THE IN T VIEWS

The In T View: Marshmallow, Happy Nuptials to an Iraqi Christian

2008-07-24T02:49:00.002-04:00

Worse than under Saddam, that would describe the plight of the majority of Iraq's Christians in the post-Saddam era, victims of Islamic fundamentalism, sectarian violence, and lack of security. Today, the Christians of Iraq which once numbered 1.3 million in Twentieth century are down to an estimated 500 - 600 thousand, with only 100,000 said to be left in Baghdad.

Inhabiting this milieu, this stage of Iraqi history, we have today's In T View guest, Marshmallow of the Iraqi Roses blog, a proud Twenty-something Chaldean Christian woman, one of the indigenous peoples of Iraq, who trace their lineage back to the 9th century BC. Marshmallow, who loves the music of Avril Lavigne is getting married this month to her fiancé, so we offer our congratulations to this quirky, outspoken, and intriguing Iraqi, whose writings stand out in the crowded Iraqi blogosphere.

We thank Marshmallow for taking time out from her busy schedule to participate in the In T View.

Mister Ghost: Which Celebrity or Famous Person has the Sexiest Lips, that you would like to be kissed by?

Marshmallow: My fiancé.

Mister Ghost: Marshmallow, don't hold anything back, we want to know, what do you really think of President George Bush?

Marshmallow: A Texan guy who follow his mind not heart!

Mister Ghost: Did the Americans lie to you and the Iraqi people? Did they fail to keep the promises they made after they invaded your country?

Marshmallow: Americans have nothing to do with us but the American policy towards other countries and some faked reports by the CIA put Americans in the frame of lie. Bush Administration failed to keep the promises.

Mister Ghost: Let's play Before and After. Before the War, I want you tell me if things were better or worse in the following subjects...

Marshmallow:

- Electricity
It was better before

- Security
It was better before

- Crime
Low levels

- Prices
Between Normal and high

- Salaries
Very bad

-Religious Freedom (ability to practice your faith safely)
There was freedom before.

- Freedom of Speech
Restricted

-Entertainment and the Arts
Acceptable

-Traveling outside of Iraq
Very limited.

Mister Ghost: Marshmallow, what does Love mean to you?

Marshmallow: Hard question, LOL… Love is a unique language, it doesn't demand professional linguistics to understand, it is a gift from God to every one no matter who they are!
If you know how to use it, you will be up on the clouds but if not then it will dump you under the ground…
To me, it means to love the person who is the only one who will make me happy.
If I love someone for his hot looking that won't be a true love, but if I love him although his shortcomings then that is the real love!

Mister Ghost: And you are marrying your fiancé sometime this year in an upcoming wedding, tell us about it?

Marshmallow: Well, I am excited for this upcoming event…these are my best days because I am living every moment left of my bachelor life knowing that beyond these steps will be my new chapter of life but this time won't be me alone, my partner and my better half will share all good and bad with me, so am I…

Mister Ghost: Marshmallow, what is it about Avril Lavigne and her music that wets your whistle, gives flights of fancy to your soul, and makes you feel all good inside?

Marshmallow: Hmm Avril…first time I saw Avril on TV was in 2003 right after the war, well I was captivated by her motivated soul, by her voice and by her energy…Her songs were the extra magic agent to be added to her personality…to me she looked bread-and-butter singer which she reminded me of my self, although I was 22 at that time but I felt like I was 17… she is spoiled, so am I…she looks mean but she is good so do I, except for cursing hahah she curses a lot but am not!
The way of her eye make-up drive me nuts cuz she tries to outshoot the blue eyes which I adore, not her eyes but I love blue eyes…

Mister Ghost: What was the name of your favorite doll growing up and why did you like it so much?

Marshmallow: Barbie, she is so fancy and the reason why I liked her because I used to get her attachments besides the doll itself, and that what makes me seeks for more Barbie versions.

