"Majid Jarrar is traveling in the United States right now while on his winter break from Pearson College in Canada. We exchanged a couple emails and phone numbers and then last night, while he was in Manhattan and I was in Queens, we were able to talk on the phone for around an hour. Majid speaks fluent English and is without question a smart young man. About the future of Iraq, Majid is cautiously optimistic. Just like us, Majid has had trouble getting accurate information on the situation in Iraq these days. Again, like us, he has been getting conflicting reports.

Most of you will remember that Majid was one of the founding members of Al Muajaha, along with several other young Iraqis who were featured on the documentary Bridges to Baghdad. Majid told me that a week or so after Bridges to Baghdad I & II were shown on Iraqi TV, the Iraqi youth you remember -- like Haider, Hamza, and Walid -- starting getting death threats. Majid said that because of these threats all of his friends were eventually forced to leave the country for their own safety. And that is indeed a shame. These young Iraqis represent an important part of Iraq's future. I told Majid that we can only hope that before too long Iraq stabilizes and all of his friends return to Iraq and help build a strong, democratic Iraq.

Majid, thanks again for talking with me!

For the two Bridges to Baghdad documentaries:

Bridges to Baghdad I and Bridges to Baghdad II"
Jeffrey from New York

Well that answers that, Jeffrey you can die happy now