An Iraqi woman's dream

Perugia is an ancient etruscan town founded back in 600 BCE. It is also where I discovered the gut wrenching catastrophe within Iraq. Yesterday, September 7th, I had the opportunity to meet and spend time with four Iraqi people: a lecturer woman from Mosul, an electrical engineer/reporter from Basr, a Muslim Celine Dion fan from Falluja, and a journalist from Baghdad. Mosul is in the North towards Turkey, Basra is in the south near Kuwait, Fallujah is on the road towards Syria and Jordan while Baghdad is the Iraqi capital, in the central eastern part of the country, towards Iran.

The woman from Mosul told me the most horrific stories of how daily life is. Mosul is where she was born and raised. She remembers life under Saddam and confirms that now it is much worse. There is a curfew, meaning no one can go out of their homes, from 8pm until 6am. When I ask her "what is your dream [with your organization]" she replies without hesitation: "safety."

Though she is not a religious woman, she always covers her head when she goes out in public. There are at least 7 radical islamic groups in her neighborhood. Some know why they kill, many don't.

She emphasizes to me the kidnappings which have been occuring of Iraqi children for money.

Mosul is the third largest city in Iraq yet does not have an airport. The old airport has been converted into a jail. In Mosul, there are 3 or 4 random killings each day. Random Killings, meaning it could be anyone, even her. Every day. 3 or 4 random killings.

The south of Iraq, around Basra, is controlled by British troops and they are said to be less savage than the US troops.

When speaking with these Iraqis, they all seem so used to the dangers they shrug and smile when I ask if they are afraid. It appears one can get used to anything, even war.

Before parting ways, they sing a wonderful Iraqi song for us, with the lyrics "I love you sweetheart I love you."

He's from Baghdad.

He's 35 and runs a human rights organization in Baghdad. In a rare opportunity to speak one-on-one, myself born and raised in the USA and him, born and raised in Iraq, we spoke of personal experiences. 

He said:

"During Saddam, it was dictatorship. There was no civil society. It was safe to walk on the streets, even late at night. Baghdad was safe. However, no one could get involved with politics or voice their opinion because if they did, they would disappear. Then, in April 2003, the United States arrived.

At first, soldiers would walk the streets with their rifles by their side, licking their ice cream cones in a relative calm. Bahdad was still safe. However the Iraqi people were confused with the strange infusion of an unfamiliar culture. While not having Saddam was a sigh of relief for many, what followed was a suffocation of rights, worsening still with each passing day."

Notes:

Terrorism grew out of terrorism, out of desperation.

The reason? Iraqi people will not succumb to the current illegal occupation (per UN international law). The Bush Administration is leading a stalwart resistance, not admitting that there is no longer a reason to have US troops in Iraq. UN peacekeeping troops, maybe.

Nevertheless, there are 14 permanent US bases and the streets are turning more dangerous and chaotic each day.

September 10th. Do or Die.

September 10th, 2005 is a Global Day of Mobilization for a New World Order against POVERTY, WAR, AND UNILATERALISM, at the eve of the UN Head of States meeting in New York of September 14-16 2005. The Appeal for mobilization was launched in Brazil at the World Social Forum 2005, with the support of 140 organisations that took part in the Reclaim our UN international seminar.

Should you perhaps not be feeling internationally optimistic that day and are having dark thoughts, go to the WHO funded (United Nations) Suicide Prevention Day Celebration that same day! Through activism or self-annihilation our world may prevail.

Not only! If you check http://www.med.uio.no/iasp/wspd/pressrelease2005.html this you see it referred to as the Third World Suicide Prevention Day. And this is funded by the UN.