Slate: BAGHDAD BUS STATION7.30AM
BUS DRIVER
00:00:28:09 - 00:00:32:00
Syria...I'm the bus driver.
TRAVEL REPRESENTATIVE 00:00:34:10 - 00:00:39:06
50 families a day are leaving through our travel company.
OLD LADY00:00:41:15 - 00:00:44:12
The reason we're leaving is we're fed up and have had enough
OLD LADY00:00:46:03 - 00:00:49:22
I had a son, a lieutenant major, they murdered him and threw him in the river
IRAQI MOTHER00:00:55:19 - 00:01:02:22
The situation, the troubles. We can't cope, there's no work, no jobs.
00:01:03:11 - 00:01:08:02
It's a difficult and depressing situation. I'm doing it for my children.
00:01:08:07 - 00:01:12:11
They're being threatened at school. That's why I'm leaving.
IRAQI MAN00:01:13:18 - 00:01:16:07
The security situation is falling apart.
00:01:17:09 - 00:01:22:06
The reason is the government can't find a solution. Its a sham government.
00:01:23:06 - 00:01:28:04
The whole area is under threat, everywhere is dangerous.
00:01:28:19 - 00:01:32:08
Every hour there is an explosion, skirmishes, gunfire.
00:01:32:15 - 00:01:38:09If a child is hit, or someone is injured, or killed. Who's the cause?
00:01:38:17 - 00:01:42:09
Who will fix it? Will the government compensate us for our losses?
00:01:42:22 - 00:01:44:24
It's like chickens to the slaughter.
SLATE: 100,000 People are leaving Iraq each month.This is the story of one of them
SLATE: Umm GhaithHairdresser
UMM GHAITH 00:01:59:09 - 00:02:02:06
Business is good.
00:02:02:22 - 00:02:06:14
I've been a hairdresser now for about 15 years
00:02:07:01 - 00:02:10:18
15 years during which I've managed to buy a house and a car.
00:02:11:07 - 00:02:14:22
But the one thing I couldn't manage to get was security.
00:02:15:08 - 00:02:19:04
We don't have security, not my husband, my kids or anyone.
SALWA 00:02:20:22 - 00:02:25:20
I trust her and her work. She alway does a really great job.
UMM GHAITH 00:02:33:07 - 00:02:36:13
It wasn't easy. It took great effort and stress to get these things.
00:02:30:17 - 00:02:33:04
Its not easy to build a life and a home...
00:02:33:07 - 00:02:36:13
and its not easy to ruin all that in a moment and just to leave it.
SLATE 10 Days to Departure
UMM GHAITH 00:02:58:08 - 00:03:03:16
You must excuse me, the shop is a mess because I had a lot of work yesterday
00:03:08:03 - 00:03:12:16
When it comes to security it was a million times better before.
00:03:13:00 - 00:03:19:0
9When a client came over she felt safe...now she can't be sure.
00:03:19:11 - 00:03:25:08
Because now the Americans, or the police could come in...
00:03:25:11 - 00:03:32:07
...and start firing shots, terrifying everyone. Its not safe for women to be here.
00:03:32:17 - 00:03:38:18
Sometimes people say to me Umm Ghaith don't open the door to anyone.
00:03:39:04 - 00:03:45:04
But I say to them this is my work. If I don't open the door how am I going to live?
00:03:45:20 - 00:03:50:17
I have alot of demands on me, for the house, the electricity, petrol.
00:03:52:20 - 00:03:56:19
I got threats. They came and threatened me to my face.
00:03:56:22 - 00:04:00:11
This man stopped his car just as I was leaving the house.
00:04:02:04 - 00:04:04:09
He said are you going to stop or you'll lose your sons.
00:04:05:02 - 00:04:08:14
I was very calm and said why should I stop what am I doing wrong?
00:04:08:23 - 00:04:10:11
He said its better for you if you stop.
UMM GHAITH00:04:14:08 - 00:04:19:07
Look at these clothes. If I can't run a hair salon I can sell clothes.
SLATE Selling the Furniture
UMM GHAITH 00:04:31:15 - 00:04:34:17
Its difficult to sell things now because everyone wants to leave.
00:04:35:00 - 00:04:38:01
Its difficult and humiliating because I worked hard for each item.
00:04:38:08 - 00:04:39:23
Its not easy for me to give them up.
00:04:40:10 - 00:04:44:04
Some people don't mind selling their belongings but not me.
00:04:50:01 - 00:04:56:22
I need to raise money to pay for the journey, it costs 700 or 800 dollars for the taxi.
00:04:57:00 - 00:05:01:00
So even if I don't want to get a big fancy car, but just a small simple car.
00:05:01:14 - 00:05:02:15
How much do you think it costs?
00:05:03:00 - 00:05:07:22
Its still 500 dollars. It doesn't sound much but its difficult to get hold of in these times.
UMM GHAITH00:05:09:06 00:05:10:17
So what have you decided?
FEMALE BUYER00:05:10:22 00:05:12:01
Well its a bit high...
UMM GHAITH00:05:12:00 - 00:05:18:15
Its 250 and I'm really helping you out. Its worth about 375 Iraqi dinars.
00:05:18:19 - 00:05:23:05
For 330 you can have both and there's no way I'm reducing it more than that.
00:05:23:12 - 00:05:29:03
And its clean, doesn't have a thing on it. You see that one not a spot on it.
UMM GHAITH00:05:36:03 - 00:05:42:05
The water also gets cut. But we got an extra tank on the roof for that.
00:05:43:13 - 00:05:48:11
So it provides a backup in case the main one doesn't work.
00:05:49:07 - 00:05:52:09
But we should be grateful as we're slightly better off than others.
00:05:55:14 - 00:05:59:14
There's a mosque nearby opposite a school...
00:06:00:17 - 00:06:02:13
it's a Shia mosque.
00:06:03:05 - 00:06:09:05
Two days ago a young man went there and started firing shots at the mosque.
00:06:09:18 - 00:06:13:15
Kids play outside the mosque all the time so you can imagine the terror.
00:06:17:03 - 00:06:21:10
I don't understand what's inside these people's heads. I can't even imagine.
