THE PESHMERGA / series / world
KURDISTAN REGION, IRAQ
The Peshmerga - the military force of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The word means “those who face death.”
There are some things that a picture does well. There are many things that it does not. I’ve seen a lot of images like the one I took below. Soldiers, set against the rubble of a dusty base that distinctly tells you we’re in the Middle East. And perhaps you did what I did - you lumped it together in that section in your brain. A picture is worth a thousand words, they say. And it is good at doing that in an instant.
But sometimes, that makes it harder to see what’s behind it all. It takes more effort to see the full story and the complexity of each situation. The details that may make all the difference.
And perhaps the best reminder for me was this unplanned visit to one of Saddam’s strongholds. Passing by, we decided to stop and see it. We get out of the car and see the Kurdish flag waving over the building. Now converted into a Peshmerga outpost, the soldiers came over to us. I expected them to turn us away, telling us it was restricted. But instead, we were met with such warmth and welcome. And they were more than happy to give us a tour, they said.
I’ll never forget this scene. In the middle of this war-torn stronghold, soldiers preparing a plate of fruit for us to sit and eat together. The grapes that were grown in one of their very own vineyards.
It was such a beautiful and perfect image of what I’ve come to know about Iraqi Kurdistan. There are so many assumptions tied to this region. Yes, there is still war and conflict. There is certainly struggle. But there is also so much peace and joy in the midst of it. Life goes on.
There was so much more than what I saw on first glance.
