The road up to Sednaya in the Damascus countryside is well lit at night. However, they are not the lights of the municipality, streetlights or illuminated civic buildings.
They are the lights of cabarets and nightclubs, which stay open till late in the morning. They are teeming with prostitutes.
In the Al Carawan Cabaret, Layal, a 22-year-old Iraqi, speaks about how she had gradually joined the oldest profession in history. While she recounts her story, her tone is indifferent. As she puts it,"She has nothing to lose."
In spite of recent reports about hundreds of Iraqis returning to their country, Layal says she will not return to a country that 'has no jobs.'
"People there are concerned about surviving, not about pleasure," says Layal, who lives with her mother in the Barzeh quarter in western Damascus.
She adds, not without a sense of sorrow, "Prostitution exposed us to life in the underworld and also to life in the upper world."
Layal does not like Americans. She is fond of asking God to destroy them because they invaded her country. However, no sooner has she stopped cursing America, then she starts to remember the dark era of Saddam's tyranny. She finally curses all Arabs.
She would not hesitate to wear revealing clothing at home, even when she has guests, she says. But in the street, she is keen on putting a scarf to cover her hair and a long brown coat.
She justifies this by saying, "people here care only about appearances. It's better like this."
Unable to speak about her profession in the presence of her mother, she asks her to go out shopping. She says, her profession brought her money and headache but left with no choice.
Narrating her incidence into this trade, she recounts how her father was killed in the war in Iraq, which left them penniless. It was then that she and her mother left in search of greener pastures Damascus.They lived in a small rented house in Jaraman, near Damascus, but they quickly ran out of money.
Her mere salary could not meet their ends. This was when her landlord convinced her into the trade. Though she was reluctant initially, gave in when she found it difficult to live without money.
Majority of prostitutes in Syria are non-Syrians because it is difficult for Syrian girls to be prostitutes in their own country, Layal says.
"They have to leave for other countries to do so," she explains. In Baghdad and before the war, Layal had different ambitions. She wanted to become a beautician but life had it otherwise.
"We became prostitutes," Layal says, "We became like any other monument in the country, which young sightseers visit when they come to Syria," she adds ironically.
She says that many Iraqi families have left back to their country since its hard to have their residence visa renewed or simply because they are tired of living in a foreign country.
When questioned how Iraqi girls hide their profession, Layal explains that claim themselves as artists, while some pretend as dancers and some prefer to say that they work in a restaurant.
"Nowadays, the situation is getting more difficult, because of a sagging demand for Iraqi girls. Clients prefer Syrians if they can get them, or Lebanese and Moroccans," she said.
Regarding the prices she says that they vary, the location of the house plays a keen role here, she explains. Those who live and work in good neighbourhoods can ask for higher prices. Layal lives in a good neighbourhood, and she asks for 80 dollars to 100 dollars per hour. Sometimes, she even asks for 200 dollars. If she goes to the client's place the price is even higher.
But life is not easy, she says, as pimps take most of the money she makes.
Still, Layal and her mama lead a reasonably prosperous life. However, she says, she cannot go back to Iraq because she has 'lost herself.' She means her chastity. "Even if thousands of refugees return, I will stay," she says.
Layal does not want to get married or have a family. Her only wish is to convey people that Iraq is now a torn country, just like her body, and will never return to what it once was.
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