00:06:22:01 - 00:06:26:01
I'm married to a Sunni from Samara and I'm from Najaf.
00:06:26:16 - 00:06:29:20
I'm proud that he's a Sunni and I'm a Shia.
00:06:30:02 - 00:06:34:21
When my parents made the match...
00:06:35:08 - 00:06:42:06
...they looked at him as an educated respectable person from a respectable family.
00:06:42:15 00:06:44:11
They didn't think about whether he was Sunni or Shia.
00:06:48:23 00:06:50:18
Its only for my children...
00:06:51:05 00:06:57:19
I want them to grow up in a place where there isn't all this horror, destruction and blood.
00:06:58:08 00:07:02:02
Here they can't do anything, they can't tell night from day.
00:07:03:02 00:07:08:09
I can't take them anywhere. In the afternoon they want to go out, but where?
00:07:10:08 00:07:13:24
I end up deeply depressed. At their age and they don't have anything.
00:07:14:04 00:07:16:18
I can't build a future for them here.
GHAITH 00:07:23:18 - 00:07:27:07
My name is Ghaith Hashim Ali and I'm 13 years old.
00:07:29:01 - 00:07:32:19
I remember before the war we used to play outside with other boys.
00:07:33:01 - 00:07:37:16
But now after the war I can't go out, because of the explosions.
00:07:39:12 - 00:07:40:23
I'm happy and excited more than anything.
00:07:41:17 - 00:07:43:24
I'm happy because I want to get out of here.
00:07:44:23 - 00:07:49:05
Of course everyone loves their homeland but how its become no one loves it.
00:07:49:21 - 00:07:56:18
Everyone's leaving....so all the shops, the schools, everything, it's all awful.
00:07:57:09 - 00:08:01:11
Iraq is falling apart and getting worse.
KHALED 00:08:04:04 00:08:11:05
My name is Khaled Hashim Ali. I'm in the 4th grade at Imara School.
00:08:13:11 - 00:08:18:20
Our street was nice and secure before the war and we always felt safe.
00:08:19:08 - 00:08:23:08
Now if you take one step outside, you don't know where the bullet will come from.
00:08:24:01 - 00:08:26:08
Some have been kidnapped some have been killed.
00:08:26:20 - 00:08:32:07
A friend of mine from school was kidnapped.
00:08:32:20 - 00:08:36:13
They took him and demanded from his family 3 million.
00:08:36:23 - 00:08:40:22
They just kidnap and murder. What did they do to you?
00:08:41:04 - 00:08:44:24
Everyone is scared for us that we can't even go to the front door.
00:08:45:03 - 00:08:48:07
We barely make it to the door just outside its impossible.
00:08:48:18 - 00:08:53:05Even when we want to go out...sometimes at night when the electricity is off...
00:08:53:23 - 00:08:56:07
and we want to go out to switch it on they say no you can't go.
00:08:56:22 - 00:09:02:16
Its scary. One night I was awake until morning because I could hear noises by the door.
00:09:03:16 - 00:09:06:20
I'm really happy, but I'm scared Syria will become like Iraq.
00:09:07:09 - 00:09:12:03
Because America is targeting all the Arab countries.
00:09:13:09 - 00:09:17:03
I'm only taking a few things, too many would remind me of Iraq.
00:09:17:19 - 00:09:19:02
I don't want to remember it ever.
00:09:19:22 - 00:09:22:20
I don't want to remember the oppression, or all the bad things.
00:09:23:24 - 00:09:26:22
I'm only going to take toys to Syria.
00:09:27:12 - 00:09:29:13
Some toys like these here.
00:09:30:11 - 00:09:33:18
This spider and fighting bracelet my Aunt gave me.
00:09:35:00 - 00:09:39:00
This is the one I told you that died. This one here.
00:09:39:08 - 00:09:42:00
And this one...
INTERVIEWER-How did he die?
00:09:42:23 - 00:09:46:00I don't know but they killed him.
00:09:46:16 - 00:09:49:22
And this one here they kidnapped and demanded three million.
00:09:50:08 - 00:09:51:13
They killed him.
00:09:52:15 - 00:09:54:13
I have to take the photo to remind me of my friends.
00:09:54:21 - 00:09:57:05
Its true its a sad memory but I have to remember them.
00:09:57:15 - 00:09:58:24
They helped me so much.
00:09:59:13 - 00:10:02:12
I really loved my teacher. This one here, her name was Miss Suhaila.
SLATE 5 days to departure
UMM GHAITH00:10:10:03 - 00:10:12:13
Now we're going to take the journey of suffering!
00:10:13:00 - 00:10:14:19
Which means its time to get petrol.
00:10:16:17 - 00:10:18:18
The majority of girls are now scared to go out.
00:10:19:12 - 00:10:22:06
But I have to, I don't have a choice.
00:10:22:18 - 00:10:24:16
There are some sick minds.
00:10:25:15 - 00:10:28:05
They bring up religion but our religion didn't forbid anything.
00:10:28:09 - 00:10:29:14
Our faith says pray and fast...
00:10:30:17 - 00:10:32:07
...and know God's rights...
00:10:33:01 - 00:10:34:15
...don't lie and don't steal.
00:10:35:07 - 00:10:38:10
That's religion. Its not preventing women from driving cars.
00:10:42:01 - 00:10:43:24
Everything is forbidden. Anything you want to do is forbidden.
00:10:44:12 - 00:10:48:11
Even me coming to pick up a generator from a repair shop is an issue. How could she.
00:10:48:13 - 00:10:50:24
Its really difficult in Iraq.
00:10:51:21 - 00:10:56:12
But because my husband isn't here I don't have a choice.
00:10:58:01 - 00:11:00:02
Come on we can both lift it.
UMM GHAITH 00:11:20:20 - 00:11:22:12
We've finished the first trip.
UMM GHAITH00:11:35:01 - 00:11:36:12
How much is that?
ABU ALI GAS STATION ATTENDANT
00:11:36:15 - 00:11:37:209000.
Please switch off the camera
UMM GHAITH00:11:39:15 - 00:11:41:20
Don't be scared its nothing to do with them.
00:11:42:22 - 00:11:44:11
Its not even 40!
