Talking to Mohammed
So I’m at the hotel bar after a grueling tramp across London (both sides of the Thames, several museums, etc.) watching Manchester United disassemble Bolton when a short guy with a shorter glass of beer sidles up next to me, clearly wanting to engage. I’m four pints of Harp into the soccer match, so I’m game.
First the obligatory “where are you froms.” I tell him I’m from the States (though I doubt I had to) and he tells me he’s from Iraq. This definitely piques my interest. His reaction to me clearly signals he doesn’t hate Americans, though it’s quickly clear that we both agree the U.S. actions in Iraq have gone horribly wrong. He was back there shortly after the invasion and described a pretty messy situation. We have a good conversation. He’s affable, smiling and interested to get an American’s take on things. His main beef with America, I think, isn't that we invaded. It's that we lacked a plan once we got there.
Then the next phase of questions. What do you do? I tell him I’m with a newspaper company and work on Internet strategies.
“I’m an engineer,” he responds. “I’ve been living in London since I graduated college 20 years ago, but I’ve been back to Iraq several times.”
“What kind of engineer?”
“Nuclear weapons,” he says, smiling, waiting for the joke to sink in through the Harp haze that has settled on my head.
I start laughing. “So you’re where the WMDs went, eh?” He grins.
Turns out his name is Mohammed. I tell him I’ve been reading about Islam and the life of the prophet. But he’s not religious. Strictly a secular Iraqi. I nod, a show of secular solidarity. I offer to buy him another beer, but he declines and is on his way.
I return to the game, where Wayne Rooney just completed a hat trick for Manchester United, adding insult to Bolton's injury.
Posted by Bob Benz at October 29, 2006 7:59 PM