Iraqi bloggers - September 2008
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/talking_point/7604268.stm Version 0 of 1. A brief overview of what English language Iraqi bloggers are saying, inside and outside their country. <i>This page contains links to external websites which are not subject to the usual BBC editorial controls. </i> SECURITY <a href="http://last-of-iraqis.blogspot.com/">"Last of Iraqis"</a> lives on the edge of Adhamiya, a Sunni neighbourhood in Baghdad. Last of Iraqis is concerned about the future of the Awakening councils He, like many Iraqis, is worried about the Iraqi government taking control of the Arab Sunni militia - known as Awakening Councils - in October. The Awakening is made up of Sunni tribesmen and former insurgents who switched sides to fight al-Qaeda with the backing of the US military. 8 September: <i>Since day one the government didn't like the Awakening and didn't support their development... There were endless troubles between the Awakening and the Iraqi army or the police, because the Awakening have no legal right to exist... The government has decided (or was forced) to pay the Awakening and arm them, but they still haven't decided [whether] to join them with the army or the police. This might be a good thing because they will continue to be Awakening but legitimate this time. [Or] it might be a bad thing because the government might not pay them and in this case many will leave the Awakening and what will they do? They will return to their old career: terrorism.</i> RAMADAN <a href="http://last-of-iraqis.blogspot.com/">"Last of Iraqis"</a> says what he's seen of Ramadan in Baghdad so far makes him "angry, sad, hopeless and laughing" all at once. <i>...most of the people in the streets are not fasting; they are drinking, eating and smoking!!! Some of them are willing to fight, or even kill another Iraqi for his sect while he is not doing one of the most important obligations in Islam!!! He will never let his son or his daughter marry someone from the other sect but he doesn't fast or pray⦠isn't that funny? It's more proof that it's not about religion or sectsâ¦.it's about money and power for the big heads - and ignorance and fanaticism for the fake Iraqis.</i> Sunshine hopes Ramadan will be a time of peace in Mosul No such cynicism for <a href="http://livesstrong.blogspot.com/">Sunshine</a> a 16 year old girl in Mosul. 4 September: <i>My plans for this Ramadan: to read the whole Quran, and pray all prayers at their exact time (4am, 12 noon, 4pm, 7pm, 8pm), help more people and allocate money for the poor... Prayers are heard in Ramadan, all Iraqis are praying to have a peaceful life without violence and killing, may God hear our prayers and respondâ¦</i> WORK LIFE <a href="http://baghdad-connect.blogspot.com/">Baghdad Connect</a> describes the difficulty in trying to do business in Baghdad. 2 August Baghdad Connect is disappointed by the corruption in Iraq<i>The other day we had a call from a businessman to meet in his offices to discuss a tender for supplies of industrial equipment for a government sector. We drove the car in sweltering heat about 10 km, and literally there was a military check point at every 300 to 500 meters!! In derelict, filthy roads full of cars and low-life pathetic looking people - it was sickening. By the time we got to his office we had already forgotten the objective of our trip. Prior to talking about the tender - totalling $4.5m - our business associate began to talk about the gifts that we should pay the ministry employees, the bank employees, the logistic handlers, and a few others based on sects, that totalled more than $350,000 prior to bidding!!! ...For those Iraqis who are in foreign countries and have a slight hope for a job opportunity or a vague form of decent life we recommend that you do not even think of coming back for a long, long time. </i> <a href="http://neurotic-iraqi-wife.blogspot.com">"Neurotic Iraqi wife"</a> is an Iraqi British woman living and working in the Green Zone. She cheerfully states there is "no bad news" in her latest post. Neurotic Iraqi wife thinks the US reconstruction plan is making progress 7 September <i>I have been a long-time critic of the US and this reconstruction programme. But three years on and I can see it, see it clearly. The initial stages were a mess. There was no planning whatsoever... Right now, not many people can visualize what's really going on here in Iraq. But I can. I have no agenda to benefit from the words I'm writing. Reality is, things have been built. Projects have been renovated and fixed....</i> But she is less convinced by what the Iraqi authorities are achieving: <i>The question of "What have you done for the Iraqi people today?" should be hung in every Iraqi Ministry and organization instead. I wonder what THEIR answer will be? Because honestly, THEY have done NOTHING, NOTHING for their people, except embezzle money. The Iraqis, or to be specific, the Iraqis in the government and higher places, are the laziest most unreliable people ever.</i> REFUGEES Faiza and her three sons contribute to the family blog <a href="http://afamilyinbaghdad.blogspot.com/">Faiza Al-Arji</a> is a mother of three sons and a civil engineer, who is working with Iraqi refugees in Jordan. <i>There are many organisations here that work for the Iraqis, usually made up of foreign or Jordanian workers, with high salaries and privileges. As for the volunteer team; they are usually Iraqi men and women, most of whom carry university degrees but without a residency permit, so they often work in rough conditions, with low salaries which no Jordanian would agree to work for... The Iraqis are like orphans around mean people's tables Those who are here suffer hunger, poverty, and lowliness, awaiting to be re-settled in a third country, knowing full well that it isn't the magical solution... But they say it is better than remaining here under the terror of forced deportation. The [Iraqi] Prime Minister goes to visit the neighbouring countries, asking them to return the Iraqis and not to facilitate their residency, promising them $800 for each family that would return. No one accepts it! They see it as a silly offer that isn't worth the risk. This is a programmed crushing process for a whole nation. The Iraqis are like orphans around mean people's tables⦠At the same time, American military bases are being built on Iraqi lands, and long-term security agreements are being drafted, to tie the country to long-term colonialism, so that everything is kept turning under the mercy of occupation.</i> |