Saturday, June 8, 2019, Washington, DC – The National Arab American Women’s Association presented the history-culture of Iraq. It is one of the greatest shows I have seen, it was billed as “The One thousand one night.” With a few exceptions, almost all the audience was Arab in general, and Iraqis in particular.

It was mesmerizing, and I was going crazy trying to videotape, go live on Facebook, and then look at the battery life of the camera and take pictures and videos. I took about 25 pictures and shot 20 short 1-minute videos and all of them are appended below.

It was such a delight to see the Iraqi Culture – a well-preserved culture since 4000 BC and ending in 2019 – what a range!

The producer Feryal Al-Kilidar took pictures of the colorful carvings and paintings from the monuments in Iraq, Mesopotamia, and museums around the world and projected them on the screen. While that was on, she presented live persons in those very same motifs on the costumes of the beautiful models with soothing Arabic music.

They also depicted the musical instruments from ancient times on screen accompanied by actual Musical instrument that looked like them.

If they play it right, the Hollywood women on Oscar night can wear some of these beautiful dresses. You can see them in the videos below.

I am always proud of the Indian culture, which is at least 5000 years old, a lot of it is preserved in carvings and oral transmissions. It was good to see another great culture. Thanks to the National Arab American Women for preserving their culture. It pains me greatly that Bush’s invasion destroyed much of that heritage and a lot of it was looted.

This incredible show was produced by Feryal Al-Kilidar and the Chairman of Iraqi group Mr. Ustad Yasser was a supporter of it. She is in the last video.

A few thoughts – when I was in high school, I thought my Mom’s food was the best in the world, I was a frog in the tiny pond – then when we the kids started sharing the lunch among us – my pond grew to become a lake, there were more good foods besides my mothers. Then finally I graduated into the ocean, thousands of other delicious foods were out there on this earth that God has spread for each one of us.

I love my life – as I have learned to enjoy everything in life. I am comfortable with different cultures, races, faiths, ethnicities, and nationalities; indeed, I am home with all people. The word that I have coined for what a Muslim ought to be is – Makhllookhul Aalameen or Khadimul Aalameen; someone who considers himself /herself to belong to the entire universe. As a believer in God who is the creator and sustainer of the universe, and a follower of a Prophet whose mission was to be a mercy to the universe, I feel I should emulate some of those characteristics and be the Mukhlooqul Aalameen or Khadimul Aalameen, and I am pleased to have that attitude. It is a joy when you don’t have barriers between you and everything that the universe is made of – life and matter.

6000 YEARS OF IRAQI CULTURAL HISTORY – EACH PICTURE WAS REPRESENTED BY A PERSON WEARING THAT TIME REGALIA – STARTING WITH 4000 BC – I.E., 6019 YEARS AGO. VIDEO LINKS FOLLOW THE PICTURES.