Couple of weeks ago I was waiting for the metro to come when a man came and started a conversation. I immediately told him that I am from Iraq to spice things up! He was very interested. It wasn’t a long time before our conversation turned to politics.

We started to discuss the current issues concerning Iraq and the US. He asked about how things are in Iraq now [the usual question that follows the “huh, you are from Iraq!”]

“Is it as bad as we see it on TV and read about it in the newspapers?” he asked.

“No,” I said.

“Oh. Good,” he cheerfully said.

“It is worse,” I told him! And a whole new conversation arose!

What struck me was that this man, who claimed to be a news junky and never let it pass any news involving the American foreign policy, was totally ignorant. At least he doesn’t know anything about Iraq. Here is why:

We went in a deep discussion on the Iraqi politics, which I love to talk about because it confuses me, so how about the listener! We talked about the federalism law that is being debated in Iraq for more than two years now and every time the Iraqi politicians postpone making up their minds on where to stand with it.

If adopted, the law is likely to formally declare a three-state coalition in Iraq [it is not even a coalition because they would never agree on anything together] but lets call it this way. A Kurdistan region, which is already a separate state for a while now, a Shiite, turbaned and even more uncivilized region then what Iraq is now and finally a Sunni, poor and Bedouin-style region. That said, I should mention that Baghdad will be left to falsely represent the “United Federal Iraq.” But in reality, it will be left to stage the forthcoming massacre of more and more Iraqis. It will be the capital of homicide in the region!

I explained why some of the Iraqis, like the Sunnis, don’t want the federal bill to pass. One of the reasons I mentioned to this American guy was that the Sunnis will never allow the Shiites to enjoy all the oil resources they would be guarding in their region, while they [Sunnis] have nothing. At all. [in a previous post I have said that if the Sunnis had oil wealth in the provinces where they are a majority, they would be the first ones to call for federalism so that they would deprive the Shiite “brothers” from the wealth. And the same applied on the Shiites: if they had no oil, they would be the first ones to appose the bill, because they don’t want to ask the Sunni “brothers” for money whenever they wanted to finance one of the “reconstruction” projects in the south.

By the way, we’ve been hearing about why there are no tangible reconstruction projects seen in Baghdad or the western and northern sides of Iraq [the excuse was always that the security situation is the obstacle. But the southern part of Iraq, where the Shiites are the majority, is safe. Have you heard of any major reconstruction project there? Let me know! [and don’t send me links to projects inside American military bases there because I know that millions of dollars are spent this way!]

Anyway, back to politics.
So, as I was telling this “news junky” why federalism will never work in Iraq, although it maybe the only solution for the bloodshed in Iraq, he interrupted me to ask a question, which he also considered as his solution for Iraq’s problems.

“Maybe the Shiites and the Kurds can form one region and live in it because I know they have good relations,” he said, making a face that said “here you go. What do you think?”

I was speechless. I didn’t know how to reply. Here is a guy who told me that the CNN, The Washington Post, NY Times, LA Times and other main stream media organizations are his source for news and now is asking this question!

Here is a guy, who voted for Bush in both elections, and he doesn’t even know a damn thing about the country his Bush sent the American soldiers to. About a country that more than 2600 Americans have died in leaving maybe as many families behind to suffer the agony of their departure.

Is that how bad we are doing, I mean journalists? Are we misinforming the reader? Why?

“It doesn’t work this way,” I told the man, “there are the Kurds in the north, the Shiites in the south and the Sunnis in between.” I wanted to be as simple as I could.

“Oh. I didn't know that,” he said and kept thinking about another solution, but the metro came and I had to go.

I am shocked.

[I would like to talk in depth about Federalism and some other political issue in the next entry. So you think you want to hear about that? Or did we exhaust the topic already? I will wait for your replied on that question before I write it. I am kind of help-yourself blog now. So, you decide!]

Feeh

Last night, I did something really interesting, for me at least. I went to a Jewish Friday night dinner!

I am really interested in meeting people from all over the world and being in the place where I am is a great opportunity to meet different people. I want to meet people from all religions and all ethnic backgrounds and everything.

I have met a friend over the email when I was back in Baghdad. She is Israeli and is studying in the same school I study in. she emailed me first when she heard that there will be an Iraqi in her class and she was very nice. And since her first email, we’ve been really good friends.

Last night, we were in school attending some lecture about something [I just don’t want to spend time saying what the lecture was about because that’s not my point] and my friend said that she was going to a dinner later, where all people will be Jewish. I wished you would invite me, but before even I finish saying the wish to myself, she said “would you like to come?” and I was like “Sure.” Although I was invited to another party last night that I had to cancel, but she didn’t know.

