Back in 2006, when the war in Iraq was at its worst, The Story began checking in with an Iraqi artist turned journalist named Ahmed Fadaam. His regular diary entries won numerous journalistic awards. After Ahmed received a death threat, supporters in North Carolina found a way to bring him to the United States. He's been living in Chapel Hill for the last year.
As Ahmed tells Dick Gordon, it's been a beautiful year. He's been doing art again, finding some peace. But when it comes down to it, Baghdad remains his home. Ahmed leaves today for Syria, where he'll be reunited with his wife and kids. After that, he'll return to Baghdad to see if it's safe enough to bring his whole family back home.
- See videos of when "Civilization" was vandalized and rebuilt
- See photos of Ahmed at work
