madly in love with Iraq

23.2.06

Israel

The word itself used to scare the hell out of me, the eternal enemy that we don’t want to hear about. The devil we were breast fed to hate, and brought up to loathe.

Once I was on the train speaking loudly in Arabic with a friend, I could see an older woman looking at us curiously in a friendly way; she didn’t wait long and started to speak to us in Iraqi dialect which sounded like Maslawi. Later we got off in the same stop, and we walked together just to find out that she lives few blocks from my house.
The chill I had when I learned that she is an Iraqi Jew was tremendous, all the scenarios about the Mosad and their devious ways to recruit people came flashing in front of my eyes, I had nightmares for a week.
Eventually and without going through details, this woman became the mother I miss, and I became the daughter she never had.

The first problem that faced me was the word Israel, I couldn’t pronounce it, it felt like if I say it, it means I am approving of its existence, frankly I still cannot! But she understands, and always say; Difference doesn’t mean, there is no love left!

Through this relation, I met many of her friends and relatives, and learned a lot about their culture.
What amazes me most is their unity, people from all over, share one love, and have one vow. Their so-called country is beyond any argument and above any disagreement. Middle-eastern Jews are less in favour, and probably they don’t have the same opportunities as European Jews, but they don’t even dare to mention this, because simply there is a bigger cause; the cause of survival.

What is wrong with us? I don’t know. How an illusion could bring people together and a reality draws them apart?

America is not the greatest power in the world, Israel is.

I’ve just watched Muqtada Sader speaking to journalists and addressing them Habibi this and Habibi that! The supposedly graduate of Hawza! If he hadn’t learned anything, at least he should have grabbed the fine language! Let alone the context.

Or the other guy Harith Al Dhari, full of venom, his poisonous speeches and the cruel face expressions tells you in your face “there is no hope left”.

These are our examples; they are trading with peoples’ lives. Tell me had anyone of them guided their followers towards something fruitful? What are they preaching about in Mosques? They speak about unity, but have they showed us any means to implement it? They speak about loving each other, but love requires proofs. Give them shovels instead of guns, push them to clean and build their local areas. People are left with nothing but anger. They had no dreams before, and now they are left with nightmares.

Who bombed Samarra shrine? Who killed this young and beautiful journalist Atwar Bahjat?
Who is responsible for the killings of our scientists, who is responsible for this sectarian rift? who is feeding hatred and revenge?

1. The Americans and their allies
2: Saddam's followers
3: The foreign fighters
4: Our religous leaders
5: Our government to be

We are much more in numbers than all of them together,
Why let them control our fate and destiny?
Our interests should join us, not our faith or false commitments.

I am not denying the catastrophic situation, as much as trying to heal it with love.

For Iraqis I will say please please don't let this saying apply to us “ Ya Umaton thahikat min Jahliha Al Umamo”

12 Comments:

  • I read your post with passion. I wish Iraqis could realize the threats coming from the five sources of troubles you mentioned and do something about it.

    The utmost of what Iraqis need now is a power that can assemble them without discrimination ; whose aim is healing the bleeding country.

    I could not understand how the actual government is particpating in feeding hatred ? This governement is so weak and far from people. It is a competition for power to make as much fortune as one could because each one of them knows that it would not last for him. So they just want to get the most of it before the ship sinks. I know it is a gloomy view but things are not going in the right direction since almost 3 years !

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:32 pm  

  • I read your post with passion. I wish Iraqis could realize the threats coming from the five sources of troubles you mentioned and do something about it.

    The utmost of what Iraqis need now is a power that can assemble them without discrimination ; whose aim is healing the bleeding country.

    I could not understand how the actual government is particpating in feeding hatred ? This governement is so weak and far from people. It is a competition for power to make as much fortune as one could because each one of them knows that it would not last for him. So they just want to get the most of it before the ship sinks. I know it is a gloomy view but things are not going in the right direction since almost 3 years !

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:33 pm  

  • As the wife of an Iraqi and feeling Iraqi at heart, I was filled with great sadness and anger at hearing that yet another mosque had been attacked and destroyed in Iraq. The Askari Mosque, (also called ‘Golden Mosque because of its golden dome) is sacred to both Sunnis and Shi’ite.

    In the seventies I was fortunate to visit the ancient city of Samarra, which was the capital of the Abassid Empire under Caliph al-Mu’tasim (in the 9th century). From the top of the Malwiya (spiral minaret) which is the symbol of Samarra one has an excellent view over the entire city, it is quite impressive, like all historical sites in Iraq. I recall that when I visited the Askari Mosque I was struck with amazement by its great beauty and by its atmosphere of peace and serenity.

