Iraqi Blogger Riverbend


[Iraqi Blogger Riverbend]

"Before the war, around 50% of the college students were females, and over 50% of the working force was composed of women. Not so anymore. We are seeing an increase of fundamentalism in Iraq which is terrifying."

"I’Äôm one of the lucky ones’Ķ I’Äôm not important. I’Äôm not vital. Over a month ago, a prominent electrical engineer (one of the smartest females in the country) named Henna Aziz was assassinated in front of her family- two daughters and her husband. She was threatened by some fundamentalists from Badir’Äôs Army and told to stay at home because she was a woman, she shouldn’Äôt be in charge. She refused- the country needed her expertise to get things functioning- she was brilliant. She would not and could not stay at home. They came to her house one evening: men with machine-guns, broke in and opened fire. She lost her life- she wasn’Äôt the first, she won’Äôt be the last."

"I am female and Muslim. Before the occupation, I more or less dressed the way I wanted to. I lived in jeans and cotton pants and comfortable shirts. Now, I don’Äôt dare leave the house in pants. A long skirt and loose shirt (preferably with long sleeves) has become necessary. A girl wearing jeans risks being attacked, abducted or insulted by fundamentalists who have been’Ķ liberated!"

"The whole situation is alarming beyond any description I can give. Christians have become the victims of extremism also. Some of them are being threatened, others are being attacked. A few wannabe Mullahs came out with a ’Äòfatwa’Äô, or decree, in June that declared all females should wear the hijab and if they didn’Äôt, they could be subject to ’Äòpunishment’Äô. Another group claiming to be a part of the ’ÄòHawza Al Ilmia’Äô decreed that not a single girl over the age of 14 could remain unmarried- even if it meant that some members of the Hawza would have to have two, three or four wives. This decree included females of other religions. In the south, female UN and Red Cross aides received death threats if they didn’Äôt wear the hijab. This isn’Äôt done in the name of God- it’Äôs done in the name of power. It tells people- the world- that ’ÄúLook- we have power, we have influence.’Äù"

"This war started out a war on WMD. When those were not found, and proof was flimsy at best, it turned suddenly into a ’ÄúWar against Terrorism’Äù. When links couldn’Äôt be made to Al-Qaeda or Osama Bin Laden (besides on Fox and in Bush’Äôs head), it turned into a ’ÄúLiberation’Äù. Call it whatever you want- to me it’Äôs an occupation.

My suggestion? Bring in UN peace-keeping forces and pull out the American troops. Let the people decide who they want to represent them. Let the governing council be composed of Iraqis who were suffering the blockade and wars *inside* of Iraq. People are angry and frustrated and the American troops are the ones who are going to have to bear the brunt of that anger simply because the American administration is running the show, and making the mistakes.

It always saddens me to see that the majority of them are so young. Just as it isn’Äôt fair that I have to spend my 24th year suffering this whole situation, it doesn’Äôt seem fair that they have to spend their 19th, 20th, etc. suffering it either. In the end, we have something in common- we’Äôre all the victims of decisions made by the Bush administration."

Iraqi Blogger "Riverbend"

[thanks to Abe]

posted. Mon - August 25, 2003 @ 04:01 PM           |

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