Mister Ghost: At one time in the Twentieth Century, Jews comprised one-third of Baghdad's population, now there are only 5 or 6 of them left in Baghdad. With the population of Christians in Baghdad down to around 100,000, are the Iraqi Christians following the same path
as Iraq's Jews?

Marshmallow: It will not happen, Iraq is for all and Iraqi Christians will stay in Iraq because its their homeland.

Mister Ghost: Is there a future in Iraq for anyone who is not a Muslim?

Marshmallow: Hopefully.

Mister Ghost: Is living in Iraq, like living in a big prison?

Marshmallow: Between 1980 - 2006 yes but not now.

Mister Ghost: How important is Jesus in your life?

Marshmallow: Oh Jesus is my life, he is my savior. Without him I am nothing at all…

Mister Ghost: Should women be allowed to become Priests? What about married men?

Marshmallow: Well in America and other countries there are such as Joyce Mayer and Noora Adwar from Egypt, they are preachers but not priests…
Yes, married men can study divinity and devote their services to God, and take care of their wives and children simultaneously. There is nothing wrong with it.

Mister Ghost: Is there a Satan or the Devil? And what of Evil Spirits, do they exist in the world?

Marshmallow: Yes, The name Lucifer has often been understood to be another name for the devil or the Satan. , it was an angel as it is mentioned in Isaiah 14:12-17:
How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the Pit. 16 Those who see you will stare at you, and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17 who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’

Yes, they do exist. When Jesus was to be taken away he said the prince of this world comes. This world is Satan's playground and many oblige him. Jesus said my Kingdom is not of this world.

Mister Ghost: Can a single, unmarried woman in Iraq live by herself or with roommates, away from her family? And why not?

Marshmallow: No, she can not because that is illogical and against the Eastern traditional. Briefly; it is shame.

Mister Ghost: Are Iraqi men lazy, forcing Iraqi women do most of the household chores, shopping, taking care of the children, and preparing meals, while they are out visiting male friends, eating, napping, and watching television?

Marshmallow: Ahem, ahem, hahah…not all of them.
Iraqi men are not lazy they work outside the house and can not find the time to do other chores…Well most of them don't even know how to boil an egg because these are women jobs, shopping? They do shopping unless the markets are too close to the house, the wife can take care of it. Who would take care of children better than moms?

Mister Ghost: Marshmallow, it seems that many women who marry in Iraq, don't have much of a clue about their future husbands. Marriages are arranged, or women are in a rush to get married at a young age, because of the lack of available men, or there's just an acceptance of qisma wa naseeb -- fate and destiny -- by Iraqi women.

Since, you are an engaged-to-be-married Iraqi woman, I must ask you: How well do you know your fiancee? Does he have a good personality? Do your Fiance and you have similar dreams and aspirations? Are you two, compatible in the art of amour (physical love)?

Marshmallow: OK here is the point, not only in Iraq but most of the Middle Eastern countries have almost the same traditions when it comes to marriage, some of them are getting way to opened regarding this subject like Lebanon and Turkey…

It is against the law and religion for man and woman to live together out of marriage frame, it is adultery. They can go out for shopping or parties but at least one of each families member should accompanied them while they are engaged.

Kisses and hugs are allowed…

For myself, my marriage is not arranged at all, my family and fiancé's family known each other before we are born, we used to visit each others, go out on picnics and so on, so you can tell that we have that long - aged intimacy my fiancé and I…he matches me very well so do I…we have lots of thing and thoughts in common and our dreams are almost the same. You can say the chemistry between us is on high level.

He is a man of is word and the most important thing his love is real and his feelings are obvious to every one.

For those who get married at young age or under, that is because of the environment that they live in, their families and societies…some girls afraid to become spinsters so they marry at early ages unconcern of how old he is? What does he do? What his thoughts and goals are in case if he has some!!