    Last year the Malwiya was damaged by American rockets and now the Golden dome of the Askari mosque has been destroyed!

    The first question one should ask is: Who benefits from instigating and infuriating Shi’ite against Sunnis and vice-versa?
    Surely the answer is: definitely not the Iraqis, for they do not want a civil war. They have suffered too much already and for too long!

    The US and the UK are directly responsible not only for the destruction of Iraqi religious sites (Sunni, Shi’ite and Christian), but for the destruction of the entire country. They conveniently hide behind the al-Zarqawi myth to commit their crimes. How much do they pay their mercenaries to carry out these crimes in order to ignite sectarian war?

    There was no al-Qaida and no al-Zarqawi ‘terrorism’ in Iraq before the US, the UK and their accomplices invaded the country. There was no animosity between Shi’ite, Sunnis, Christians, Sabeans and Yezidis in Iraq before they invaded the country. As a European who has travelled extensively, I can testify that the Iraqi people are among the most welcoming and most tolerant people I have ever met.

    The US and the UK are directly responsible because they have illegally invaded a sovereign country and destabilized it. They have brought chaos and are responsible for killing over 1.5 million Iraqis (with their criminal economic sanctions and heavy bombings). They are responsible for stealing Iraq’s sovereign resources and for stealing 12 billion US$ (by Bremer). They are responsible for the elimination of Iraq’s academics, for imprisoning, torturing, raping, humiliating, maiming and killing thousands of innocent Iraqis, the enumeration of their evil deeds could go on and on…

    There will be no healing of Iraq, no reconciliation, no peace, no reconstruction and no future while the country is occupied by foreign troops.

    The Iraqi people are demanding their immediate departure. No doubt that when the US-UK are finally kicked out all the puppet/agents who have been put in place by the Anglo-Saxon occupiers will return to America and Britain. Shame on them! Shame on them for conspiring with the enemy, for having betrayed their country and for having participated in squandering its wealth! These ‘puppets’ have proven that they are incapable of running the country, hiding behind their masters’ fortifications in the so-called ‘Green Zone’ and the Iraqi people do not trust them. Graver still: their lack of leadership and total incompetence is putting the territorial unity of Iraq at risk.

    Meanwhile, the Kurdish parties of Barazani and Talabani, with the help of the US and the Israelis, are implementing Zionist-inspired policies in the north of Iraq, to the detriment of the Turkmen, Arabs and Assyrians.

    At this crucial moment, when the future of their country is at stake, it is to be hoped that Iraqis will rally together in order to avoid falling into the trap of a sectarian war and that they will unite their efforts to kick out their common enemy: the occupiers.

    Iraqi Sunnis and Shi’ite rallying under the Iraqi flag in several cities all over Iraq bring a much needed glimmer of hope.


    God bless Iraq and all Iraqis.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:44 pm  

  • Your last words echo in my father's voice...That was his favorite line of verse (God rest his soul now).
    I had read your earlier blogs about power.
    I think the issue is bigger. It's accountability.
    All politicians love power...I think it's why they take that course..But they fear accountability. They know they cannot get away with most of the atrocities that our so called 'leaders' believe and know they have the licence to commit!

    By Blogger Zaineb Alani, at 9:57 pm  

  • 1. America and their allies.

    This is too funny. When this war began numerous people warned me that it could never work. The one that stuck out was a comment by someone from afganistan. He said it was a waste of time because Arabs are stupid and they will just kill each other until the most brutal thug wins. It has always been that way and it will always be that way. Arabs are the only people on earth who kill each other and then blame it on somebody else. Seriously, if Shi'te and Sunni's go to war with each other at the end they will blame it on the jews and the americans. The kurds are going to end up with their own nation because Iraqi's can't stop killing each other. I hope every arab watches the kurdish sucess compared to their constant faliure. Dumbest people on earth.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:49 am  

  • Rofl,

    You said that Arab are stupid but you mean Iraqis through that. So, Iraqis are stupid by fighting each other and I completely agree with you. But look to all the civil wars that took place around the world and you will always find the same forumla : ignorance and/or religious variation. Unfortunately both factors are available in Iraq. Iraq has been emptied from its scientists and educated people which left the country with a mob that has always been marginalized feeling powerful for the first time in a complete absence of order.

