Who
Will Dig The Mass Graves Now?
By Girl Blog
from Iraq
08 August, 2004
Baghdad Burning
300+ dead in a matter
of days in Najaf and Al Sadir City. Of course, they are all being called
insurgents. The woman on tv wrapped in the abaya, lying
sprawled in the middle of the street must have been one of them too.
Several explosions rocked Baghdad today- some government employees were
told not to go to work tomorrow.
So is this a part
of the reconstruction effort promised to the Shia in the south
of the country? Najaf is considered the holiest city in Iraq. It is
visited by Shia from all over the world, and yet, during the last
two days, it has seen a rain of bombs and shells from none other than
the saviors of the oppressed Shia- the Americans.
So is this the Sunni Triangle too? Its déjà
vu- corpses in the streets, people mourning their dead and dying and
buildings up in flames. The images flash by on the television screen
and its Falluja all over again. Twenty years from now who will
be blamed for the mass graves being dug today?
Were waiting
again for some sort of condemnation. I, personally, never had faith
in the American selected proxy government currently pretending to be
in power- but for some reason, I keep thinking that any day now- any
moment- one of the Puppets, Allawi for example, will make an appearance
on television and condemn all the killing. One of them will get in front
of a camera and announce his resignation or at the very least, his utter
disgust, at the bombing, the burning and the killing of hundreds of
Iraqis and call for an end to it
its a foolish hope, I know.
So where is the
interim constitution when you need it? The sanctity of private residences
is still being violated... people are still being unlawfully arrested...
cities are being bombed. Then again, there really is nothing in the
constitution that says the American millitary *can't* actually bomb
and burn.
Sistani has conveniently
been flown to London. His illness couldnt come at
a better moment if Powell et al. had personally selected it. While everyone
has been waiting for him to denounce the bombing and killing of fellow-Shia
in Najaf and elsewhere, he has come down with some bug or other and
had to be shipped off to London for check-ups. That way, he can remain
silent about the situation. Shia everywhere are disappointed at
this silence. They are waiting for some sort of a fatwa or denouncement-
it will not come while Sistani is being coddled by English nurses.
One of the news
channels showed him hobbling off of a private airplane, surrounded by
his usual flock of groupies and supporters. I couldnt quite tell,
but I could have sworn Bahr Ul Iloom was with him. E. said that one
of the groupies was actually Chalabi but it was difficult to tell because
the cameraman was, apparently, standing quite far away.
The thought that
Sistani is seriously ill does make everyone somewhat uneasy. Should
he decide to die on us now, it will probably mean a power struggle between
the Shi'a clerics in the south. Juan Cole has a lot more about it.
Last week churches
were bombed- everyone heard about that. We were all horrified with it.
For decades- no centuries- churches and mosques have stood side by side
in Iraq. We celebrate Christmas and Easter with our Christian friends
and they celebrate our Eids with us. We never categorized eachother
as "Christian" and "Muslim"... It never really mattered.
We were neighbors and friends and we respected eachother's religious
customs and holidays. We have many differing beliefs- some of them fundamental-
but it never mattered.
It makes me miserable
to think that Christians no longer feel safe. I know we're all feeling
insecure right now, but there was always that sense of security between
differing religions. Many Iraqis have been inside churches to attend
weddings, baptisms, and funerals. Christians have been suffering since
the end of the war. Some of them are being driven out of their homes
in the south and even in some areas in Baghdad and the north. Others
are being pressured to dress a certain way or not attend church, etc.
So many of them are thinking of leaving abroad and it's such a huge
loss. We have famous Christain surgeons, professors, artists, and musicians.
It has always been an Iraqi quality in the region- we're famous for
the fact that we all get along so well.
I'm convinced the
people who set up these explosions are people who are trying to give
Islam the worst possible image. It has nothing to do with Islam- just
as this war and occupation has nothing to do with Christianity and Jesus-
no matter how much Bush tries to pretend it does. That's a part of the
problem- many people feel this war and the current situation is a crusade
of sorts. 'Islam' is the new communism. It's the new Cold War to frighten
Americans into arming themselves to the teeth and attacking other nations
in 'self-defense'. It's the best way to set up 'Terror Alerts' and frighten
people into discrimination against Arabs, in general, and Muslims specifically...
just as this war is helping to breed anger and hate towards westerners
in general, and Americans specifically. A person who lost their parent,
child or home to this war and occupation will take it very personally
and will probably want revenge- it won't matter if they are Muslim or
Christian.
I always love passing
by the churches. It gives me a momentary sense that everything must
be right in the world to see them standing lovely and bright under the
Baghdad sun, not far from the local mosque. Their elegant simplicity
is such a contrast with the intricate designs of our mosques.
There's a lovely
church in our area. It stands tall, solid and gray. It is very functional
and simple- a rectangular structure with a pointy roof, topped by a
plain cross or 'saleeb', simple wooden doors and a small garden- it
looks exactly like the drawings your 7-year-old nephew or daughter would
make of the local church. This simplicity contrasted wonderfully with
its stained-glass windows. The windows are at least 30 different colors.
I always find myself staring at them as we pass, wondering about the
myriad of shapes and colors they throw down upon the people inside.
It hurts to pass it by these days because I know so many of the people
who once visited it are gone- they've left to Syria, Jordan, Canada...
with broken hearts and bitterness.