Mister Ghost: It appears that there is a double standard in Iraqi society for unmarried men and women. Unmarried women are suppose to be pure, chaste, and remain virgins until their marriage, whereas Iraqi men can sow a few of their wild oats and consort with shady ladies of the night like prostitutes. Is this double standard fair to you Iraqi women? And what exactly do Iraqi men really learn about physical intimacy from having sex with prostitutes?

Marshmallow: Yea, I hate this discrimination. Why women should always be pure , virgin and loyal to whom, they will marry while their males were allowed to play around calling it "youth impetuosity"?? they play with other girls feelings and have fun until it is the time to settle down, they look for the most high-class and educated woman to marry? It is unfair.

Mister Ghost: It seems from what I've read, including Sana Al Kayyat's groundbreaking book, Honour & Shame: Women In Modern Iraq, that Iraqi men are some of the worst lovers on the planet, with little to no knowledge of how to please a woman in bed. In your opinion, what do Iraqi men have to do to become better lovers?

Marshmallow: I HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED THAT YET IN BED…HAHA

Mister Ghost: Marshmallow, if you could be like the great Timelord Doctor Who, and go back in time, would you choose to return to an earlier period in your life and visit your late mother?

Marshmallow: Oh yes, I would love to visit my mom when she first was diagnosed with cancer at least I would be able to be close to her than before and more mature to share things that happened with me lately with her.

Mister Ghost: What is the sweetest memory you have of your mother?

Marshmallow: I am catching my tears now Mr. Ghost…

My sweetest memory when she surprised me with a bike after I scored the highest marks in my class, she hugged me and I hugged her, we kept jumping and dancing for a while.

Mister Ghost: Marshmallow, will the libertine nature of American society change you? When you move to the US with your fiance, will you start to sunbathe topless in your backyard, drink rum and cokes before dinner, and run off with your Hispanic gardener, Manuel?

Marshmallow: Hahah that was hilarious…
No, I would never ever change my ethics and morals that I was raised on by my parents, I will not skin - dipping in my backyard…I don't drink rum not even water before dinner…What makes you think that my gardener will be Hispanic, why not Iraqi for example? LOL…

Mister Ghost: Thanks very much for a nice In T View Marshmallow, and final question, have you ever seen a ghost eating an ice cream cone?

Marshmallow: Yea, I have seen that in cartoons.

Avril Lavigne Images courtesy of:

Flickr.com

http://www.absolutepictures.com/

http://www.avrillavigne-pics.com

http://mog.com/pictures/artists/0000/0000/1288/pictures/75686.jpg

The In T View: Iraqi Translator, An Interpreter At War

2008-06-26T02:34:00.001-04:00

Leopard 02 by pbradyart.

In this In T View, we meet the Iraqi Translator, a twenty-something Iraqi male studying computer science, but more widely known for his role as an Interpreter serving with the Coalition forces and Iraqi Army, and blogging about it at Iraqi Translator's Life.

The Iraqi Translator was against the US invasion of Iraq, but believes the Americans should remain in Iraq until the job is finished, and while, he's angry over the events of Abu Gharib, Haditha, and Ramadi, he doesn't blame the American people...

MG: Hello Iraqi Translator, welcome to the In T View. What's your favorite flavor of Ice Cream?

Iraqi Translator: Hey Mister Ghost(lol), how do you know I like ice cream!!! To put this question in the beginning, you surprised me. Honestly, I Fall in love with strawberry ice cream.

MG: Tell me something about you, that you are really good at?

Iraqi Translator: I'm really good about anything related with Internet and computers.

MG: Why did you become a translator with the Coalition and Iraqi forces?

Iraqi Translator: I have faced a lot of obstacles during my studying, I remembered one day I hadn't pocket money to go college, in addition, when I went to and met my friend over (there), I saw them jobless and everyone looking for any way to get immigration or asylum to any country. When I (came) back from Syria, I was trying to find any job that help me continuing my study, but I failed.