    They should neither blame the US nor Israel for being in dispute although Isreal, through its tool (the US), is the real responsible for it. I might be another stupid in your eyes but this is the truth that everyone will know one day. Israel is behind any misery in the Arab-muslim world because of the sick Zionist dream of the Prmised Land. The limits of this cursed land is between the Euphrates and Nile. Egypt and Jordan are no obstacle to Isreal since they are its best allies in the region. The real one is Iraq. The US weakened the Iraqis throughout 8 years of a so cruel embargo and a bloody dictator who emptied Iraq of its best people and sown animosity among the rest.

    Saddam is the loyal disciple that Israel could ever dream to have.

    Go to hell with Israel, this Zionist cancer that will gradually bring more misery to the whole reigon.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:03 am  

  • This "Israel is behind any misery in the Arab world because of the sick Zionist dream of the promised land" is exactly what I am talking about. That is one of the stupidest statements I have ever read.

    If it were up to me I would have invited every jew who wanted to move to Israel to the United States instead. I think Zionism was a horrible idea. In other words, I am not going to hell with Israel because hell doesn't exist and I think Israel was a bad idea.

    I do not think you are another stupid, I think you are insane. I think you are insane with your own failure. The problems in the arab world are not caused by some jewish or american boogeyman. It is you and your buddies. Arabs are poor because of Arabs. Most Arabs are killed by arabs. Most of the crimes commited by arabs are done in the name of arab nationalism. The people arabs complain about most (palestinians) are treated as badly by arabs as they are by jews.

    Ahmed, have you ever taken responsibility for anything in your entire life. I have never heard anyone in the M.E. hold themselves accountable for anything. Why don't arabs look in the mirror and identify and correct their problems instead of trying to find someone else to blame for their own failure. The difference between the first and third world has as much to do with the citizen as the government.

    PS: that is a U.N. embargo moron.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:30 am  

  • Rofl,

    You were talking about the Arab and I was talking about what is going on in Iraq. You might consider it as part of the same problem but it is not. All the other Arab countires are relatively free-headed because they don't interfere with the Israeli plans. Yet Iraq does due to its geograpical position.

    You read my comment but you either did not understand what I said or you did not want to. You insisit on the fact that Arabs are being killed by Arabs while I was talking about the illegitmate existance of Israel and the problems it caused to the area. You were talking about jewish and I was talking about Israel. For me they are NOT synonymous. Judaism is a religion while Israel is a state and you are mixing things up for an obvious reason !

    One last thing, you don't know me to juge that I did not take any respnsiblity in my life. Don't be full of yourself and don't make generalizations.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:23 pm  

  • 1. The Americans and their allies
    2: Saddam's followers
    3: The foreign fighters
    4: Our religous leaders
    5: Our government to be

    This is the problem with us Iraqis. We can never blame ourselfs for our failures. And by you putting "Our government to be" at number 5, proves this.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:23 pm  

  • Ahmed, I will stop being full of myself when you act like a man. Your problems are not created by Israel, man up and deal with the real world. The arab world is terminal today and it isn't because of israel.

    When I said that Arabs are killed by Arabs I meant Saddam and Iraqi's plus the usual slaughter at the hand of arabs. You make a big deal over the crimes commited at Abu Graib under American control and ignore the crimes commited before 2003. (Let me remind you that the Americans who commited crimes were punished and the Arab Iraqi's got a promotion for FAR worse crimes).

    You live in a world were an Arab killed by a jew or an american counts for something. An arab killed by and arab means nothing.

    I wasn't talking about the jew, I was serious about no Israel. I would rather have every jew in Israel move to America, but I wouldn't take a single palestinian. (that is me discriminating, but I would rather murderers wallow in their filth)

    "All the other Arab countries are relativly free headed because they don't interfere with Israeli plans"
    What did I tell you about being insane? No arab country is free-headed, the zionist's are trying to secure '67 borders and you are insane. You blame everything on Israel and cannot accept the constant massive failure of your own region. You need to man-up and take control of your future instead of blaming a ficticious villan for your own constant failure.

    Please don't massacre Iraqi's in order to prove that Bath'ism or Islamism or whatever crappy idea is right for them.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:16 am  

  • Rofl, I'm sorry for myself for getting into discussion with a person like you.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:58 pm  

  • I accept your apology. Please be rational and make an effort to leave the world in a better place when you exit.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:32 am  

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