Ndaya eIraq—hayi ukungqina nantoni na, kodwa kuba iBhabhiloni (Babylon) isekhona

IBaghdad (Baghdad). Umlambo iTigris (Tigris). Intsasa yentsimbi yesithandathu. Umlobi umi ngaphambili kwiphenyana lomthi, isenzo sakhe sokulahla umnatha ngesandla sasekunene sifana ngqo nomfanekiso oqingqiweyo waseAsiriya (Assyria) weminyaka engamawaka amabini eyadlulayo. Isitalato iMutannabi (Mutannabi Street) ngaphesheya komlambo siya sivuka—abathengisi beencwadi bakhupha iincwadi ezindala ezimthubi kwiileyile ezingangeni manzi, bazibeka kwiindawo ezivulekileyo. Ivenkile yeti engaphaya komgama ikhupha umsi wokuqala wamalahle anamhlanje. Isandisi-lizwi elingaselunxwemeni likhupha iindaba zasekuseni zesiArabhu—iPalamente yaseIraq iza kuxoxa ngomthetho othile namhlanje, isantya somlondolozi weendaba sikhawuleza ngokungathi ufuna ukugqiba intetho phambi kokuzila ukutya kweRamadan. Kuphela ziinqwelomoya zomkhosi ezikude kunye namahobe adlulayo ngamanye amaxesha entloko akukhumbuza ukuba ayingomso lasendulo laseMesopotamiya (Mesopotamia) eli, kodwa yiIraq yowama-2026.

Andizanga apha ngenxa yobugorha. Hayi ngenxa yokuba ndifuna 'ukucela umngeni' kwilizwe elichazwa njengelingozi ngamajelo eendaba aseNtshona. Kodwa kuba emva kokukhangela 'Iraq World Cup 2026', isikrini asizange siveze izilumkiso zokuhamba kuphela, kodwa nomfanekiso wendawo yakudala yaseBhabhiloni (Babylon)—ingonyama yezitena eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ezineminyaka engamawaka amabini anamakhulu amahlanu, ebiyelwe ngocingo kwibala elinothuli, phantse ingenamntu. Ingcinga yam yayikukuba: ukuba iBhabhiloni (Babylon) isekhona, kutheni kungekho mntu uya kuyo?

I-Iraq (Iraq) ime kuMbindi Mpuma (Middle East), yayisakubizwa ngokuba yiMesopotamiya (Mesopotamia)—'umhlaba ophakathi kwemilambo emibini'. Umlambo iTigris (Tigris) kunye neEuphrates (Euphrates) apha badibanisa impucuko yokuqala yoluntu: umbhalo wecuneiform (cuneiform), umthetho kaHammurabi (Code of Hammurabi), kunye neGadi elihlala emoyeni (Hanging Gardens). Iimfazwe neengxwabangxwaba ukusukela ngo-2003 zitshintshe igama lelizwe ukusuka 'kumbeleko wempucuko' ukuya 'kummandla wongquzulwano'. Kodwa iNgonyama yaseMesopotamiya (Lion of Mesopotamia)—iqela lesizwe laseIraq (Iraq national team)—liya kumela eli lizwe kwiNdebe yeHlabathi (World Cup) ngo-2026. Kubantu abaninzi abangazange bayikhangele i-Iraq (Iraq), ibhola ekhatywayo sisizathu sokuqala sokuvula lo mnyango.

Isitalato iMutannabi (Mutannabi Street) ngemihla yangoLwezihlanu sinemarike yencwadi ebalaseleyo yaseBaghdad (Baghdad). Iintlobo zeencwadi zifana nomgca wexesha ophazamisekileyo: ecaleni kwemiqulu yemibongo emthubi kukho iincwadi zezifundo zesiNgesi ezingabizi kakhulu, ecaleni kwamaqweqwe ezopolitiko exesha likaSaddam (Saddam) kukho iinguqulelo zesiArabhu zeHarry Potter (Harry Potter) ezigqithisiweyo izandla ezininzi. Umnini-venkile yeencwadi—enxibe iiglasi zakhe ezindala, iminwe yakhe ijikwe ngumgubo wemibhalo nothuli iminyaka engamashumi—wathetha nam ngesiNgesi: 'Ngexesha likaSaddam (Saddam), iivenkile zeencwadi kwesi sitrato zatshiswa. Xa amaMelika ahlasele, zatshiswa kwakhona. Kodwa iincwadi azizange zife, umlambo awuzange utshintshe.' Wakhomba ngaphandle ukuya kumlambo iTigris (Tigris): 'Lo mlambo mdala kunazo zonke iirhulumente zethu zidityanisiweyo. Ubone ookumkani baseBhabhiloni (Babylon), iimbongi zoBukhosi baseAbbasid (Abbasid), iitanki zamaNgesi—ngoku uyasibona thina.'