At the same time, I've seen my relatives and my friends working in companies even when they have less qualification than me, and the reason was public relationships. One day, during (I) went home from my college, someone gave me a newspaper called "Baghdad Now" and I saw (an) advertisement about this work. At that time I had decided to join (the) more than 10,000 members and work with them as a translator.

MG: What has been the most dangerous part of your job so far?

Iraqi Translator: In my case, if someone recognize me, that will be the most dangerous part, actually that means the game is over. I don't care about IED's (Improvised Explosive Devices) and EFB (magic IED made in Iran) or VBIED(Vehicle Bomb Improvised Explosive Devices) or clashes here and there, as (I) care about someone see me.

Smoke Art by M.Makri.

MG: And how close have you come to death?

Iraqi Translator: I think I'm (I mean the interpreter) the closest one to the death, even more close than American soldier, he has weapon and I'm not, he is close to the death, just when he goes (on) mission, but I'm close to the death, even when I go home.

MG: You've indicated at your blog, Iraqi Translator's Life, that the Americans don't trust you, "Spies in American view," you say. Can you give us some examples of how this lack of trust makes itself known?

Iraqi Translator: After the famous explosion that happened in Mosul by a translator, the Americans changed the treating way with translators. The new rules set: No cell phone, No PX/Bx sometimes, and escort required in the most of bases. The funny thing, when he asked you to take off your shoes!!!! in some bases, and all these rules don't happen with the Indian or Fiji persons. But sometimes I give them the excuses to do that, if Iraqis have no dignity inside his country and with his government, how can Americans respect him and treat him with respect.

MG: And you mention that your fellow Iraqis, see you as a "traitor." Can you highlight some of their reactions to you?

Iraqi Translator: Let me (be) honest with you and tell you the biggest reaction against us: What do you say when you see this sentence written by paints (graffiti) on the walls of neighborhoods: "Killing to agents...Killing to traitors" That the clearest thing you can see it directly by your eyes.

MG: What was your life like before the war? A happy life, a sad life, a life lacking in freedom and opportunities?

Iraqi Translator: A life lacking in freedom and opportunities.

MG: You lived through 13 difficult years of UN sanctions against Iraq. Did you find that during this time frame, Iraqi culture changed?

Iraqi Translator: Certainly, the Iraqi culture changed during that time, but Saddam has not allowed any one to show up that changing, but that happened after 2003, and all people around the world has seen that changing by robbing and destroying and burning and killing operations.

MG: For instance, in the book, Voices Of Resistance: Muslim Women On War, Faith & Sexuality, Ms. Nermin Al-Mufti says this about the period of Iraqi sanctions: ...the most important thing we have lost is our value scale. Our values are now upside down. During the sanctions many people got involved with smuggling and other illegal and immoral activities in order to make money, and through such activities have accumulated some measure of wealth. Such illegal activities are so commonplace now that they are affecting the dominant moral values of our society. Did the sanctions drive the Iraqis into becoming a less moral and ethical people?

Iraqi Translator: I agree with her. The accumulations between 1991 and 2003 are enough to drive the Iraqis into becoming a less moral and ethical people.

Flores. by Net1986.

MG: Did the US have the right to invade and occupy Iraq?

Iraqi Translator: Nobody has the right to displace a family from their house whatever the justifications, take that example as an answer among countries. Of course, U.S. had no right to do that.

MG: In your opinion, after the events of the last five years, was the war justified?

Iraqi Translator: Hell no.

MG: In the last sixty years or so, your fellow Iraqis have basically run out (chased away) the Jews, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Armenians, Greeks, Sabaeans/Mandaeans, etc... Are the Iraqis an intolerant people?

Iraqi Translator: After 2003, Yes , they are.

MG: We're frequently told by the Iraqi bloggers that Iraqis are a secular group of people, but the last election seemed to showcase an Iraq, where the Shia voted for Shia candidates, the Sunni for Sunnis, and the Kurds for the Kurdish parties. So, are the Iraqis really truly a secular people?

