Peggy Faw Gish

Peggy Gish went to Iraq in an attempt to prevent war, but on March 20, 2003, the bombs began falling on Baghdad. In her book, Gish recounts the moving experiences of Christian Peacemaker Teams' (CPT) work in Iraq, before, during, and after the 2003 war and occupation. Told as her personal account, Gish shares the story of prisoner abuse, the character of the Iraqi people, and a passionate vision for peace.

Through Iraqis' eyes--through their stories--this book "tells the truth" about what war and the U. S. government's antiterrorism policies have really meant for them. Iraqis recount the abuses they experienced in the U. S. and new Iraqi detention systems, the excessive violence, and collective punishment of the U. S.-led occupying forces, as well as tensions between Kurds and Arab Iraqis--tensions rooted in Saddam Hussein's genocide against the Kurds. Stories coming out of Iraq between 2004 and 2011 also describe the efforts of courageous and creative Iraqis speaking out against injustices and building movements of nonviolence and reconciliation. We also get a glimpse of how the author, a peace-worker, immersed in the violence and chaos of war, dealt with the pain and suffering of those around her, as well as her own personal losses and kidnapping ordeal. Her experiences strengthen her belief that the power of nonviolent suffering love (the way of Jesus) is stronger than the power of violence and force, and can break down barriers and be transformative in threatening situations. She counters the myths of the superiority of violent force to root out evil in places such as Iraq and challenges us to do all we can to prevent the tragedy of any future war.