Iraq Izindaba: Ngaya E-Iraq—Hhayi Ukukhombisa Lutho, Kodwa Ngoba IBabylon Isekhona

IBaghdad. Umfula iTigris. Ihora lesithupha ekuseni. Umdobi wayemi emphongolweni wesikebhe sakhe sokhuni, ephonsa inetha lakhe ngokunyakaza okufana ncamashi nokuvezwayo ezithombeni zase-Asiriya eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezimbili edlule. Ngaphesheya komfula, uMutannabi Street wayevuka — abadayisi bezincwadi bevula oseyili, bebeka imiqulu ephuzi ezitendini ezivulekile. Indlu yetiye ebhekene nayo yayikhipha intuthu yokuqala yamalahle yasekuseni. Kumsakazo othile ngasemfuleni kwaphuma izindaba zasekuseni ngesi-Arabhu — iphalamende lase-Iraq lixoxa ngomthetho othile, isivinini somemezeli sinjengomuntu ozama ukuqeda umusho ngaphambi kokuthi ukuzila kweRamadan kuqale. Amabhanoyi okulwa akude kuphela nejuba elidlula ngenhla okwakukukhumbuza ukuthi lokhu kwakungesona isikhathi saseMesopotamia yasendulo — lokhu kwakuyi-Iraq ngo-2026.

Ngangingezanga lapha ngobuqhawe. Hhayi ngoba ngangifuna 'ukubekela inselele' izwe elichazwa njengeliyingozi yimidiya yaseNtshonalanga. Kwakungenxa yokuthi, ngemuva kokusesha okukodwa 'i-Iraq World Cup 2026,' isikrini sami sasingakhombisi izexwayiso zokuhamba kuphela — sasikhombise isithombe samanxiwa aseBabylon. Ibhubesi eliluhlaza okucijile, elineminyaka eyizinkulungwane ezimbili namakhulu amahlanu, ngemuva kocingo oluyibhanoyi egcekeni elinothuli, licishe lilodwa nje. Umcabango wami ngaleso sikhathi: uma iBabylon isekhona, kungani kungekho muntu oyayo?

IIraq iseMpumalanga Ephakathi, iMesopotamia yasendulo — 'izwe eliphakathi kwemifula emibili.' ITigris ne-Euphrates zihlangana lapha, zikhiqiza impucuko yokuqala yesintu: imibhalo yesiform, uMthetho kaHammurabi, iHanging Gardens. Izimpi nezingxabano kusukela ngo-2003 ziye zawubhala kabusha igama laleli zwe zisuka 'embeleni yempucuko' ziye 'endaweni yengxabano.' Kodwa amaLions of Mesopotamia — iqembu lesizwe lase-Iraq — lizomela leli zwe esiteji seWorld Cup ngo-2026. Kubantu abaningi abangakaze baseshe i-Iraq, ibhola liyisizathu sokuqala sokuvula lo mnyango.

IMutannabi Street isingatha imakethe yezincwadi enhle kakhulu yaseBaghdad njalo ngoLwesihlanu. Isikhetho siyimigqa yesikhathi esihlakazekile: imiqulu yezinkondlo eziphuzi eceleni kwezincwadi zesiNgisi ezishibhile, amapheshana ezombusazwe enkathi kaSaddam eceleni kwezinguqulo zesi-Arabhu zeHarry Potter ezigoqeke amakhasi. Umnikazi wesitolo sezincwadi — enezibuko zokufunda emakhaleni, iminwe yakhe impunga emashumini eminyaka kayinki nothuli — wakhuluma nami ngesiNgisi: 'Ngesikhathi sikaSaddam, izitolo zezincwadi zakulo mgwaqo zashiswa. Ngesikhathi sokuhlasela kwamaMelika, zaphinde zashiswa. Kodwa izincwadi azibanga zife, nomfula awushintshanga.' Wakhomba ngaphandle eTigris: 'Lo mfula mdala ukudlula yonke imibuso esike saba nayo ihlangene. Ubone amakhosi aseBabylon, izimbongi zohlanga lwakwa-Abbasid, amathangi amaNgisi — futhi manje usibukile.'