I was really excited. I always wanted to know how would a big group of Jewish react when they have “an Iraqi” among them, and I was carrying a bag [if you know what I mean.]

I went to the place where the dinner was. I was really hesitant to announce where I am from. Not that I wouldn’t feel comfortable, but I didn’t want to make THEM feel uncomfortable because I am there. But my friend was really excited that she brought “an Iraqi. A Muslim” to their dinner. So, she told several people where I come from.

“Al Salamu Alaikum” said the manager of the Jewish center, where the dinner was, Peace be on you. “You are welcome,” he continued with a really big smile. I just felt he meant what he said.

“Oh, do you smoke?” another guy asked after I introduced myself to him. “Yes,” I said. He rapped his arm around my shoulders and announced loud “the Iraqi and the Jewish. We’ll go have a smoke.” THAT WAS REALLY FUNNY. I saw people’s faces, they were smiling and….. I don’t know what’s the word in English, but I will say that they were excited.

“Shabbat Shalom” everyone said loud to greet each other. I didn't know what that meant because it is in Hebrew. So, I asked my friend, who told me that it meant “Happy Saturday” or “Peaceful Saturday.”

“He is not Jewish,” my friend kept volunteering the detail to everyone I met.

“That’s ok,” one girl said to me with a welcoming smile.

“He is Muslim,” my friend replied interrupted.

“That’s ok too,” the girl said adding “You are welcome.”

I ate their food. I drank their water and juice. I didn’t feel they even cared that I was there. They just acted normal. Dozens of people were in the dining hall, why should they care about me. I was only their guest, who they should make sure was comfortable and fed. And they did.

I wish Ehud Olmert, Hassan Nasrallah, Ismael Haniyeh, Jihasists, and many others, who are messing with our lives so much that they don’t see the truth anymore, I wish they were watching us last night. They should have. They would know that peace in the Middle East is not being achieved because of them, not us!

Feeh!

“We will lead the 21st century into a shining age of human liberty.”

That’s how president Bush described the goal of his “War on Terror” fiction. What a bullshitter!

I don’t understand why he always should look unreasonable whenever he appeared on TV and opened his mouth! I don’t get how would he lead the world into a “shining age of human liberty” I just don’t get it. What are the evidences of that? I don’t see any sign of a better future for the world so far.

He talked about how the countries in the Middle East are enjoying freedom! And how the Iraqis are fighting their way towards a better future and a democratic life. How?

We’ve seen the “democratic” elections in Iraq and the results from that: a radical, turbaned, vengeance and savage governments. We’ve watched with horror the “democratic” election in Palestine: a Palestinian version of the insurgency that is now called a government!

Why does Bush keep calling for democracy in the Middle East when it is clear that the western type of it is not working in our countries? Our people have had enough of decades of dictatorships, during which no one turned to them and helped [a good example for that is the Shiite uprising in Iraq in 1991.] they’ve had enough that when they finally realized, they turned to the superpower of “God.” That happens when there is no trust in our human ability, we just turn to the unseen mysterious power of the unknown, which is in the Muslim dictionary means “God.” And that’s why the Iraqis turned to religious parties to vote for in the elections and the Palestinians turned to HAMAS.

The world is more safe now that Saddam Hussein is not in power, Bush said in his speech. And that made me laugh loud in my cubic room in this beautiful American city of the west. I really liked how he looked into the camera and said it softly and without any trouble!

When Saddam was in power, the Americans could easily go to Iraq and tour the whole country walking alone, late in the night. Nothing would happen to them. NOW THEY CANNOT.

When Saddam was in power, tourists could go to Amman, Jordan, and have fun. Now they have to say “Amman, really. I’ll think about it,” after the British guy got killed in Amman a couple of weeks ago.

And many other examples that I don’t have time now to picture.

It is clear that after the invasion of Iraq [and I am all for the war in Iraq in 2003, but I have to say this] we gave the best and the greatest chance ever to the extremists to play “defenders” of the Arabic and Islamic nations. Now, they have the power and the reason to keep killing people in the streets under the name of Islam and “liberating the land from the occupiers.”

Bush said that the Iraqis are happy now with their freedom!!! What the heck! Wake up man. You missed the whole show. Go read one news story from the Washington Post or New Times or Los Angeles Times or just listen to BBC. And by the way, turn FOX news down so you could hear the real stuff from other sources.

Feeh!