This news photographer is Mahmoud’s friend and the occasional occupant of a room in Abu Anmar’s Orouba Hotel. He introduces Mahmoud—who had never been physically close to a woman before—to prostitutes, in order to take Mahmoud’s mind off of Nawal al-Wazir. After working for an American news agency, Hazem is able to receive a green card and immigrate to the U.S., given that the nature of his work could bring dangerous consequences for him in Iraq. Although this underlines the potentially dangerous nature of journalistic storytelling, Mahmoud believes that his friend is simply fulfilling his long-standing desire to move to the U.S., using his sensitive activities as an excuse to do so.