Iraki Tindzaba: Ngaya EIraq—Hhayi Kufakazela Lutho, Kodvwa Ngoba IBabylon IsaKhona

IBaghdad. Umfula iTigris. Hora lesitfupha ekuseni. Umdwebi wetinhlanti wema emphinjeni wesikebhe sakhe semapulangwe, ajikijela linetha lakhe ngekunyakata lokufananako naloko lokudwetshwe etindlini tekuhlaziya tase-Asiriya eminyakeni leyinkhulungwane lemibili ledlule. Ngaphesheya kwemfula, uMutannabi Street bewuvuka — badayisi betincwadi betihlakula ematapi, babeka imibhalo lephuzi emastendini lavulekele umphakatsi. Indlu yetiye lebibuke nayo beyikhipha lomusi wekucala wemalahle. Kumsakato lotsite ngasemfuleni kweta tindzaba tasekuseni nge-Arabic — iphalamende yase-Iraq iphikisana ngalomunye umtsetfo, lijubane lalomsakati linjengelemuntfu lotama kuwucedza umusho ngaphambi kwekutsi kucale emaRamadan. Kuphela tindiza temphi letikhatsi kanye nejuba lelidlula ngenhla kwakukhumbuta kutsi loku bekungasiyo iMesopotamia yakudala — lokhu bekungu-Iraq nga-2026.

Bengingakangeni lapha ngekuba ligwala. Hhayi ngoba bengifuna 'kufaka insayeya' eveni lelichazwa njengelinobungoti timidya tesenshonalanga. Bekungobe, emva kwekufuna kanye nje 'Iraq World Cup 2026,' sikrini sami sikhombise lokungaphezu kweticelo tekuhamba — sikhombise sitfombe setindzalo taseBabylon. Libhubesi lelinomkhalo loluhlata, leminyaka lenkhulungwane nemakhulu lamabili nesihlanu, likusitseketfo semaketanga esigodlweni selihlatsi, licishe lilodvwana. Umcabango wami ngaleso sikhatsi: nangabe iBabylon isekhona, kungani kute loyako?

IIraq ihleti eMphakatsi yeLwandle, iMesopotamia yakudala — 'live lelisemkhatsini wemifulab' iTigris ne-Euphrates ihlangana lapha, iniketa umuntfu umphakatsi wekucala kakhulu webantfu: kubhalwa kwecuneiform, iCode of Hammurabi, iHanging Gardens. Timphi netimpi kusukela nga-2003 kubhale kabusha ligama lalelive kusuka 'embaleni wemphakatsi' kuya 'endzaweni yetimpi.' Kodvwa emaLions of Mesopotamia — licembu lesive lase-Iraq — litawumela lelive esitejini seNdzebe yeMhlaba nga-2026. Kubantfu labanyenti labangakaze bafune i-Iraq, ibhola letinyawo yisizatfu sekucala kuvula lomnyango.

UMutannabi Street uphethe imakethe yetincwadi lenhle kakhulu yaseBaghdad ngawo onkhe emaFriday. Lukhetfo luphazamise umugca wesikhatsi: liqoqo letinkondlo letiphuzi eceleni kwetincwadi temfundzisi yetekuchumana letishibile, emapheshana etembusave yesikhatsi saSaddam eceleni kwehumusho le-Arabic laHarry Potter leliphelile. Umnikati wesitolo setincwadi — tincwadzi tekufunda tihleti emakhaleni akhe, iminwe yakhe iphuphele kusuka emashumini eminyaka eyinki nelutfuli — wakhuluma nami ngeSingisi: 'Ngesikhatsi saSaddam, titolo tetincwadi kumgwaco walomgwaco tashiswa. Ngekuhlasela kwemaMelika, taphindze tashiswa. Kodvwa tincwadi atizange tife, futsi namfula awuzange ushintje.' Wakhomba ngaphandle eTigris: 'Lomfula umdzala kunabo bonkhe babusi leseke saba nabo bahlangene. Ubone emakhosi aseBabylon, tihlabeleli tesizukulwane se-Abbasid, ematanki emaBritish — futsi nyalo uyasibuka.'

