Iraq is hosting the Arabian Gulf Cup soccer tournament for the first time since 1979, seeking to turn the page on decades of violence, instability and isolation.
Sinbad, the legendary sailor from “The Arabian Nights,” rose from the darkness to greet the crowd. Lights and lasers danced across the stadium. For an hour, Iraqi musicians, dancers and actors took fans on a journey through thousands of years of Iraqi history. “We are a beacon to the world,” crooned popular singer Hussam Alrassam.
“Despite the fierce competition between the gulf countries to win the championship, what matters to us in the first place is honoring our guests after a long absence,” said Hussam Muthana, 27, a Basra taxi driver. “We are neighbors and cousins, even if outside political circumstances have kept us apart.”
. Almost half of the city’s residents live below the poverty line; one-quarter of its youth are unemployed. “We must show support to the guests so that they feel at home,” he explained. “Could you have imagined that the Kuwaiti who was occupied by Iraq 30 years ago would come here to play football with us and sing about the love of Iraq?”
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