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What it's like being a secular advocate for women's rights in Iraq right now
I was copied the following news today from a very brave Iraqi who has received death threats for her stance. It makes sobering reading for anyone who has swallowed the Bushists' line on Iraq. Note the bit about women having their ink-stained fingers cut off for having voted.
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Enjoying our Post-election Democracy in Iraq
Basil did not vote, but felt restless. Someone had knocked his door telling him that this position may be registered in the papers and those are the same listings of food rations… in other words, it may affect the food rations his family gets.
Hasan preferred to stay home on such a dangerous day, but changed his mind because of Sistani’s Fatwa: “ … that voting is a most compelling religious duty for every Muslim�?.
Wissam cannot stand the idea of holding elections under occupation. He was under red alert in Kadhimiya-Baghdad hospital just like most of the doctors. They had to take day and night shifts in the hospital in case the outcome of this democratic process floods the hospital with the dead and wounded. He was upset explaining to us why they couldn’t save both legs of the man who happened to be close to one of the exploded centers.
There were others who looked forward to sharing the “democratic process�? though. Wisaal had candidated herself in spite of all our warnings at the time. She visited me with an apologetic smile and behaviour. Sami, her husband, mentioned in a low voice before leaving, that their elections center was controlled by the clergy and their militia were making intimidating suggestions and gestures. In some instances, the voters were accompanied to the last step by a ‘Sayed’. I didn’t want to embarrass Wisaal, but she could see the “I told you�? glance on my face.
One of the other achievements of the new government was opening Baghdad airport, which I had decided to use for the first … and last time - obviously. In a way, I was glad that Iraqi Airlines has finally taken off the ground and were open for the citizens. I was not surprised when the flight attendants served the food manually, and not through a tray. I was not surprised to see flies and mosquitoes on board. The biggest surprise was when we were close to the airport, but still flying at a very high altitude. The plane started to descend in small endless circles that caused even the bravest hearts and stomachs to fear and wonder whether the plane and the pilot were up to this challenge. A business man sitting in a close-by seat went blue and almost fainted while holding strongly to the seat in front of him. After we got off, he swore he is never taking another plane.
In spite of everything, I was optimistic to step into OUR Baghdad airport, previously Saddam’s Airport. While doing some paperwork, the employee asked me: “…so madam, did you get the chance to vote while you were abroad?�? I answered with a straight NO without offering any explanation. To my surprise, he smiled and said: “Neither has any of us in here. We did not dare leave our homes on that day … and don’t you believe all the shows you see over the TV channels of all kinds�?.
Traditionally, any Iraqi has the seventh sense of not chatting with a government/intelligence official. Still, I asked timidly: “Are you serious?�? He answered while handing me my papers: “Well … it applies to me and all the others in this room (3 of them)�?.
Obviously, after the roller coaster trip in the airplane, I could not care much about right and wrong. I just wanted to reach home. I saw the exit full of people going back and forth in frenzy not knowing what to do. The bus driver said after he asked us kindly to get off his bus: “The route to the airport is blocked for the time being … we may receive other instructions after one hour and a half. There is absolutely nothing we can do about it. We all need to wait�?.
The time was close to 5:00 pm. We were in the most dangerous zone in all of Iraq as that area was the last one to be cleared at many stages … and obviously, the “Mujahideen�? and their inhuman projects for the liberation are tremendously organized in that area. Unfortunately, their liberation is more about the “sacred�? land than it is about the people. They do not mind killing tens of Iraqis in every confrontation they hold with the “evil�? Americans. Their liberation is launched through beheadings of whoever has dared to step into “their�? sacred land…and lately, even some Iraqis received their share of those beheadings.
It took two horribly scary hours to leave that mess and have some hope that we will survive for the day. Flocks of Apache helicopters were flying over our heads with their machine guns/bombers pointed in all directions, trying to follow the tracks of those who operated the bombed car around the American four wheel drives. Our cab driver went pale while describing the number of American soldiers’ bodies he saw on the street half an hour ago. He believed he was living a second life … because he had been a few minutes late.
After sleeping for the noisy night here in Baghdad, I needed to meet our friends to recapture our situation and upcoming projects and where it’s all reached. We have reached to the conclusion that there can be absolutely no light of hope as long as the occupation is still inside Iraq. The plans for liberation need the secular and libertarian groups who can bring about the bright scenario … we will work through all means to end this hideous occupation, but we will also make sure that the criminal heroes of kidnapping and beheading will follow the occupiers out of our lives.
The occupiers’ military forces distributed the election flyer at gunpoint. They have empowered the worst groups in Iraq. Previous Baath figures, Islamist theocracy heads and Nationalist fascist parties, whether Arab or Kurdish. These three parties hold hand in hand in a unified position against the free women, youth, men, and all the progressive and especially the working class groups.
We are the big losers in these elections and this is more about women than men… and still, no need to feel this sore about it. For all of those who were tricked by the game and illusion of these elections, the results will be clearer in the coming days: the Balkanization of Iraq has just started and the scum of the scum are ruling now, or at least trying to. The American troops have no intention of stepping out for any reason. They are here to stay and will attract more Islamist terrorists into Iraq.
There is no hope in this puppet government. There is no security or life for us with the daily military harassment of US troops and the deadly Islamist terrorism. It is up to us now to gather the third alternative, the bright and humanitarian one… and we need to gather all forces at this point in time.
We held our OWFI activists meeting. I was surprised at the number of women and men who are looking for us now…among workers, students and intellectuals … and especially the local media. Hadil has set our schedule of daily trips to factories, and the internally displaced complexes. Hanan has our schedule for visiting the student groups, starting in the department of Political Sciences in Baghdad University. Still, the other reports were not as positive and bright. Um Haidar (mother of Haidar) reported that in the city of Mahmoudiya, her sister, a nurse in the local hospital has witnessed around 30 people –mostly women - visit the emergency because their inked finger tip was cut off by the Mujahideen who were angry at their taking part in the voting. Another nurse brought us stories of physical abuse, one of which was done by an American soldier who broke the ribs of a woman in the street with the base of his rifle.
Most distressful of all was the news of the kidnapping of our dear Giuliana Sgrena, the reporter of il manifesto, who was kidnapped by the Mujahideen. She had spent the whole day of last Tuesday and part of Thursday with our activists and one of our shelter residents. We were horrified to think of the possible consequences.
Our office was full of people of all kinds today. In spite of all the difficulties, we sense a desperate determination to keep our banners of freedom and equality flying. I have the feeling that the potential for leading towards a change is much bigger after two years of consecutive lies about security and democracy to be achieved by the CPA and their puppet government.
The time has come for us to increase our numbers and fight back. This deadly circus of forcing a hideous tyranny called “democracy�? cannot go on…anymore.
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02-06-2005, 02:51 PM
