Gorilla’s Guides

I never met Lurch and knew only his first name. But he and I developed a friendship that I valued and will miss. One of the things we do here on “Guides” is a dialogues programme. My father agreed strongly with markfromireland the follower of the Prophet Jesus (PBUH) that Westerners and Muslims needed to be able to see one another as people, as brothers and sisters in humanity, and with help from others the germ of our dialogues programme was brought into being before I was even born.

Lurch came to learn of this, I do not know how, and said to my good friend Dubhaltach how “essential” — that was the word he used, it was that such dialogues between Irakis and Americans take place. Du put us in touch, and Lurch and I “spoke” by electronic chat on several occasions. At first we were wary of another but I came to enjoy those chats and to look forward to them. He joked with me that he was not only old enough to be my grandfather but that he was old enough to be my grandfather’s grandfather. I told him some of my grandfather’s stories about July 14 and the years after and he spoke of his time in the American army. I think they would have liked another it seems to me they were very similar in their compassion, their courage, and their love of their people. It seems to me as well that, like my grandfather, Lurch retained his sense of wonder and desire to learn new things.

We spoke of his love for America and I of mine for Irak. He was proud of his time in the American forces and distressed at what they were doing and being used for while still hoping fiercely for the best for them. He loved America, a true clear eyed love that saw both the good and bad. From the warmth and love with which he spoke he especially loved his grandchildren and wanted them to have the best of lives. He was very taken with the verse in the Holy Qur’an that we are created male and female of the different tribes and nations that we should know one another and not despise each other. He was even more taken with the saying of Ali ibn Abi Talib that those who are not brothers in religion are still brothers in humanity.

Loving American, good soldier, above all loving father and grandfather. I am diminished today, my brother in humanity Lurch has died.

Mohammed Ibn Laith,
Al-Sadriya,
Baghdad,
Irak.