Tindzalo taseBabylon tisemakhilomitheni langemashumi lasiphohlongo nesihlanu eningizimu yeBaghdad, luhambo lwemahora lamabili. Kodvwa lawo mahora lamabili adlula okungenani emaposini lamane ebucwepheshe kanye neligcumbe lemoya lapho tindiza taseMelika letitebantfu betitijwayele kupatrola. Ekufikeni, ngabala timoto timbili endzaweni yekupaka — yinye yamhlahlandlela lenye yesisebenti sesigungu setindzalo sase-Iraq. Umhlahlandlela, umuntfu waseBabylon Governorate lobitwa ngekutsi nguHassan, wavula lisango lensimbi lesindzana lesendzaweni yekuvakashwa ngelula nje njengemuntfu lokhiya emuva wakhe: 'Akusiko sikhatsi sebavakashi — iBabylon ayikaze ibe sikhatsi sebavakashi.' Wakhomba isango iIshtar Gate — emathayela alo laluhlata, emadragoni kanye netinkunzi kusenjalo — watsi: 'Nase uNebuchadnezzar II akha lelisango, iBabylon beyilidolobha lelikhulu kunawo onkhe emhlabeni. Nyalo — nyalo alunawo nebhasi.' Bekungekho kutilayita ephimbeni lakhe. Kusho nje lokutsite.

Enyakatfo kakhulu, i-Erbil, inhlokodolobha yeSifundza seKurdistan sase-Iraq, isebenta ngejubane lelehlukile kanye nelizinga lekuphepha. I-Citadel — indzawo yekuhlala lendzala kakhulu emhlabeni, ingakaze ishiywe eminyakeni leyinkhulungwane lesitfupha — iphakama emkhatsini wedolobha njengekhekhe lelikhulu lelisemhlabatsini. Umfundzi waseKurdish eNyuvesi wangiyisa endzaweni yakhe yekebab layitsandzako, futsi, emkhatsini wekuluma ngekushesha, wangitshela ngeligoli lelikamuva la-Aymen Hussein, lashaywa ngekuhlasela kwenhloko ecishe i-Oman. 'Yonkhe indlu yetiye e-Erbil yagcumuka ngesikhatsi sinye — emaKurds, ema-Arab, emaTurkmen — kwakunemvume yinye nje kuleyo ndlu.' Wasebentisa luphica lwakhe lwekebab kudweba indlela yenkundla yebhola letinyawo etafuleni, futsi wabhala emagama lamabili emkhatsini: Iraq.

EmaMesopotamian Marshes eningizimu — indzawo leyinsumansumane yeGarden of Eden — kwaba yintfo yekugcina, futsi lehlaba umxhwele kakhulu, lengayibona e-Iraq. Tindzawo tekuhlala temhlanga letintantako letibitwa ngekutsi timumudhif tanyikinyeka kamnandi emantini. Tinkabi tasemantini betingakhombisi lutho ngenhla kwemanti ngaphandle kwemakhalabhu kanye netimphondvo letigobile. Umgwedli wesikebhe, emile esikebheni sakhe semashoof, watsi ngeSingisi lesilula: 'USaddam wake watama kukhipha onkhe lamaxesha — kujezisa emaMarsh Arab labehlala lapha. Emanti anyamalala iminyaka lelishumi. Kwase kufika emaMelika, emanti abuya. Nyalo — emanti ayahlehla, ayanyuka, ayahlehla futsi. Elamaxesha asengulamashesha.' Wagcobhelisa luphica lwakhe; embikwenu, umhlambi wetinyoni letimhlophe wasukuma. Akekho umcondvo lobewudingeka. Liciniso lelo belithwele tonkhe tisisindvo.

Ngebusuku bami bekugcina eBaghdad, ngaphindzela endlini yetiye kuMutannabi Street. Sihlalo lesifananako, sibhodo lesifananako sekhofi lese-Arabic. Etafuleni lelikhatsi, lijaha belihumusha tindzaba talamuhla tekuhlungela iraq yeNdzebe yeMhlaba kusuka elicingweni lwaso kuye kubangane baso nge-Arabic, emagama 'Mbappé' kanye 'Messi' ahlaba ngesikhatsi lesitsite — ibhola letinyawo lulwimi loluvamile. Njengoba ngangibhala lamanotsi ekugcina, ummemo wemthandazo wakhala ngaphandle. ITigris, lebeyingabonakali ebumnyameni, beyiseva nje — umsindvo wemanti lahambako. Bengifuna kufaka konkhe emshweni munye, kodvwa uHassan — umhlahlandlela waseBabylon — abesolo angibhalele wona ngesikhatsi ngisuka: 'Uyati, ngaphansi kweminyaka lengemakhulu uNebuchadnezzar ashone, iBabylon beyishiywe. Kodvwa emabhuku ekuhamba alamuhla? Iraq ifaka umugca munye: Ungahambi. Inhlanhla yalelidolobha ayisihle — umlandvo wanika sihloko lesikhulu kakhulu, futsi lesamanje lanika buto lobuncane kakhulu.' Ngabhadalela ikhofi yami. Ngasayina encwadzini yebavakashi — noma ngabe akekho lotayifunda.