Dissenter. Prisoner. Survivor
In the quiet depths of a jail cell--the story of a forgotten man, solitary and alone, unravels the truth behind the human mind and the limits it will go to retain its humanity. After condemning the regime of Saddam Hussein, Dr. Abdulla is spared the firing squad for a fate worse than death. Tucked away from the recesses of collective memory and out of reach from human contact, an agile mind slips into twilight and falls way into shadow.
Documented in a carefully kept journal, the journey of five long years begins with a single deep breath--as this brave man descends into the darkest corners of one’s imagination and struggles to hold onto his sanity. An incredible look into the lost world of the forgotten man--where even the word solitary fails to encompass the stunning finality of a world without.
Seen, heard, and read through the eyes of an able man--this unique portrayal of solitude speaks to the strength of the human spirit and its battle against the encroaching silence.
Years ago, I flew from the Middle East to Bangkok, Thailand. As I chatted to a passenger next to me, I discovered he was from Iraq and had ended up in jail for his political views of the regime.
His tales of torture and deprivation touched my heart, but he was also a man that had not be beaten. He was proud of his heritage and his defiance of the wrong that he felt ran through the country at that time.
After our conversation, and waiting for my connecting flight home, I decided I’d write a book about what he endured. I typed a few notes and saved it in my “Books to Write” file. That idea germinated in my mind for about five years until it was ready to be written.
Here’s the story of that brave soul’s journey.