ABU ALI
00:11:44:22 - 00:11:46:04
Get him to switch the camera off and we can talk about it.
UMM GHAITH00:11:46:07 - 00:11:50:07
So Abu Ali how much do you want?
ABU ALI00:11:50:18 - 00:11:53:096000
and we can talk about it without a camera.
UMM GHAITH00:11:53:24 - 00:11:56:01
I don't care about it, tell them to go.
UMM GHAITH00:12:12:17 - 00:12:17:03
I came by yesterday and you were closed. I hope everything's alright?GROCER
00:12:20:06 - 00:12:22:03
There was a hand grenade thrown at my parents house.
UMM GHAITH
00:12:22:08 - 00:12:24:03
God protect us!
00:12:24:14 - 00:12:25:24
No harm done to anyone I hope?
GROCER 00:12:26:15 - 00:12:28:15
No, just damage to the cars.
UMM GHAITH00:12:55:00 - 00:12:57:20
Its not easy to leave Iraq.
00:12:58:14 - 00:13:00:09
To leave the people you love.
00:13:04:21 - 00:13:06:09
Its a shame...
00:13:07:11 - 00:13:11:09
Iraqis used to be a source of pride for everyone.
00:13:19:06 - 00:13:21:04
God willing it'll all return.
00:13:21:13 - 00:13:24:16
I hope that the Iraqis that remain, that still have a conscience...
00:13:25:11 - 00:13:27:18
will return Iraq to the way it was.
SLATE
One Day to departure
UMM GHAITH00:13:35:05 - 00:13:37:12
Don't forget they say the weather is cold.
Interviewer00:13:38:08 - 00:13:39:13
Even in summer?
UMM GHAITH 00:13:39:24 - 00:13:42:11
Yes, even in summer we use blankets.
INTERVIEWER 00:13:44:02 - 00:13:46:22
Why don't you buy it there?
UMM GHAITH00:13:47:06 - 00:13:49:24
No, no, its too expensive.
00:13:52:09 - 00:13:56:11
Something here that would cost lets say 1000, there its 3000.
UMM GHAITH00:13:58:23 - 00:14:01:14
I'm going to leave somethings here with family, because you never know.
00:14:03:10 - 00:14:08:03
You don't know what might happen in Syria so you have to have a backup plan.
00:14:09:18 - 00:14:12:22
Our photos, bits and pieces and our whole lives are here.
INTERVIEWER 00:25:23:19 - 00:25:26:21
Aren't you going to need them to remember Baghdad and Iraq?
00:14:17:07 - 00:14:19:24
Baghdad isn't a place you forget no matter where you go and how far.
00:14:21:20 - 00:14:25:13
I'm uncomfortable leaving everything here.
00:14:26:08 - 00:14:28:15
I'm 38 years old and this is all I've known.
00:14:29:07 - 00:14:32:03
I was born and grew up in Baghdad.
00:14:33:11 - 00:14:37:07
Its a shame but what can you do.
00:14:41:05 - 00:14:44:07
It's for my kids, I can't sacrifice their childhood anymore.
00:14:47:04 - 00:14:51:00
I'll go out and find myself work.
00:14:52:07 - 00:14:56:24
Over there its like judgement day...everyone for himself.
00:14:57:18 - 00:14:59:24
If you've got anything you'll keep it to yourself.
00:15:04:18 - 00:15:09:01
Hopefully my husband and I will find work and we'll find the kids a school.
SLATE Departure Day
UMM GHAITH00:15:15:04 - 00:15:17:03
Today time is running out.
00:15:17:17 - 00:15:22:03
I've got to put things in order and prepare everything for tomorrow.
00:15:23:10 - 00:15:30:00
What I still have to do is go get groceries and food for the journey.
00:16:05:11 - 00:16:09:23
All I can think is that I'm leaving behind my family, my people...
00:16:10:17 - 00:16:16:03
...and the place I've lived in all these years. But what can you do.
00:16:20:09 - 00:16:26:06
Its the worst moment, the moment when a person has to leave their country.
00:16:26:09 - 00:16:28:08
The place they grew up.
KHALED00:16:37:18 - 00:16:41:00
I feel really happy...finally I'm travelling.
INTERVIEWER00:16:42:06 - 00:16:44:13
How do you feel about your journey?
KHALED 00:16:44:21 - 00:16:50:15
Its great to go and meet new people. The situation here is bad.
00:16:52:04 - 00:16:57:02
I took some things and some toys to play with on the journey.
00:16:57:18 - 00:17:02:00
I've got a lot of playing cards, alot of toys and I'm even taking my batman with me.
00:17:07:06 - 00:17:11:12
I've got to go to school, if I don't study I'll be stupid.
INTERVIEWER00:17:12:06 - 00:17:13:10
What do you want to be?
00:17:14:01 - 00:17:15:08
An architect.
GHAITH00:17:18:24 - 00:17:20:17
I'm thinking about what I'll do when I get there.
00:17:21:23 - 00:17:30:06
There I can relax, go out make new friends. Here I can't move.
INTERVIEWER00:17:31:12 - 00:17:33:03
Are you going to go to school?
00:17:33:07 - 00:17:34:06
Yes.
INTERVIEWER00:17:35:01 - 00:17:36:04
What do you want to be?
00:17:36:16 - 00:17:37:16
A doctor.
UMM GHAITH 00:17:44:23 - 00:17:47:11
I hope God punishes those that have done this to us.
00:17:49:13 - 00:17:52:23
I hope we'll return. We will return, I don't think we'll remain like this.
00:17:54:21 - 00:17:56:19
The future is unknown...
00:17:57:20 - 00:18:01:15...
but we hope its good. We can only hope it'll be fine.
INTERVIEWER 00:18:02:01 - 00:18:03:14
Are you optimistic or pessimestic?
UMM GHAITH 00:18:04:05 - 00:18:07:19
Between the two! I don't know.
00:18:08:06 - 00:18:09:12
But hopefully things will be better.
00:18:10:00 - 00:18:12:03
See you soon and in good health.
KHALED 00:18:14:11 00:18:15:14
Are we leaving?
UMM GHAITH 00:18:15:22 00:18:18:00
Yes darling, we're finally leaving.
