugly? Or just a normal death. Am I going to be tortured? Or burned?

March 7, 2007

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 04:00:00

Ahmed's Diary

Ahmed had sent his wife and two children to Syria months ago. Now they're back in Baghdad. The reunion was sweet, but shortly afterwards their quiet neighborhood came under attack. Ahmed realizes that he must move quickly to get them out again as soon as he can: just before his wife and children arrived, the family house was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.