128

EVEN OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL IN IRAQ, I DID NOT RESIST BEING REGISTERED WITH THE BAATH PARTY (I DON'T KNOW WHERE ALL THOSE WHO APPEARED THERE AFTER THE ENTRANCE OF THIS COUNTRY CLAIMING THAT THEY REFUSED TO JOIN THE BAATH PARTY HAD COME FROM. I DON'T REMEMBER IT BEING DISCUSSED AS AN OPTION IN ANY CLASS OR SCHOOL I WAS IN. THOSE WHO TOOK THE RISK OF REFUSING TO BE REGISTERED WITH THE BAATH PARTY WERE PROBABLY VERY VERY FEW AND UP TO THIS MOMENT I DON'T KNOW ANYONE FROM MY TIME. UNLESS THINGS WERE DIFFERENT EVEN IN THAT REGARD BECAUSE I WAS IN SHIA AREA BUT I DON'T SEE THAT VERY PROBABLE AT LEAST TO THE LEVEL THAT FITS ALL THOSE CLAIMS). HOWEVER WHEN THEY FORCE US TO GO MARCHING FOR THE DICTATORSHIP, I WAS VERY CONSCIOUS NOT TO LET MY ACTIONS TO CONTINUE BEYOND BEING FORCED AND SURRENDER TO BEING ENSLAVED BY WILL. WHEN THEY LOOK AT ME I WOULD CLAP BUT AS SOON AS THEY LOOK AWAY I WOULD STOP.