Being born in a country ravaged by war has many challenges, from sleep deprivation due to the sirens alerting the citizens our city was under attack, to hiding in different corners of the house in hopes of avoiding shattered glass from the missiles, to waking up in the morning to find the magnitude of the destruction the previous night had left us with, along with the potential of mass casualties, to the fear and torture inflicted by the government itself to receive obedience and loyalty from the citizens. These are some of the many ways people of Iraq were treated, as anything but human beings.
One of the methods the government controlled the people in an unnecessary manner that has become a running joke now is July 1st. Why you ask? Because a third of the country, if not more, celebrate their birthday on this day. There was a span of several years where the government deemed it appropriate to change the people’s birthdate to July 1st. Parents of children born during those years had no choice but to sign the paperwork for a birthdate of July 1st instead of the actual one. No logical reason was provided. Complaining about the situation and refusing to comply would only lead to imprisonment and torture. This was not something worth fighting over when there were so many other stressors taking place.
Over time, many adhered to the new birthdate and celebrated it over the original one. Several members of my extended family had theirs changed and most can’t remember when their actual birthday is anymore. The Iraqi government is notorious for enforcing random systems to force people into complete obedience for their pleasure.
As you celebrate your birthday, appreciate the simple freedom in having control over your full identity 🙂