SLATE: DAMASCUS
KHALED 00:18:51:11 - 00:18:56:09
We left early in the morning so it wasn't too dangerous.
00:18:56:16 - 00:18:58:00
But we were delayed at the border.
00:18:58:08 - 00:19:01:21
The electricity wasn't working at the Syrian border for 3 hours.
00:19:02:03 - 00:19:04:07
and the same on the Iraqi border.
00:19:06:21 - 00:19:10:21
We've registered with a school and we'll probably go tomorrow or the day after.
00:19:12:06 - 00:19:17:10
There's security here and the electricity rarely cuts out.
00:19:18:06 - 00:19:20:23
In Iraq there's a power cut 24 hours a day.
00:19:34:19 - 00:19:37:08
Here there is loads of everything you might want.
00:19:38:13 - 00:19:42:06
There if you go out you might die.
00:19:42:12 - 00:19:45:06
Here you can do anything you want.
00:19:46:09 - 00:19:49:15
Here you can go out on the streets, take walks.
ABU GHAITH 00:19:55:02 - 00:19:59:16
I left Baghdad for Syria towards the end of June.
00:20:00:10 - 00:20:05:08
The first reason was the unstable security situation.
00:20:06:02 - 00:20:10:00
Secondly the lack of adequate job opportunities.
00:20:11:09 - 00:20:15:12Thirdly all public services had completely stopped.
00:20:16:07 - 00:20:20:16
So the most basic needs of life were non-existent.
00:20:22:18 - 00:20:30:03
The simple house that you saw I got after a great deal of effort over 15 or 17 days.
00:20:31:19 - 00:20:36:15
We heard from the immigration department here...
00:20:37:12 - 00:20:42:07
...that in Syria there are now between 5 and 7 million Iraqis.
00:20:43:23 - 00:20:47:00
When you enroll your child in a school...
00:20:47:10 - 00:20:51:22
...the headmaster will say the number of pupils...
00:20:52:12 - 00:20:57:24
...is 600. 300 are Iraqis and 300 are Syrian.
00:20:59:02 - 00:21:02:11
So you feel when you walk down the street...
00:21:03:01 - 00:21:09:21
...and you hear the distinctive Iraqi accent, you feel you're in Iraq.
00:21:12:08 - 00:21:20:07
I've started small efforts to find work to support myself and my family.
00:21:21:13 - 00:21:26:04
Me and a few other Iraqis have started...
00:21:26:23 - 00:21:33:03
...a business to transport people from Baghdad to Damascus.
ABU MUHTASER 00:21:43:11 - 00:21:45:06
So whats the situation like in Baghdad?
ABU GHAITH 00:21:46:02 - 00:21:48:21
Well there's nothing new...
00:21:49:02 - 00:21:53:13
...what you see on the news is a tenth of what the reality we're living.
00:21:55:01 - 00:21:56:21
There's nothing, nothing.
00:21:57:08 - 00:22:02:12
Let me tell you life in Baghdad is only from 9am to midday
00:22:02:21 - 00:22:05:22
These three hours you're free to move, but not in all areas..
00:22:06:15 - 00:22:07:18
...and not in all situations.
00:22:08:08 - 00:22:15:19
Between 8am and 10am we all know is when the explosions and shootings happen.
00:22:15:19 - 00:22:17:19
So we wait for this time to pass.
00:22:21:13 - 00:22:25:05
So that we can try to live a normal life.
00:22:25:12 - 00:22:28:02
And thats how we're managing.
00:22:28:16 - 00:22:33:09
The political parties are fighting each other to get seats for themselves.
00:22:33:15 - 00:22:34:22
They don't care about the welfare of the people.
00:22:35:01 - 00:22:40:04
You're a Palestinian. You have all suffered from 1948 up till now.
00:22:40:13 - 00:22:44:17
But us, we were a stable secure country until the occupation. Then the occupiers came...
00:22:45:19 - 00:22:52:23
...put in this sham government and made us live a life we can't comprehend.
00:22:53:11 - 00:22:58:02
Its not a national government, its not a revolutionary government,
00:22:58:13 - 00:23:03:19
its not a colonial government. We want to live but we can't do anything.
00:23:04:07 - 00:23:07:19
And there's no stability.- No stability.
UMM GHAITH 00:23:08:14 - 00:23:13:12
Why do you think we came? We came for the children.
00:23:15:21 - 00:23:18:05
There they didn't know night from day.
ABU GHAITH 00:23:18:14 - 00:23:21:20
UMM GHAITH
We've lost our security.- Completely lost.
00:23:25:00 - 00:23:29:23
When a person is cornered from every direction what can they feel?
00:23:30:07 - 00:23:33:01
You're living in a house but you feel its not your home.
ABU GHAITH 00:23:33:07 - 00:23:38:00
Prisoners. We're prisoners in our own homes.
00:23:38:18 - 00:23:40:22
In Baghdad the curfew is at 9pm.
00:23:41:11 - 00:23:46:13
From 8pm you have to prepare. Then you close the door and sit inside...
00:23:47:22 - 00:23:50:19
and you don't know who'll be knocking on your door that night.
UMM GHAITH00:24:01:16 - 00:24:04:08
So is the shop completed or does it need more work?
00:24:06:05 - 00:24:07:24
Whats the price?
00:24:08:19 - 00:24:11:06
How much does he want for it?
UMM GHAITH
00:24:39:02 - 00:24:42:23
So I heard that you want to sell the shop.
00:24:43:23 - 00:24:45:18
What price are you asking for it?
SALON OWNER 00:24:46:04 - 00:24:47:13
400,000.
UMM GHAITH 00:24:48:02 - 00:24:50:23
400,000 including everything?
SALON OWNER 00:24:51:02 - 00:24:54:11
200,000 rent, 200,000 costs so yes.
UMM GHAITH 00:24:55:09 - 00:25:00:22
So tell me whats business like here? As you know I've just come from Baghdad...
00:25:01:05 - 00:25:05:19
...so I don't know what the ladies like here and what sort of work there is.
00:25:08:22 - 00:25:13:12
We'll talk on the phone and thanks for everything.
00:25:15:02 - 00:25:16:18
I'll come and see you.
