$19.95

Publication Info

Iraqi playwright Issam Jameel returns to Iraq in the summer of 2005 after a 12-year exile. From the relative safety of Jordan, where he worked for an opposition radio station under the watchful eyes of Saddam’s spies, he travels by car to Baghdad visit family and friends. He longs to see his mother country, but the immediate reason is to grieve his nephew’s untimely death at the hands of American forces while guarding an Iraq parliament member from insurgent attacks. Jameel enters a Kafkaesque nightmare of assassinations, kidnapping, and explosions. American soldiers are everywhere in the streets and ready to shoot whenever they feel danger is close. He sees the formerly secular civil society fairly well replaced by vehement sectarianism, intolerance, and ignorance. Basic human needs have become a endless daily struggle amidst the shards of infrastructure. Tasks we all take for granted, such as selling a house or getting a job are fraught with peril as old scores continue to be settled on religious, ethnic, and political fronts. Everywhere he turns, people are desperate to leave but fear for the worst. After returning safely, he started to record the events he had seen, trying to be honest and impartial to unfold the Iraqi problem to the western community. This is his story.

Critics Praise Iraq Through A Bullet Hole
"His tale reminds us that the things that matter most—family, friends, and faith can and will endure even the most severe trials. I highly recommend this book for its relevance and timelessness."
—Cristóbal Krusen, Author and Filmmaker."

About the Author