The Tannoor

Iraqi children look at a U.S. Army soldier during a routine patrol in

  Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, June 28, 2009. (AP Photo  Hadi Mizban)

In the Middle Eastern Arab countries, the Iraqi bread is very popular in its taste that is indescribable. When I first saw this photo, I remembered the bread my mother used to make each morning before dawn for the whole family.

The tannoor, or clay oven where the famous Iraqi bread is made, symbolizes the continuity of life in Iraq despite the war and destruction.

The six young boys standing with hands empty around the tannor, looking and thinking deeply at the armed soldier. It seems these children do not fear the soldier and are waiting for his reaction as the soldier approaches them. In their eyes, I see they have many questions and are angry at the situation. Through their facial expression, it is as if they are asking: "what do you want and why are you here?"

I am certain that the majority of these children have parents or family members that have been killed or taken as prisoners during the war. It would not be a surprise if all these boys are from the same family or extended family.

It is very noticeable the boy in the back hid his hands behind. This makes me wonder what he has in his hands. Does he have a rock to throw at the soldier or an object to make the soldier go away? I am not sure, but I predict this because I have witnessed a similar scene in front of my eyes in Iraq where young children like these through rocks and bricks at the soldiers. Unfortunately to see young boys involve in the bloody conflict, children at this age should not be a part of this violence. They should be in school getting their education. But where is education in such an environment?

The blurry focus of the soldier shows that these soldiers are all over the country and all look alike. Their emotions and feelings do not matter when they are dressed in this uniform. Therefore, we did not need to see his face or the rest of his body. We can also see that the situation in Iraq is still not clear and there is no end in sight.

The background is also blurred, not by the camera, but by the nature of the filthy air as a result of the violence and war. The weather of Iraq after the war has become very hot and unbearable in addition to 24/7 no electricity. There have been sand storms, humidity that changed the atmosphere and even the people personality. They made Iraq like a desert. Even the color green, which is a symbol of life, has disappeared.

The trees and plants are just colorless objects lying here and there. The color of the ground, the tannoor, the trees, the soldier, all have the same dull colors. It seems as though the war has militarizes the whole land of Mesopotamian, which was known as a land of peace and cradle of civilizations.

The composition of this photo is very good as it describes in the necessary details and the purpose of this shot.
Obviously, there is an abundance of emotions through the faces of the children.
I try my best to avoid photos about Iraq because they remind me of days that I am hardly trying to forget. Each time I search for a photo with a glimpse of hope, I only find photos of war and suffrage.