The man comes. If he sees the girl (and likes her), he goes and tells her (his mother), “Mother, I want to marry this person’s daughter.” The mother would come, and would speak to the father and mother (of the girl). After, they (her parents) would come and say to her, “if you want, take him.” Whatever they would say, the mother and father, the daughter would accept. He (the groom) would get engaged to her. (If) he wanted to marry her, how would they get married then? He would bring a ring and put it on her (and say) “you are dedicated to me”. That’s all. It would continue (like this) for two or three years, (and) in the end they would get married. As soon as he would bring the ring, they would do a small party for the family between themselves, and that’s (it). That’s how it was for us in Duz (Tuz Khurmatu). I don’t know…in Baghdad…I don’t know how it was. Sley (Sleymaniya). They (the engaged couple) wouldn’t go outside (date) or anything. Until they got married, she would talk to him. He would come to her place…if he and his mother and father came to see her…only on holidays he would come to her place to see her and talk to her. Until the wedding…and that’s it. They would do the henna ceremony, at the bride’s house. On the next day, he would be taken to the ritual bath, and she would go to the ritual bath. And she would invite all of her friends…(she would) invite her friends, (and) they would go to the ritual bath with her and throw a party at home. The girls would go to the house of the bride…(after the wedding) she would be only with the family of her husband.

When my grandmother…in the war. My grandfather was…handsome, like…blue eyes, and his hair was yellow (blond). He went with someone, his friend, who was Muslim. They (police) stopped him, (and asked) “where are you going?”. He (the Muslim friend) said to him, “leave him! Do not arrest him!”. He said to him, “we will give you whatever we have in our pockets. Just leave my friend”. (The officer) said to him, “no!”. This Muslim (friend) started to hit him (the officer). He said to him (to my grandmother), “Yaaqub, run!”. They stripped him of his clothes on the way, until he reached some place. They brought him a robe and put it on him because he was naked. And my grandmother remained, (with) three children…she had four children. She remained without food and without drink. Afterwards, the Muslim man came and took her to his house. Jews did not eat the meat of Muslims, so he would only give them vegetables. There were two girls and two boys. One of the girls was given milk to drink…she wouldn’t eat or drink. When she (finally) ate, she had a stomach ache and died. My grandmother used to tell me (this story). My uncle used to work in a hospital. (His son) said to him, “father, bring me Abd al-llah’s docto!”. He brought him, and he said to him, “what he has, this sickness, there is no cure for.” Then a Jew came. He said to him (to my uncle), “Abraham, you have a sewage pit (at home). (When) you clean it, does the smell remain on it or not?”. (My uncle) said to him, “it remains on it.” He (the Jew) said to him, “your son has this sickness. It has no cure”. In the end, he died.