We Will Prevail

A history of post-Saddam Iraq in 3 and a half minutes. The wild dogs are Iraq's neighbours. The baby calf is Iraq's democracy. The mother is Iraq's people.

Poor Jihadis

It's been a really horrible week for the terrorists in Iraq. Besides their leaders killed on Sunday another one was sent on a one-way journey to hell on Tuesday and today one more is arrested in Baghdad. Important information is likely to be 'extracted' from him and this means its not really a good time to be one of his friends in Iraq. With wave after wave of expected raids these coming weeks are going to be really tough for the Wahhabi Salafis but the good news is it will also be really fun for Iraq's special forces and intelligence agents. I am sure they have already set up a death pool and are keeping tallies.

I say we shoot these people in the head, wrap their bodies in the Saudi flag, and fly them first-class with the next Iraqi politician going to Riyadh to meet His Majesty King Abdullah bin Saud. There are so many politicians going to Saudi it wouldn't even cost Iraq a single dollar in transportation costs. Iraq is paying out around $5 million a month in salaries and pensions for our hard-working MP's so we need to start thinking about ways to save money elsewhere. All it would cost, per terrorist, is a single bullet and Saudi flag.

It would be a public relations coup and I don't even want the credit. We could offer their corpses as a gift of friendship to our dear Arab brotherly neighbours. After all, the Royal family there is also 'fighting' terrorism.

There is Much Talk...

A beautiful poem by the famous Iraqi poet Kareem al-Iraqi. It is about a man making a confession about the love of his life. Most of it is a word for word translation except in some cases where I thought it wouldn't read properly. Of course in Arabic it makes more sense and the entire poem rhymes.

There is much talk on the one I love,

There is much talk on who it is I love.

'How old is she?'

'What's her secret?'

'What's her name?'

'How does she look?'

'Is she blonde or brown?'

'Are your eyes more lovely than hers?'

The thing I fear the most is that you are affected,

So hold on, prepare and brace yourself,

For female jealousy can wound like daggers.

She is more beautiful than all the wonders, more so than you and me.

She is more stunning than all the marvels, and closer to my heart than me.

She is more exquisite than Kareem's poetry or Kathim's greatest hymns.

They say; you spend all night with her? Of course I do!

They say; you live with her? Of course I do!

I live and sleep in her eyes and rest my head on her chest,

She relieves all the worries of life with but a single touch,

Embrace me women, my heart can hear her even in silence.

Baghdad...

And has God ever created anything like you?

WWIII Delayed

Thank God, and the security services, these planned attacks were not successful. The reaction from the Shia militants would have been ten fold what we saw after the Samarra shrine was bombed. Al-Qaeda and the honourable resistance in Iraq are getting desperate. They are trying their best to reignite the flameless sectarian smoulders from the 2006-2007 era by planning spectacular attacks. They are failing miserably.

Bliss

Maliki just called a sudden press conference and everyone knew it was going to big news. With tears in his eyes he addressed the Iraqi people and announced "I am stepping down for you." The bombshell news drew applause from an entire nation. "I am willing to work in the next government with Dr Iyad Allawi and I wholeheartedly support his candidacy for Prime Minister... I understand that a power vacuum is only going to make matters worse for Iraq and I cannot bear to see more Iraqi blood being shed simply because the politicians cannot sit down on one table like civil brothers. Our children are dying because we cannot come to an agreement. Now it is time to move on. I have been in power for four years and I humbly ask the Iraqi people to accept my services. Throughout my years in power I endeavoured to achieve security and stability and if my 'resignation' is going help rebuild Iraq then I step down gladly. It was an honour serving the people of Iraq."

"What a leader!" Abu Ali, the owner of a small restaurant in Basra says with a tear already half way down his cheek. "A leader that is willingly relinquishing power to save Iraqi lives?" Mohammed from Ramadi says with equal disbelief. "I don't think there has been a better leader in Iraq since Imam Ali" a cleric from Najaf remarks as he fidgets with his worry bead. "wil-Abbas he is a hero and true patriot" another says readjusting his turban. Most of the Iraqi population is asking "is this really happening?"

