Eid al-Adha: a time for Iraq to remember its war dead
The religious duty of visiting the dead on holidays has a special meaning for Iraqis, as many of them have lost loved ones in successive wars since the 1980s.
NAJAF, Iraq — Umm Issam, 51, believes that her husband, who was killed during the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and was buried in the Wadi al-Salaam cemetery in Najaf, 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Baghdad, “expects” her every Eid. He would be sad if she were late to visit.
About two years ago, Umm Issam could not make it on time to weep and pray at his grave, and she saw his reproachful ghost in her dreams. Ever since, she has been visiting the cemetery regularly, especially on religious holidays.
Umm Issam’s case resembles that of thousands of widows who lost their husbands during the different wars in Iraq since the 1980s.
In the Wadi al-Salaam cemetery, dozens of cemetery counselors, undertakers and merchants selling flowers, perfume, water and juice prepare to welcome the families, friends and relatives of war victims during Eid al-Adha.
