The Arabs say I am Persian.
The Persians say I am Azeri.
The Azeris say I am Iraqi.
The Iraqis say I am British.
The British say I am 'Other Asian'.
The Asians say I am European.
The Europeans say I am Muslim.
The Muslims say I am Shia.
The Shia say I am Secular.
20 comments:
I understand them all but the last one. Why do Shias call you secular?
So what are you then?
I say you are a displaced Iraqi-Arab refugee living in Britain. Also, Shia.
What do you call yourself? Human?
hm
Displaced for sure.
I see myself as an Iraqi Arab Secular Shia but there are many things "British" about me (eg my accent).
why would your political allegiance or religious conviction (not sure what you mean by secular in this context) be part of your identity
The dilemma of a million other iraqis around the world :( Saddam's "blessings"
I mean secular in my political outlook (separation of state/church) and my religious beliefs are a part of my identity. It defines, along with other factors, who I am.
jnana I remember once speaking to a group of Iraqis in Amman and we all began to laugh (and curse Saddam) when someone pointed out each one of us was forced out of Iraq at different time in recent history and each had a distinct accent and 'identity'. It is really sad and unfortunately not unique to the Iraqi people.
Your Iraqi like me
Grand Ayatollah Abul Qasem al Khoei (your grandfather) was an Iranian of Azeri origin.
You (his grandson) see yourself as an Iraqi of Arab origin.
This is the consequence of immigration, which is very normal.
After spending almost a century in Iraq, my grandfather saw himself as 'Najafi' too. But I suppose it all depends on how far back one wants to go, as Sayyids, we hail from the Hashemite family that lived in modern day Saudi Arabia, but due to persecution, they fled eastwards. Today tens of thousands of Sayyids can be found not only in Iraq and Iran but even Pakistani and India.
But yes I suppose forced migration has become a normal part of history.
If you go back far enough we are all Africans.
I was expecting your poem to end with:
"...The Americans say I am their lowly servant. It is only they who have the correct answer."
I think a lot of people have these identity problems when it comes to how they are seen as others! All that matters is the identity you choose for yourself, in my opinion.
Dolly: "...The Americans say I am their lowly servant. It is only they who have the correct answer."
I think you make a much better servant. Hayder is thinks for himself too much, and is too independent. You, on the other hand, are a slave to a discredited and mostly defunct ideology. Easily manipulated and very predictable.
just listen to what the arabs say, they always tend to be right.
hahaha
I think its rather cool, the more diverse the better.....
@craig
Really... And tell us about this blog title: Eye-raki. Wasn't that also inspired by Assmericans?
Another dirty Shiite setting up a website to suck up to the Nazarenes.
Really... And tell us about this blog title: Eye-raki. Wasn't that also inspired by Assmericans?
So the Americans told him to make fun of the way Americans pronounce "Iraqi", eh? lol
Dolly I purposefully disabled comment moderation because I thought idiots like you stopped visiting my blog.
Save me the trouble and go take your filth somewhere else.
Honestly, the British accent sounds so gay. You should either use an Persian accent or maybe a Mexican one.
I am hungry.
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