BUS DRIVER
00:00:28:09 - 00:00:32:00
Syria...I'm the bus driver.
TRAVEL REPRESENTATIVE 00:00:34:10 - 00:00:39:06
50 families a day are leaving through our travel company.
OLD LADY00:00:41:15 - 00:00:44:12
The reason we're leaving is we're fed up and have had enough
OLD LADY00:00:46:03 - 00:00:49:22
I had a son, a lieutenant major, they murdered him and threw him in the river
IRAQI MOTHER00:00:55:19 - 00:01:02:22
The situation, the troubles. We can't cope, there's no work, no jobs.
00:01:03:11 - 00:01:08:02
It's a difficult and depressing situation. I'm doing it for my children.
00:01:08:07 - 00:01:12:11
They're being threatened at school. That's why I'm leaving.
IRAQI MAN00:01:13:18 - 00:01:16:07
The security situation is falling apart.
00:01:17:09 - 00:01:22:06
The reason is the government can't find a solution. Its a sham government.
00:01:23:06 - 00:01:28:04
The whole area is under threat, everywhere is dangerous.
00:01:28:19 - 00:01:32:08
Every hour there is an explosion, skirmishes, gunfire.
00:01:32:15 - 00:01:38:09If a child is hit, or someone is injured, or killed. Who's the cause?
00:01:38:17 - 00:01:42:09
Who will fix it? Will the government compensate us for our losses?
00:01:42:22 - 00:01:44:24
It's like chickens to the slaughter.
SLATE: 100,000 People are leaving Iraq each month.This is the story of one of them
SLATE: Umm GhaithHairdresser
UMM GHAITH 00:01:59:09 - 00:02:02:06
Business is good.
00:02:02:22 - 00:02:06:14
I've been a hairdresser now for about 15 years
00:02:07:01 - 00:02:10:18
15 years during which I've managed to buy a house and a car.
00:02:11:07 - 00:02:14:22
But the one thing I couldn't manage to get was security.
00:02:15:08 - 00:02:19:04
We don't have security, not my husband, my kids or anyone.
SALWA 00:02:20:22 - 00:02:25:20
I trust her and her work. She alway does a really great job.
UMM GHAITH 00:02:33:07 - 00:02:36:13
It wasn't easy. It took great effort and stress to get these things.
00:02:30:17 - 00:02:33:04
Its not easy to build a life and a home...
00:02:33:07 - 00:02:36:13
and its not easy to ruin all that in a moment and just to leave it.
SLATE 10 Days to Departure
UMM GHAITH 00:02:58:08 - 00:03:03:16
You must excuse me, the shop is a mess because I had a lot of work yesterday
00:03:08:03 - 00:03:12:16
When it comes to security it was a million times better before.
00:03:13:00 - 00:03:19:0
9When a client came over she felt safe...now she can't be sure.
00:03:19:11 - 00:03:25:08
Because now the Americans, or the police could come in...
00:03:25:11 - 00:03:32:07
...and start firing shots, terrifying everyone. Its not safe for women to be here.
00:03:32:17 - 00:03:38:18
Sometimes people say to me Umm Ghaith don't open the door to anyone.
00:03:39:04 - 00:03:45:04
But I say to them this is my work. If I don't open the door how am I going to live?
00:03:45:20 - 00:03:50:17
I have alot of demands on me, for the house, the electricity, petrol.
00:03:52:20 - 00:03:56:19
I got threats. They came and threatened me to my face.
00:03:56:22 - 00:04:00:11
This man stopped his car just as I was leaving the house.
00:04:02:04 - 00:04:04:09
He said are you going to stop or you'll lose your sons.
00:04:05:02 - 00:04:08:14
I was very calm and said why should I stop what am I doing wrong?
00:04:08:23 - 00:04:10:11
He said its better for you if you stop.
UMM GHAITH00:04:14:08 - 00:04:19:07
Look at these clothes. If I can't run a hair salon I can sell clothes.
SLATE Selling the Furniture
UMM GHAITH 00:04:31:15 - 00:04:34:17
Its difficult to sell things now because everyone wants to leave.
00:04:35:00 - 00:04:38:01
Its difficult and humiliating because I worked hard for each item.
00:04:38:08 - 00:04:39:23
Its not easy for me to give them up.
00:04:40:10 - 00:04:44:04
Some people don't mind selling their belongings but not me.
00:04:50:01 - 00:04:56:22
I need to raise money to pay for the journey, it costs 700 or 800 dollars for the taxi.
00:04:57:00 - 00:05:01:00
So even if I don't want to get a big fancy car, but just a small simple car.
00:05:01:14 - 00:05:02:15
How much do you think it costs?
00:05:03:00 - 00:05:07:22
Its still 500 dollars. It doesn't sound much but its difficult to get hold of in these times.
UMM GHAITH00:05:09:06 00:05:10:17
So what have you decided?
FEMALE BUYER00:05:10:22 00:05:12:01
Well its a bit high...
UMM GHAITH00:05:12:00 - 00:05:18:15
Its 250 and I'm really helping you out. Its worth about 375 Iraqi dinars.
00:05:18:19 - 00:05:23:05
For 330 you can have both and there's no way I'm reducing it more than that.
00:05:23:12 - 00:05:29:03
And its clean, doesn't have a thing on it. You see that one not a spot on it.
UMM GHAITH00:05:36:03 - 00:05:42:05
The water also gets cut. But we got an extra tank on the roof for that.
00:05:43:13 - 00:05:48:11
So it provides a backup in case the main one doesn't work.
00:05:49:07 - 00:05:52:09
But we should be grateful as we're slightly better off than others.
00:05:55:14 - 00:05:59:14
There's a mosque nearby opposite a school...
00:06:00:17 - 00:06:02:13
it's a Shia mosque.
00:06:03:05 - 00:06:09:05
Two days ago a young man went there and started firing shots at the mosque.
00:06:09:18 - 00:06:13:15
Kids play outside the mosque all the time so you can imagine the terror.
00:06:17:03 - 00:06:21:10
I don't understand what's inside these people's heads. I can't even imagine.
00:06:22:01 - 00:06:26:01
I'm married to a Sunni from Samara and I'm from Najaf.
