Demonstrations in Baghdad-- direct from Baghdad

Tuesday, October 21, 2003


 
Demonstrations in Baghdad...
Thousands were demonstrating today- I think near the Ministry of Oil (though someone said it was somewhere else). There were even women demonstarting because a female has been detained for refusing to have her bag checked by the troops... The troops began firing into the air and fighting suddenly broke out between the mob and some troops... we still don't know what's happening....



Ever since the occupation, employees of the Ministry of Oil are being searched by troops- and lately, dogs. The employees have been fed up… the ministry itself is a virtual fortress now with concrete, barbed wire and troops. The employees stand around for hours at a time, waiting to be checked and let inside. Iraqis have gotten accustomed to the 'security checks'. The checks are worse on the females than they are on the males because we have to watch our handbags rummaged through and sometimes personal items pulled out and examined while dozens of people stand by, watching.

<snip>

As soon as Amal protested about letting the dog sniff her bag because of the Quran inside, the soldier grabbed the Quran, threw it out of the bag and proceeded to check it. The lady was horrified and the dozens of employees who were waiting to be checked moved forward in a rage at having the Quran thrown to the ground. Amal was put in hand-cuffs and taken away and the raging mob was greeted with the butts of rifles. ....

But that's where the difference is: the majority of Iraqis have a deep respect for other cultures and religions… and that's what civilization is. It's not mobile phones, computers, skyscrapers and McDonalds; It's having enough security in your own faith and culture to allow people the sanctity of theirs…
http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

Some more great news from Bush's new Iraq! Reading what these people have to endure day in and day out, it's a wonder they haven't all taken up arms against us -- can any of us imagine for an instant how we'd feel and react if our daily lives were dictated by foreign soldiers with little or no understanding of our values and culture. Why are we so culturally myopic?

This can't be the first time the military has used dogs to sniff out explosives. Just another instance of insensitivity to local traditions.

Give us your oil---- you filthy RAGHEADS,</sarcasm>

This will help them love us, and throw flowers at us.

P.S. Throwing the Quran (Koran) on the ground was a touch of genius, wasn't it?

But that's where the difference is: the majority of Iraqis have a deep respect for other cultures and religions… and that's what civilization is. It's not mobile phones, computers, skyscrapers and McDonalds; It's having enough security in your own faith and culture to allow people the sanctity of theirs…

Someone who gives a sane defenition of the term 'civilization'!
This little piece is almost worthy of the Nobel prize for literature.


edit: small typo

that someone could think with such a generous and universal spirit in the midst of the violence they have suffered from our invasion is amazing. There may yet redemption for the human race.

He/she hits the nail on the head regarding the real meaning of human progress and evolution. We all have much to learn about being civil and the potentiality of humanity.

Heard it on a news show: it sounded really odd at the time.

Started to see if I could find the speech, but found this one. It's absolutely strange. He actually gives honorable mention to America's teachers. That's a first!

From the speech:


We value education; the terrorists do not believe women should be educated, or should have
health care, or should leave their homes.

We value the right to speak our minds; for the terrorists, free expression can be grounds for
execution.

We respect people of all faiths and welcome the free practice of religion; our enemy
wants to dictate how to think and how to worship, even to their fellow Muslims.

This enemy tries to hide behind a peaceful faith. But those who celebrate the murder of
innocent men, women and children have no religion, have no conscience and have no mercy.

We wage a war to save civilization itself.

We did not seek it, but we will fight it and we will prevail.

http://www.september11news.com/PresidentBushAtlanta.htm