Iraqi Translator: Yes, they were a secular people but nowadays, I don't think so, especially the Iraqi people inside Iraq.

MG: Among all the Politicians and alleged Leaders in Iraq, who is the biggest thief and liar, and why?

Iraqi Translator: Strange question!!! , I think all of them are angels!!!!!!!!!!! (lol)

MG: Let's talk about the Green Zone, a place you seem to have some familiarity with. There have been rumors of a legendary brothel or brothels in the Green Zone? Have you heard anything about this and are the rumors true?

Iraqi Translator: Actually, there are no rumors at all !!! because that is the truth, a lot of brothels in the GZ, from all nationalities, just let me know sir: what is your favorite flavour of .........? and I'll try hard to get your order, even if your request (is) outside Green Zone!!!(they said that, not me).

Koi by See El Photo.

MG: So, what does the future hold for you? Will you stay in Iraq or will you seek a Visa to come to the United States as suggested by Neurotic Iraqi Wife?

Iraqi Translator: It's not easy to go to States, I need one of these things to go to states as Department Of State said (1000000$, American spouse, (Neorotica help) General signature (lol)). I think as Neorotica said in her blog, we need a lot of persons like Col. M, and unfortunately you cannot find easily person like Col. M.

Of course, if there is a chance to go to states, I'll never lose it but when I've been starting this work, I put 2 plans to end this story except the VISA issue, when any of these plans happen, I'll retire!!! from this job and I'll publish my civilian blog without any worry from emails get to my inbox and trying to fall me in the trap.

Finally I'd like to say: thanks to you and to my Godmother Neorotica for her help and support.

We thank the Iraqi Translator for a nice In T View.

The In T View: Rotten Gods: Burning A Quran In Iran

2008-05-18T22:54:00.001-04:00

Angel by Marc Quinn

Intriguing tiny praying skeleton in Winchester Cathedral,
Winchester, UK. Taken from a cast of a 22-week old
foetus skeleton, cast in bronze, then painted white.

Iranian dissenter(s) and rights activist(s) Rotten Gods of FireonQuran.com is/are the bravest of the brave. When you think of a nation that has a dissident(s) burning Qurans to protest against Islamic supremacism, Sharia law, and religiously-inspired totalitarianism, to tell you the truth, a Muslim country like Iran is not the first place that comes to mind.

It is easy for those in the West, especially in the United States, with its rights of freedom and press, and separation of church and state, to engage in acts of dissent and protest, because the penalty is limited for civil disobedience. Yes, perhaps the person may lose their job, spend a night in jail, or be forced by their parents to clean the basement, but for Rotten Gods, the price is much higher.

Discovery by the Iranian regime likely means a charge of blasphemy and death, perhaps even swinging in the polluted Tehran breeze from that dark, foreboding crane, we've all grown accustomed to seeing...

Photo Hanging in the still breeze,
Tehran, Iran - Courtesy of Difficult Images

MG: Hello Rotten Gods, Welcome to the In T View.

Rotten Gods: Hello MG, Thanks for having me.

MG: The Quran is considered by Muslims to be the sacred and immutable words of Allah. To light it on fire is viewed by Muslims as a horrendous act of blasphemy. Why have you done it?

Rotten Gods: My country, "Islamic Republic of Iran" (official name) is a well-known fundamental Islamic country and it's 29 years old, started right after revolution in 1979. Here Islamic rules are the main focus of everything, I mean everything will be measured with Islamic rules and teachings! Now let's take a look at stats, 180+ executions in 2006, 317+ in 2007, and 23 executions just in the first ten days of 2008. We don't have stats of torture cases, in fact there is no need for stats, because torture is part of police and prison system in Iran. It's undeniable.