00:06:26:16 - 00:06:29:20
I'm proud that he's a Sunni and I'm a Shia.
00:06:30:02 - 00:06:34:21
When my parents made the match...
00:06:35:08 - 00:06:42:06
...they looked at him as an educated respectable person from a respectable family.
00:06:42:15 00:06:44:11
They didn't think about whether he was Sunni or Shia.
00:06:48:23 00:06:50:18
Its only for my children...
00:06:51:05 00:06:57:19
I want them to grow up in a place where there isn't all this horror, destruction and blood.
00:06:58:08 00:07:02:02
Here they can't do anything, they can't tell night from day.
00:07:03:02 00:07:08:09
I can't take them anywhere. In the afternoon they want to go out, but where?
00:07:10:08 00:07:13:24
I end up deeply depressed. At their age and they don't have anything.
00:07:14:04 00:07:16:18
I can't build a future for them here.
GHAITH 00:07:23:18 - 00:07:27:07
My name is Ghaith Hashim Ali and I'm 13 years old.
00:07:29:01 - 00:07:32:19
I remember before the war we used to play outside with other boys.
00:07:33:01 - 00:07:37:16
But now after the war I can't go out, because of the explosions.
00:07:39:12 - 00:07:40:23
I'm happy and excited more than anything.
00:07:41:17 - 00:07:43:24
I'm happy because I want to get out of here.
00:07:44:23 - 00:07:49:05
Of course everyone loves their homeland but how its become no one loves it.
00:07:49:21 - 00:07:56:18
Everyone's leaving....so all the shops, the schools, everything, it's all awful.
00:07:57:09 - 00:08:01:11
Iraq is falling apart and getting worse.
KHALED 00:08:04:04 00:08:11:05
My name is Khaled Hashim Ali. I'm in the 4th grade at Imara School.
00:08:13:11 - 00:08:18:20
Our street was nice and secure before the war and we always felt safe.
00:08:19:08 - 00:08:23:08
Now if you take one step outside, you don't know where the bullet will come from.
00:08:24:01 - 00:08:26:08
Some have been kidnapped some have been killed.
00:08:26:20 - 00:08:32:07
A friend of mine from school was kidnapped.
00:08:32:20 - 00:08:36:13
They took him and demanded from his family 3 million.
00:08:36:23 - 00:08:40:22
They just kidnap and murder. What did they do to you?
00:08:41:04 - 00:08:44:24
Everyone is scared for us that we can't even go to the front door.
00:08:45:03 - 00:08:48:07
We barely make it to the door just outside its impossible.
00:08:48:18 - 00:08:53:05Even when we want to go out...sometimes at night when the electricity is off...
00:08:53:23 - 00:08:56:07
and we want to go out to switch it on they say no you can't go.
00:08:56:22 - 00:09:02:16
Its scary. One night I was awake until morning because I could hear noises by the door.
00:09:03:16 - 00:09:06:20
I'm really happy, but I'm scared Syria will become like Iraq.
00:09:07:09 - 00:09:12:03
Because America is targeting all the Arab countries.
00:09:13:09 - 00:09:17:03
I'm only taking a few things, too many would remind me of Iraq.
00:09:17:19 - 00:09:19:02
I don't want to remember it ever.
00:09:19:22 - 00:09:22:20
I don't want to remember the oppression, or all the bad things.
00:09:23:24 - 00:09:26:22
I'm only going to take toys to Syria.
00:09:27:12 - 00:09:29:13
Some toys like these here.
00:09:30:11 - 00:09:33:18
This spider and fighting bracelet my Aunt gave me.
00:09:35:00 - 00:09:39:00
This is the one I told you that died. This one here.
00:09:39:08 - 00:09:42:00
And this one...
INTERVIEWER-How did he die?
00:09:42:23 - 00:09:46:00I don't know but they killed him.
00:09:46:16 - 00:09:49:22
And this one here they kidnapped and demanded three million.
00:09:50:08 - 00:09:51:13
They killed him.
00:09:52:15 - 00:09:54:13
I have to take the photo to remind me of my friends.
00:09:54:21 - 00:09:57:05
Its true its a sad memory but I have to remember them.
00:09:57:15 - 00:09:58:24
They helped me so much.
00:09:59:13 - 00:10:02:12
I really loved my teacher. This one here, her name was Miss Suhaila.
SLATE 5 days to departure
UMM GHAITH00:10:10:03 - 00:10:12:13
Now we're going to take the journey of suffering!
00:10:13:00 - 00:10:14:19
Which means its time to get petrol.
00:10:16:17 - 00:10:18:18
The majority of girls are now scared to go out.
00:10:19:12 - 00:10:22:06
But I have to, I don't have a choice.
00:10:22:18 - 00:10:24:16
There are some sick minds.
00:10:25:15 - 00:10:28:05
They bring up religion but our religion didn't forbid anything.
00:10:28:09 - 00:10:29:14
Our faith says pray and fast...
00:10:30:17 - 00:10:32:07
...and know God's rights...
00:10:33:01 - 00:10:34:15
...don't lie and don't steal.
00:10:35:07 - 00:10:38:10
That's religion. Its not preventing women from driving cars.
00:10:42:01 - 00:10:43:24
Everything is forbidden. Anything you want to do is forbidden.
00:10:44:12 - 00:10:48:11
Even me coming to pick up a generator from a repair shop is an issue. How could she.
00:10:48:13 - 00:10:50:24
Its really difficult in Iraq.
00:10:51:21 - 00:10:56:12
But because my husband isn't here I don't have a choice.
00:10:58:01 - 00:11:00:02
Come on we can both lift it.
UMM GHAITH 00:11:20:20 - 00:11:22:12
We've finished the first trip.
UMM GHAITH00:11:35:01 - 00:11:36:12
How much is that?
ABU ALI GAS STATION ATTENDANT
00:11:36:15 - 00:11:37:209000.
Please switch off the camera
UMM GHAITH00:11:39:15 - 00:11:41:20
Don't be scared its nothing to do with them.
00:11:42:22 - 00:11:44:11
Its not even 40!