Amanxiwa aseBabylon aqhele ngamakhilomitha angamashumi ayisishiyagalombili nanhlanu eningizimu yeBaghdad, uhambo lwamahora amabili. Kodwa lawo mahora amabili adlula okungenani ezindaweni zokuhlola zamasotsha ezine nasendaweni yomoya amadroni aseMelika ayekade eyipatrola kakhulu. Lapho sifika, ngabala izimoto ezimbili endaweni yokupaka — enye ingeyomhlahlandlela futhi enye ingeyesisebenzi sehhovisi lezinto zasendulo lase-Iraq. Umhlahlandlela, umuntu wendawo waseBabylon Governorate ogama linguHassan, wavula isango lensimbi elinzima lesiza semivubukulo kalula nje kwengathi uvula igceke lakubo: 'Akusona isikhathi sezivakashi — iBabylon akukaze kube yisikhathi sezivakashi.' Wakhomba iSango le-Ishtar — amathayili awo aluhlaza okucijile, amadragoni nezinkunzi kusafana — wathi: 'Ngesikhathi uNebuchadnezzar II akha leli sango, iBabylon kwakuyidolobha elikhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni. Manje — manje alinawo nomzila wamabhasi.' Kwakungekho ukuzidabukisa ezwini lakhe. Isitatimende nje.

Ngaphezulu enyakatho, i-Erbil, inhlokodolobha yeKurdistan Region yase-Iraq, isebenza ngesivinini esihluke ngokuphelele nasezingeni lokuphepha elihlukile. ICitadel — indawo endala kunazo zonke ezihlala abantu ngokuqhubekayo emhlabeni, engakaze ilahlwe eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane eziyisithupha — iphakama enkabeni yedolobha njengekhekhe elikhulu elinombala wesihlabathi. Umfundi waseKurdish wasenyuvesi wangiyisa endaweni yakhe yekebab ayithandayo futhi, phakathi kokuluma okuhahayo, wangitshela ngegoli lakamuva lika-Aymen Hussein, elashaya ngekhanda ngesikhathi bebhekene ne-Oman. 'Yonke indlu yetiye e-Erbil yeqa kanye kanye — amaKurd, ama-Arabhu, amaTurkmen — kwakunesizinda esisodwa kuphela kulelo gumbi.' Wasebenzisa ikhubalo lakhe lekebab ukudweba isimo senkundla yebhola etafuleni, wabhala amagama amabili emaphakathi: Iraq.

Amaxhaphozi aseMesopotamia eningizimu — indawo yenganekwane yeGarden of Eden — kwakuyinto yokugcina, futhi engajwayelekile kunazo zonke, engayibona e-Iraq. Izindlu zomhlanga ezintantayo ezibizwa ngemudhif zazinyakaziswa kancane emanzini. Izinyathi zamanzi zazingakhombisi lutho ngaphezu komhlaba ngaphandle kwamakhala nezimpondo ezigobile. Umshayeli wesikebhe, emi esikebheni sakhe somdabu i-mashoof, wathi ngesiNgisi esilula: 'USaddam wake wazama ukuwakhipha wonke la maxhaphozi — ukujezisa ama-Marsh Arab ayehlala lapha. Amanzi anyamalala iminyaka eyishumi. Kwabe sekuza amaMelika, amanzi abuya. Manje — amanzi ayehla, ayakhuphuka, abuye ehle. Amaxhaphozi asengamaxhaphozi.' Wacwilisa isigwedlo sakhe; ngaphambi kwethu, umhlambi wezinyoni ezimhlophe wasukuma. Kwakungadingeki ukuhlaziya. Amaqiniso uqobo ayethwele sonke isisindo.

Ngezolo lami eBaghdad, ngabuyela endaweni yetiye eMutannabi Street. Isihlalo esifanayo, iketela elifanayo lekhofi lesi-Arabhu. Etafuleni eliseduze, insizwa yayihumushela abangani bayo izindaba zakamuva zokufikelela kweWorld Cup ye-Iraq esuka efonini ngesi-Arabhu, amagama athi 'Mbappé' no'Messi' eqhamuka ngezikhathi ezithile — ibhola liwulimi lomhlaba wonke. Ngenkathi ngibhala la manothi wokugcina, umbizo womthandazo wakhala ngaphandle. ITigris, eyayingabonakali ebumnyameni, yayizwakala kuphela manje — umsindo wamanzi ahambayo. Ngangifuna ukufaka konke emshweni owodwa, kodwa uHassan — umhlahlandlela waseBabylon — wayesengibhalele wona lapho ngihamba: 'Uyazi, ngaphansi kweminyaka eyikhulu emuva kokufa kukaNebuchadnezzar, iBabylon yayingenamuntu. Kodwa izincwadi zokuhamba zanamuhla? IIraq ithola umugqa owodwa: Ungayi. Inhlanhla yaleli dolobha ayikho kuhle — umlando walinika isihloko esikhulu kakhulu, futhi isikhathi samanje sasinikeza isibuyekezo esincane kakhulu.' Ngakhokhela ikhofi lami. Ngasayina incwadi yezivakashi — nakuba kungekho owayezoyifunda.