Iraqi Expatriates Hopeful for Future as Voting Begins

[RonOnGuitar]

Taking the first steps to establishing only the third democracy in the Middle East (Israel, Afghanistan being the first & second ones).

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Iraqi Expatriates Hopeful for Future as Voting Begins



Iraqi Expatriates Hopeful for Future as Voting Begins

By Nathan Burchfiel

CNSNews.com Correspondent

January 28, 2005



New Carrollton, Md. (CNSNews.com) - Music, shouts and dancing filled a parking lot in New Carrollton, Md., Friday as Iraqi expatriates began casting absentee ballots in the first free elections of their lifetimes.



"I came here to vote for these boys," said Salam Majeed, pointing to his sons, Jawal, 14 and Badahr, 12. "This is their future, that's what I'm here for, the future of Iraq."





Iraqi expatriate cries into Kurdish flag after casting his ballot.



Iraqi nationals living in the United States can cast absentee ballots in five U.S. cities through Sunday. The Ramada Inn in the Washington, D.C., suburb joins Chicago, Detroit, Nashville, Tenn., and Los Angeles in hosting polling places.



Kazim Warmzyary, 24, provided music from his car stereo and persuaded voters to remain in the below-freezing weather to celebrate with singing and dancing.



"I feel so happy," Warmzyary said. "Never in my life I feel happy like today. We got our freedom, we got everything and America they support us and we thank them."





Iraqi expatriate with sign thanking the US for liberating Iraq.



Security is tight around the hotel as dozens of police monitor roads leading to the hotel. Voters said threats of violence from insurgents in Iraq aren't scaring them or their family members still in Iraq.



"The Iraqi people, they are not going to be deterred by a bunch of thugs," Majeed said. He added that an 80-year old relative in Iraq told him if voting would bring her death, she wanted to order a coffin.



"I'm sure it won't be easy, but the will is there," Hussain Abdul-Hussain said. "I hope they [relatives in Iraq] can vote like we can do it here."



Another Iraqi expatriate, Omar Halmat, speculated that people in his homeland might be intimidated by the threats of violence, but added that "with good security, probably all can get to the polls and vote."



Halmat said he is "very hopeful" that the election will establish a democracy in Iraq, which he said "will be a model for other countries around it." Halmat, 70, said the atmosphere inside the Maryland polling place "is beautiful ... especially for Iraqi people. This is the first time in the history of Iraq that you can get out freely and vote.""



Avan Ahmad, 18, who was voting for the first time with members of her family, said casting the ballot "was a great emotion because it was our first time to do something really great and represent our country for once and get what we want and what we deserve -- a free country."



Voters are electing representatives to the 275-member Transitional National Assembly, which will then place Iraq on the path toward an eventual constitutional government to be elected in late 2005.