ABU ALI
00:11:44:22 - 00:11:46:04
Get him to switch the camera off and we can talk about it.
UMM GHAITH00:11:46:07 - 00:11:50:07
So Abu Ali how much do you want?
ABU ALI00:11:50:18 - 00:11:53:096000
and we can talk about it without a camera.
UMM GHAITH00:11:53:24 - 00:11:56:01
I don't care about it, tell them to go.
UMM GHAITH00:12:12:17 - 00:12:17:03
I came by yesterday and you were closed. I hope everything's alright?GROCER
00:12:20:06 - 00:12:22:03
There was a hand grenade thrown at my parents house.
UMM GHAITH
00:12:22:08 - 00:12:24:03
God protect us!
00:12:24:14 - 00:12:25:24
No harm done to anyone I hope?
GROCER 00:12:26:15 - 00:12:28:15
No, just damage to the cars.
UMM GHAITH00:12:55:00 - 00:12:57:20
Its not easy to leave Iraq.
00:12:58:14 - 00:13:00:09
To leave the people you love.
00:13:04:21 - 00:13:06:09
Its a shame...
00:13:07:11 - 00:13:11:09
Iraqis used to be a source of pride for everyone.
00:13:19:06 - 00:13:21:04
God willing it'll all return.
00:13:21:13 - 00:13:24:16
I hope that the Iraqis that remain, that still have a conscience...
00:13:25:11 - 00:13:27:18
will return Iraq to the way it was.
SLATE
One Day to departure
UMM GHAITH00:13:35:05 - 00:13:37:12
Don't forget they say the weather is cold.
Interviewer00:13:38:08 - 00:13:39:13
Even in summer?
UMM GHAITH 00:13:39:24 - 00:13:42:11
Yes, even in summer we use blankets.
INTERVIEWER 00:13:44:02 - 00:13:46:22
Why don't you buy it there?
UMM GHAITH00:13:47:06 - 00:13:49:24
No, no, its too expensive.
00:13:52:09 - 00:13:56:11
Something here that would cost lets say 1000, there its 3000.
UMM GHAITH00:13:58:23 - 00:14:01:14
I'm going to leave somethings here with family, because you never know.
00:14:03:10 - 00:14:08:03
You don't know what might happen in Syria so you have to have a backup plan.
00:14:09:18 - 00:14:12:22
Our photos, bits and pieces and our whole lives are here.
INTERVIEWER 00:25:23:19 - 00:25:26:21
Aren't you going to need them to remember Baghdad and Iraq?
00:14:17:07 - 00:14:19:24
Baghdad isn't a place you forget no matter where you go and how far.
00:14:21:20 - 00:14:25:13
I'm uncomfortable leaving everything here.
00:14:26:08 - 00:14:28:15
I'm 38 years old and this is all I've known.
00:14:29:07 - 00:14:32:03
I was born and grew up in Baghdad.
00:14:33:11 - 00:14:37:07
Its a shame but what can you do.
00:14:41:05 - 00:14:44:07
It's for my kids, I can't sacrifice their childhood anymore.
00:14:47:04 - 00:14:51:00
I'll go out and find myself work.
00:14:52:07 - 00:14:56:24
Over there its like judgement day...everyone for himself.
00:14:57:18 - 00:14:59:24
If you've got anything you'll keep it to yourself.
00:15:04:18 - 00:15:09:01
Hopefully my husband and I will find work and we'll find the kids a school.
SLATE Departure Day
UMM GHAITH00:15:15:04 - 00:15:17:03
Today time is running out.
00:15:17:17 - 00:15:22:03
I've got to put things in order and prepare everything for tomorrow.
00:15:23:10 - 00:15:30:00
What I still have to do is go get groceries and food for the journey.
00:16:05:11 - 00:16:09:23
All I can think is that I'm leaving behind my family, my people...
00:16:10:17 - 00:16:16:03
...and the place I've lived in all these years. But what can you do.
00:16:20:09 - 00:16:26:06
Its the worst moment, the moment when a person has to leave their country.
00:16:26:09 - 00:16:28:08
The place they grew up.
KHALED00:16:37:18 - 00:16:41:00
I feel really happy...finally I'm travelling.
INTERVIEWER00:16:42:06 - 00:16:44:13
How do you feel about your journey?
KHALED 00:16:44:21 - 00:16:50:15
Its great to go and meet new people. The situation here is bad.
00:16:52:04 - 00:16:57:02
I took some things and some toys to play with on the journey.
00:16:57:18 - 00:17:02:00
I've got a lot of playing cards, alot of toys and I'm even taking my batman with me.
00:17:07:06 - 00:17:11:12
I've got to go to school, if I don't study I'll be stupid.
INTERVIEWER00:17:12:06 - 00:17:13:10
What do you want to be?
00:17:14:01 - 00:17:15:08
An architect.
GHAITH00:17:18:24 - 00:17:20:17
I'm thinking about what I'll do when I get there.
00:17:21:23 - 00:17:30:06
There I can relax, go out make new friends. Here I can't move.
INTERVIEWER00:17:31:12 - 00:17:33:03
Are you going to go to school?
00:17:33:07 - 00:17:34:06
Yes.
INTERVIEWER00:17:35:01 - 00:17:36:04
What do you want to be?
00:17:36:16 - 00:17:37:16
A doctor.
UMM GHAITH 00:17:44:23 - 00:17:47:11
I hope God punishes those that have done this to us.
00:17:49:13 - 00:17:52:23
I hope we'll return. We will return, I don't think we'll remain like this.
00:17:54:21 - 00:17:56:19
The future is unknown...
00:17:57:20 - 00:18:01:15...
but we hope its good. We can only hope it'll be fine.
INTERVIEWER 00:18:02:01 - 00:18:03:14
Are you optimistic or pessimestic?
UMM GHAITH 00:18:04:05 - 00:18:07:19
Between the two! I don't know.
00:18:08:06 - 00:18:09:12
But hopefully things will be better.
00:18:10:00 - 00:18:12:03
See you soon and in good health.
KHALED 00:18:14:11 00:18:15:14
Are we leaving?
UMM GHAITH 00:18:15:22 00:18:18:00
Yes darling, we're finally leaving.