No of course its not really happening. This is just a figment of my imagination. In reality its back to muhasasa and tedious tit-for-tat carving of the pie. The kind of negotiations where the last things to be discussed are trivial inconsequential matters such as credibility, competency and qualifications. If we could all eavesdrop it would sound something like this. "I will give you oil and defence but only if you give me foreign and interior." "Johnny you must be on drugs if you think we will let you take any security ministries" "Okay that's fine with us but we want most service ministries" "You can have anything as long as our boy is Prime Minister." "Shall we give the Presidency to the Sunnis or let the Kurds keep it for another term?" "I don't mind either as long as my party gets trade and finance".

Do not be so surprised if the next government includes a death squad boss restyled as Interior Minister or a criminal in charge of national security. Remember this is Iraq. Everything is for sale. Anything is possible. I don't think I will be able to stomach it. Someone please hand me a tissue... or bucket.

Iraq 60 Years Ago

Part 1: http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=74823

Part 2: http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=74981

7 Years Today

Abdul Majid al-Khoei (16 August 1962 - 10 April 2003)

Khoei was the very embodiment of samaha - a word that does not have a direct equivalent in English as it means more than tolerance, implying acceptance and grace towards other people. - Faruk Jarrar


Khoei's killers understood his spiritual goodness only too well, and the real threat he presented to their profound evil. - Emma Nicholson


Khoei was the best of Islam, and the best of Iraq - Charles Tripp


"I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars". No matter how long it takes, there must be no wavering in the cause of freedom to which Khoei aspired - Lord Avebury


He was painfully aware of the divisive stereotypes which, quite literally, destroy people's lives, and did everything he could to combat them in his adopted country. But, the exile always marked him. He would repeatedly say 'I want my country to have a future' - Michael Wood

Green Zone

The Green Zone is a fascinating film. Although it is essentially an adrenaline fuelled action-packed thriller it does ask some very challenging questions about the state of Iraq and also brings home some powerful messages. It was interesting how they tackled the issue of the Ba’athists and the previous army and linked it – rightly so – to the insurgency that plagued Iraq for years and claimed the lives of tens of thousands.

One question I have always asked myself is 'what would have happened if Bremer did not disband the army?' and the answer seems to be, as it is impossible to say for sure, that the insurgency would at the very least have had a lot less potential recruits and a hell of a lot less support on the ground from the people. Whatever you may think of the Ba’athist officers, there inclusion in the army would have made the institution more ‘professional’. Now before anyone accuses me of being a Ba’athi I am not judging whether or not that would be a ‘good’ thing or a ‘bad’ thing for Iraq but it is safe to say many lives could have been saved.

The counter argument, which Bremer details in his memoir, is that the old army could not have been re-instated for both political and logistical reasons. The Kurds would simply not accept the old army, the Shia mistrusted the mostly Sunni officer corps and in reality there was no place for the army even if they did re-arm them because everything was looted and destroyed. Bremer morally justified it by arguing the army already disbanded itself and in reality all he did was sign a piece of paper.

Still I find Bremer’s excuse - that it was the only thing that could have been done because leaving the Sunni generals and officers in charge would have been a ‘recipe for civil war’ - both inadequate and also ironically tragic because he never paused to think where these highly-skilled Sunni generals and officers would go once they found out he had fired them. Surely he did not expect them to take it on the chin and decide to sell cigarettes by the side of the road to feed their families?

Also if the CPA was willing to offer severance pay to hundreds of thousands of former soldiers, who had just weeks before been killing Americans, why not simply tell the men they are still soldiers and welcome to be part of the new reformed army and that they would be subject to a vetting process to cleanse the criminals?

I can understand the reason for immediately disbanding the Republican Guard, Special Republican Guard, Fedayeen Saddam, Ba’ath Militia, Mukhabarat and Amn intelligence services but I am sure there could have been another solution for the standing army. CPA Order No. 2 was certainly not the wisest decision made by Bremer & Slocombe and even the Pentagon later tried to reverse it but we may never know the true extent it played in fuelling the terrorist activities of the insurgents simply because these things can never be mathematically measured or calculated.

