IRAQ!!!CONGRATULATIONS!

A major global event took place last week and it does appear some world citizens either did not recognise the import of that episodic development or did not understand it. I mean the finals of 2007 Asian Cup hosted by Indonesia.

From the rubbles of suicide bombings, the adhoc existence of every iraqi, from unfathomable siege by all neighbours,from lack of all imaginable freedoms,tremblings from every day sounds, very uncertain what the next second will bring, this beleaguered East Asian foresaken country called IRAQ surprised all bookmakers and even surprised themselves , ignored all natural and imposed odds and won the Asisn cup for the first time..

The surprise does not lie in the victory alone but also in who the Iraiqs defeated- A stinkingly
wealthy and intimidating Saudi Arabia.From the precinths of rubbles of war, from the charred remains of hundreds of vehicles mangled by bombs from among the citizens, the total absence of infrastructure,Iraq surprised the world and by so doing , confounded her enemies.

That victory put on the faces of anguished ,harrassed and fear gripped Iraqi people smiles ,joy and happiness for the first time in the last 20 years and played trick on their faces.
As I watched the Iraqis pour to the streets, sunnis and the sheias forgetting their fundamentalist religious differences and hug one another in unbelief of the victory, as even the american soldiers danced around in their midsts,facilitated their movements , even provided them their camps where some of them the match and savoured their moment be joyous in their national period of success.

As thousands streamed to the street, I could see among them the murderers, carrying the world's most hated national, flag jumping around like kids, men ,women, boys , girls ,children young and old forgot their differences, I remained fixated and perplexed at how soccer had played trick on them and how possible it is to use soccer as an elixir to heal wounds of ethnic hatred.

For all lovers of peace and good neighbourliness, my advice is that God Almighty will use this victory to restore hope and faith in his people of Iraq. May God do so to them in Jesus name, and bring them peace, love and understanding to see themselves as one nation under one God.

I pray in Jesus name.