SLATE: DAMASCUS
KHALED 00:18:51:11 - 00:18:56:09
We left early in the morning so it wasn't too dangerous.
00:18:56:16 - 00:18:58:00
But we were delayed at the border.
00:18:58:08 - 00:19:01:21
The electricity wasn't working at the Syrian border for 3 hours.
00:19:02:03 - 00:19:04:07
and the same on the Iraqi border.
00:19:06:21 - 00:19:10:21
We've registered with a school and we'll probably go tomorrow or the day after.
00:19:12:06 - 00:19:17:10
There's security here and the electricity rarely cuts out.
00:19:18:06 - 00:19:20:23
In Iraq there's a power cut 24 hours a day.
00:19:34:19 - 00:19:37:08
Here there is loads of everything you might want.
00:19:38:13 - 00:19:42:06
There if you go out you might die.
00:19:42:12 - 00:19:45:06
Here you can do anything you want.
00:19:46:09 - 00:19:49:15
Here you can go out on the streets, take walks.
ABU GHAITH 00:19:55:02 - 00:19:59:16
I left Baghdad for Syria towards the end of June.
00:20:00:10 - 00:20:05:08
The first reason was the unstable security situation.
00:20:06:02 - 00:20:10:00
Secondly the lack of adequate job opportunities.
00:20:11:09 - 00:20:15:12Thirdly all public services had completely stopped.
00:20:16:07 - 00:20:20:16
So the most basic needs of life were non-existent.
00:20:22:18 - 00:20:30:03
The simple house that you saw I got after a great deal of effort over 15 or 17 days.
00:20:31:19 - 00:20:36:15
We heard from the immigration department here...
00:20:37:12 - 00:20:42:07
...that in Syria there are now between 5 and 7 million Iraqis.
00:20:43:23 - 00:20:47:00
When you enroll your child in a school...
00:20:47:10 - 00:20:51:22
...the headmaster will say the number of pupils...
00:20:52:12 - 00:20:57:24
...is 600. 300 are Iraqis and 300 are Syrian.
00:20:59:02 - 00:21:02:11
So you feel when you walk down the street...
00:21:03:01 - 00:21:09:21
...and you hear the distinctive Iraqi accent, you feel you're in Iraq.
00:21:12:08 - 00:21:20:07
I've started small efforts to find work to support myself and my family.
00:21:21:13 - 00:21:26:04
Me and a few other Iraqis have started...
00:21:26:23 - 00:21:33:03
...a business to transport people from Baghdad to Damascus.
ABU MUHTASER 00:21:43:11 - 00:21:45:06
So whats the situation like in Baghdad?
ABU GHAITH 00:21:46:02 - 00:21:48:21
Well there's nothing new...
00:21:49:02 - 00:21:53:13
...what you see on the news is a tenth of what the reality we're living.
00:21:55:01 - 00:21:56:21
There's nothing, nothing.
00:21:57:08 - 00:22:02:12
Let me tell you life in Baghdad is only from 9am to midday
00:22:02:21 - 00:22:05:22
These three hours you're free to move, but not in all areas..
00:22:06:15 - 00:22:07:18
...and not in all situations.
00:22:08:08 - 00:22:15:19
Between 8am and 10am we all know is when the explosions and shootings happen.
00:22:15:19 - 00:22:17:19
So we wait for this time to pass.
00:22:21:13 - 00:22:25:05
So that we can try to live a normal life.
00:22:25:12 - 00:22:28:02
And thats how we're managing.
00:22:28:16 - 00:22:33:09
The political parties are fighting each other to get seats for themselves.
00:22:33:15 - 00:22:34:22
They don't care about the welfare of the people.
00:22:35:01 - 00:22:40:04
You're a Palestinian. You have all suffered from 1948 up till now.
00:22:40:13 - 00:22:44:17
But us, we were a stable secure country until the occupation. Then the occupiers came...
00:22:45:19 - 00:22:52:23
...put in this sham government and made us live a life we can't comprehend.
00:22:53:11 - 00:22:58:02
Its not a national government, its not a revolutionary government,
00:22:58:13 - 00:23:03:19
its not a colonial government. We want to live but we can't do anything.
00:23:04:07 - 00:23:07:19
And there's no stability.- No stability.
UMM GHAITH 00:23:08:14 - 00:23:13:12
Why do you think we came? We came for the children.
00:23:15:21 - 00:23:18:05
There they didn't know night from day.
ABU GHAITH 00:23:18:14 - 00:23:21:20
UMM GHAITH
We've lost our security.- Completely lost.
00:23:25:00 - 00:23:29:23
When a person is cornered from every direction what can they feel?
00:23:30:07 - 00:23:33:01
You're living in a house but you feel its not your home.
ABU GHAITH 00:23:33:07 - 00:23:38:00
Prisoners. We're prisoners in our own homes.
00:23:38:18 - 00:23:40:22
In Baghdad the curfew is at 9pm.
00:23:41:11 - 00:23:46:13
From 8pm you have to prepare. Then you close the door and sit inside...
00:23:47:22 - 00:23:50:19
and you don't know who'll be knocking on your door that night.
UMM GHAITH00:24:01:16 - 00:24:04:08
So is the shop completed or does it need more work?
00:24:06:05 - 00:24:07:24
Whats the price?
00:24:08:19 - 00:24:11:06
How much does he want for it?
UMM GHAITH
00:24:39:02 - 00:24:42:23
So I heard that you want to sell the shop.
00:24:43:23 - 00:24:45:18
What price are you asking for it?
SALON OWNER 00:24:46:04 - 00:24:47:13
400,000.
UMM GHAITH 00:24:48:02 - 00:24:50:23
400,000 including everything?
SALON OWNER 00:24:51:02 - 00:24:54:11
200,000 rent, 200,000 costs so yes.
UMM GHAITH 00:24:55:09 - 00:25:00:22
So tell me whats business like here? As you know I've just come from Baghdad...
00:25:01:05 - 00:25:05:19
...so I don't know what the ladies like here and what sort of work there is.
00:25:08:22 - 00:25:13:12
We'll talk on the phone and thanks for everything.
00:25:15:02 - 00:25:16:18
I'll come and see you.