Another very poignant moment in the movie was when Matt Damon finally hunted down the Iraqi General and wanted to take him in alive but Freddie suddenly shows up from nowhere and says 'its not for you to decide what happens in Iraq'. That was definitely the best part in the entire film for me and it brings home the message that while Americans can, and will, send their army half way across the globe to secure their national interests there will inevitably be many situations where the people decide when, how and if to act.

On a much lighter note, can someone please tell Hollywood that random Iraqis on the street do not have Wahhabi-Salafi style beards, they wear dishdashes not salwar kameeses and for future reference the Shia and Sunnis are not 'ethnic' groups. And for the love of God could they stop hiring Moroccan, Lebanese and Egyptian actors to play Iraqi characters it is extremely annoying and it makes me cringe every time they try to speak Iraqi Arabic. Aside from that it was a brilliant film and I recommend it for everyone.

Najaf: Poems and Battles

Al-Najaf is a city that is approximately 7 miles distance from al-Kufa, and is connected to it by a tramway. The population today [1995] is around half a million. Najaf sits on elevated ground relative to the Euphrates in Kufa, which historically has made water scarce as it had to be transported by the ‘saqqayeh’. The water taken from the wells in the old homes is not fit for drinking and so is used for general washing purposes.

Najaf is the natural annexe of al-Kufa, the capital of Imam Ali and the Shia in general. Since Sheikh al-Tusi emigrated there from Baghdad in the early part of the 11th century, the city of Najaf turned into a centre of academic learning where Shia scholars would come from near and far to teach and study at the religious universities. Of course there were already scholars in Najaf ever since it was discovered during al-Rashids reign and a white dome was built by him or the Buyids, but it was in Tusi’s era when Najaf became known as a place of scholarship.

Most probably during the Buyid period, the Shia scholars began to be buried there, and soon after, all the Shia from Iraq and neighbouring lands began to take their dead to Najaf for burial in the ‘Valley of Peace’ cemetery, which may be the largest cemetery in the world.

Najaf has unique characteristics that make it distinct from any other city in Iraq. Firstly most of the population are not descendants of the original people of Najaf. Pilgrims, immigrants and students flocked to the city and many families that are known today as ‘al-Najafi’ are actually descendants of those who came to study or simply came to be within the proximity of the holy shrine. Many of these families began to slowly cut off their ties with their original homes and generation after generation some of these families, who lived there for 400 years, came to eventually forget where they even came from or their original language.

Another characteristic of Najaf is that the majority of the population in the city are close in temperament to the Arab Bedouins. Their tribes, their pride, their hospitality, their generosity and their protectiveness of each other are all aspects that can be immediately felt by anyone who travels there. Perhaps the secret to this lies in its geographical location. On one side of Najaf is the vast Iraqi countryside beyond the Euphrates, and on the other side the empty dessert between Iraq and Hijaz.

This is reflected in Najaf’s market, where both the Bedouins and rural tribes come together to trade. The rural Arabs trade in dates, wheat, flour and rice and the Bedouins in sheep, wool, leather, margarine and bur. These goods come together in the ‘khannat’ of Najaf and are then exported to Baghdad, Basra and Mousil.

It created a special economic relationship between the people of Najaf and the rural and Bedouin tribes who both had homes in each others’ lands to facilitate both the import and export of these goods. This fostered an air of mutual respect and understanding. Najaf has a Bedouin society but is tribal in spirit.

Thirdly, because Najaf became a centre for Islamic studies which had universities dating back almost 1,000 years, the city kept its Arabic language and heritage despite the many attempts of Turkification by the Mamluk and Ottoman officials who tried to change the language of study in the schools and also despite the spread of the Persian language from the east. Najaf was able to maintain it's Arab heritage because the religious classes, and in particular lessons on how to derive laws, depend in a fundamental way on the Arabic language.

It is impossible for a student to properly study the Quran, the Prophet’s Sunna, Nahj al-Balagha, heritage of the Imams, the Prophets companions and the works of the later scholars without having a firm grasp of the Arabic language, its philosophy and all the intricacies and particulars of the language. Usuli scholars are strict about including the condition of mastering the language as one of the requirements of becoming a Mujtahid.

