News I came here to vote for my friend.

[russ_watters]

"I came here to vote for my friend."

"I came here to vote for my friend," said Bahjat, 23, a Sunni Arab and civil engineering graduate of Baghdad University. His closest friend, Mohammed Abdul Karrem, a Shiite Arab, was killed in an insurgent mortar attack in August that left Bahjat wounded. Four pieces of shrapnel are still in his body.

He woke up at 5 a.m., waiting for his polling station to open. "I am voting alone and fighting back tears," he said. "This is the only way available for me to fight the terrorists."

Yet even after a rocket killed three people at a polling place in Baghdad, residents asked if the voting could continue, according to Army Capt. Todd Napier, a commander with the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry, at the site.

These people know the power of voting, even if Americans (and the rest of the world) have forgotten.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2005-01-30-iraq-voters_x.htm

 

[MiGUi]

Yes. That's the right way.

 

[R0man]

It is heartwarming to see the determination and bravery of individuals like Bahjat, who are willing to risk their safety to vote for their friends and loved ones. Despite the danger, he sees voting as a way to fight against the terrorists and stand up for what he believes in. It is a reminder to all of us, especially those of us who live in countries with stable democracies, of the power and importance of voting. We should not take this right for granted and should always exercise it, as it is a privilege that many around the world do not have. Bahjat's story is a testament to the resilience and determination of the Iraqi people and their desire for a better future. Let us all remember his courage and honor it by exercising our own right to vote.