Indawo yakudala yaseBhabhiloni (Babylon) imalunga neekhilomitha ezingama-85 emazantsi eBaghdad (Baghdad), uhambo lweeyure ezimbini ngemoto. Kodwa ezi yure zimbini udlula kwiindawo zokukhangela zomkhosi ezine ubuncinane kunye nommandla womoya owawukhe wagxila kakhulu ziinqwelo-moya ezingenabantu zaseMelika. Ukufika, umyinge weemoto kwindawo yokupaka yayizimbini kuphela—enye yayingumkhokeli, enye yayingumsebenzi we-Arhente yeMfundo yeZakudala yaseIraq (Iraqi Antiquities Authority). Umkhokeli ogama linguHassan (Hassan), yinzalelwane yephondo laseBhabhiloni (Babylon), wavula isango elikhulu lentsimbi lendawo yakudala ngokukhululekileyo ngokungathi uvula isango lendlu yakhe yangasemva: 'Ngoku ayiloxesha lokhenketho—iBhabhiloni (Babylon) ayisoze ibe lixesha lokhenketho.' Wakhomba kwindawo yakudala yeSango likaIshtar (Ishtar Gate)—iidragoni neenkunzi zeenkomo kwizitena eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka zazisaphelele—wathi: 'Xa uNebuchadnezzar II (Nebuchadnezzar II) wayesakha eli sango, iBhabhiloni (Babylon) yayisesona sixeko sikhulu emhlabeni. Ngoku—ngoku ayinayo ngebhasi.' Isandi sakhe sasingenazigqala, yingxelo nje.

Emantla ngakumbi iErbil (Erbil) likomkhulu leKurdistan Autonomous Region yaseIraq (Iraqi Kurdistan), isantya kunye nemeko yokhuseleko yahluke ngokupheleleyo. ICitadel (Citadel)—enye yezona ndawo zakudala zokuhlala emhlabeni, engazange ishiywe iminyaka engamawaka amathandathu—iphakama embindini wesixeko, ifana nekeyiki enkulu enombala wesanti. Umfundi wasekholejini waseKurdistan (Kurdish) wandisa kwindawo yakhe ayithandayo yokutya inyama eyosiweyo, esitya ngokukhawuleza ebalisa amabali amanqaku ka-Aymen Hussein (Aymen Hussein)—umdlali ohlaselayo waseIraq (Iraqi striker) owakhulela eHawija (Hawija). 'Wafaka inqaku ngentloko kumdlalo wokuchasa iOman (Oman),' watsho, 'Mna ngaloo mini ndandibukele umdlalo ophilayo kwindawo yeti eErbil (Erbil). Wonke umntu kwindawo yeti watsiba—amaKurd (Kurds), amaArabhu (Arabs), amaTurkmen (Turkmen)—ngaloo mini kwakukho ubume obunye kuphela.' Wasebenzisa intonga yokosa ukuzoba umilo webala lebhola etafileni, wabhala amagama amabini embindini: iIraq (Iraq).

南部美索不达米亚湿地——传说中的伊甸园所在地——是我在伊拉克看到的最后一个，也是最不真实的地方。芦苇搭成的浮动房屋（Mudhif）在水面上轻轻晃动，水牛只露出一个鼻子和一对弯角。一个船夫站在他的独木舟上用简单的英语说：'萨达姆曾经想过把这片湿地全部抽干——惩罚这里的沼泽阿拉伯人。水退了十年。然后美国人来了，水又回来了。现在——水退了又涨，涨了又退。湿地还是湿地。'他划了一下桨，前方惊起一群白鸟。不需要任何评论，事实本身已经有足够的分量。

在巴格达的最后一个晚上，我回到了Mutannabi街的茶馆。同一个位置，同一壶阿拉伯咖啡。旁边桌上，一个年轻人正在用阿拉伯语给朋友们翻译手机上关于伊拉克世界杯预选赛的新闻。偶尔蹦出'Mbappé'和'Messi'这样的单词——足球是全球通用的方言。我写下这最后一页笔记的时候，茶馆外面传来了宣礼声。底格里斯河在夜色中什么都看不见了，只能听到水流声。我想把一切都写在一个句子里，但Hassan——巴比伦的导游——在我离开时已经替我写好了：'你知道吗，尼布甲尼撒二世死后不到一百年，巴比伦就空了。但今天的旅游手册上，伊拉克只有'禁止前往'。这座城市的运气不太好——它被历史封了一个太高的头衔，又被现实压了太低的评语。'我付了咖啡钱。留言簿上签了名——虽然没有人会看。