The Arabic language is so intrinsically and innately attached to Islamic studies it comes as no surprise that many of the greatest 20th century poets first matured and graduated from Islamic seminaries. These include the likes of the Shibibi brothers, Sharqi, Jawaheri in Najaf, Zahawi and Rasafi in Baghdad, Shawqi and Hafidh, Taha Yasin, Ahmad Amin, Umar Abu Risha in Aleppo, Bdawi al-Jabl in Jabla, Sheikh Ahmad Ridha in Jabel Amel and Allaeli in Beirut who was a graduate of al-Azhar in Cairo.

Mohammed Ridha Shibibi during the time of Sayyid Bahr al-Uloom, late 18th century, counted no less than 200 poets in the small city of Najaf. Many scholars who later became representatives of the religious maraja’ in places such as Ihsa and Qateef, Bahrain, Ahwaz, Syria and Lebanon took with them a part of the long standing tradition of poetic excellence in the Arabic language. You can feel the obvious essence of Najaf in these cities even though their poets may never have lived there.

Najaf is also extremely conservative and traditional in nature unlike any other city in Iraq. There were no theatres, social clubs, cinemas or other forms of entertainment that could distract the students. The students were unswerving and steadfast in their scholarly work. We did have small coffee shops, which serve nothing but tea, nargeela and refreshments but even these were out of bounds for the religious students.

We didn’t even own radios and in the 1940’s we used to go to the Literary Association to listen to the developments of the Second World War via a radio King Ghazi gifted to the Association along with a precious library. The students in Najaf had no other outlet to express themselves or to unwind other than the 'Poetic Concerts', which enabled young students to showcase their talent. Maybe this explains the abundance of poets, 200 that were known in one instance, in such a small city. Najaf was unmatched even in numbers of its colloquial poets, Haj Zayir, al-Jid, Yasin al-Kufi, Gabechi, Gassab and Rasul Muhyidin to name but a few.

These Poetic Concerts would take place in public on special occasions in schools, mosques and the holy shrine and there would also be private performances at houses when someone we knew was getting married. Poets could freely discuss any topic they wish, be it on philosophy, politics, religion or even social problems being faced in Najaf, Iraq or the wider Arab and Muslim world.

Once a controversial poem is read there would normally be a rebuttal in the form of another poem, and soon 'battles' would commence and the best on both sides go head to head debating through poetry until a clear winner emerges. Students who write down the poetry as its being recited have recorded many of these poetic battles and many of them can still be found in manuscript form in the libraries of Najaf while others have been published as books. As children we used to run to these poetic concerts at every public holiday – and there were many in a religious city like Najaf – to note down the beautiful poetry of the previous generations.

It was in this atmosphere of poetic excellence that the generation of Mustafa Jamal al-Din grew up in.

Arab League Forces in Iraq

I am having serious problems understanding the rationale behind the recent suggestion by the Arab League to have Arab forces enter Iraq to provide security. Even more confusing is Iraq’s participation in yesterday’s meeting and apparent lack of response. Maybe no one in the Arab League has been watching the news for the past 7 years. Maybe they do this purposely to insult Iraq and spit in our faces or maybe they are suffering from a severe and dangerous form of schizophrenia. What ever it is they need to start addressing their issues and get help. The summit is being held in Libya, whose leader just recently welcomed members of the Ba'ath Party which is still dreaming of returning to Baghdad and still working tirelessly to destabilise the country.

Iraq does not need Arab Forces to provide security; we just need Arab terrorists to stop blowing themselves up and to stop slaughtering our people. Instead of sending us soldiers why can’t they just stop exporting death? That will work out just fine for us and they can save a lot of money that can be redirected to benefit their own citizens. Instead of spending money on logistically complicated military operations or money to train and arm terrorists they can put that money in a bank and enjoy the wonderful benefits of interest.

What next? Qassem Suleimani offering the Revolutionary Guards to conduct patrols in Baghdad to secure the city? Raghad Hussein offering the services of the Fedayeen and 'muqawama' to secure volatile regions in Iraq?