Victim hung after being whipped - July 2007
execution - Courtesy of Holy Crime.com

Simply I have to say, if word of Allah permit such actions on supposedly his own creatures then I have to burn Allah personally which I have started with his words. I had four reasons when I started my protest against Islamic dictatorship of Iran which are:

1. Abusing Human Rights,

2. Executions,

3. Lack of freedom in society, specially for dissidents and imprisoning any of them,

4. Widespread injustice in society and specially in Judiciary system.

If setting Quran on fire is a horrendous act of blasphemy in Muslims' viewpoint, I would challenge every Muslim to answer me; what would they call their Muslim-leaders-on-going-inhuman actions towards people?

MG: Is the Quran a sacred and holy book or is it just a book, similar to all books written by the hand of man?

Copy of Burnt Quran at Sadriyah market in Baghdad
after a car bomb attack that killed at least 127 people
and injured 148 in April of 2007 - Courtesy AP

Rotten Gods: Yes, I believe so it's just a book like every other book. I have not seen that any holy thing come out of it while I was burning them.

MG: What has been the reaction inside Iran, and worldwide to your website?

Rotten Gods: I had lots of threats and hate messages towards myself and my family in day one that I announced it in Iranian blogosphere community. In exact same day, they censored this blog in Iran so people couldn't read my blog anymore. Due to my blog filtering, I don't have enough response from Iranian communities in Iran. You wouldn't believe if I tell you that most hate messages came to me from Muslims in England, Australia, Canada, USA, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Emirates!

It seems that Muslims in western countries tend to be more fundamental than Muslims in other countries! I am not sure yet.

Also many people have supported me with their warm messages and I am very thankful.

MG: You believe religious disobedience is the key to saving the Iranian people from ruling class of Mullahs. Can you tell us why?

Rotten Gods: Islam is a political way of life. It is a strict socioeconomic structure which enforce rules rigorously on masses including non-Muslims and non-believers. It leaves no way out of this religion and no right for people. Islam means submission or total surrender and every Muslim should surround oneself to God, so he will be a follower and there is no room to argue against its rules and instructions. And any argument against it has harsh capital punishments. Islam should separate from politics. Or simply it is better to put this way into words, Islam is totalitarian form of politics and in order to achieve to open society, Iranians should fight back with current religious dictatorship regime. So Muslims should compromise a little more during this fight although they are free to hold on to Islam while it doesn't hurt anybody.

MG: Are you under any illusions as to what will will happen to you, if the Iranian regime discovers your identity? Will they accuse you of blasphemy and hang you from that giant crane?

Swan by Christina Qualiana

Rotten Gods: I wish. I mean I wish Iran was a democratic country and I was free to express my opinion without fear of terror, sudden death, or death penalty in public. In blasphemy cases, sharia law strictly orders to hang, behead, or throw convicted from height e.g. mountain.

MG: Rotten Gods, can you tell us about the significance of your name? Why did you chose this name? Are all Gods rotten or do you agree with someone like Robert Spencer that certain religions are more tolerant than others?

Rotten Gods: I guess it would be better that your readers tell us about significance of this name on the protest, what do you think?

I should mention that I borrowed this name from someone I know. This name is much relevant to my beliefs. I don't know Robert Spencer and I am not familiar with his belief but there is no doubt that there are some religions which are very much tolerant than others. I should mention that I am not religious.

MG: Is there a God?

Behold - Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois

Rotten Gods: I don't think so.

MG: Frequently, Muslims will say that Islam is a Religion of Peace? Is this really so?

Rotten Gods: No, not at all. I have seen hanging scenes in city while poor men/women were going to die, others hailed "Allah is great". There is no peace in Islam. If truly Islam was religion of peace, we couldn't see the terrorist attacks between very own Muslims.

MG: You are critical of the so-called "Moderate Muslims." Can you tell us why?

Rotten Gods: Moderate Muslims supposed to be critical of situations within Islam and Islamic societies while abusing human rights, injustice judiciary system, imprisoning dissidents in Iran (and all other Islamic states) are well-known problems, and especially executions in Iran. Not only they don't criticize these behaviors in Islamic, but many times they have supported them and consider these incidents as an internal affair of state, so the slogan has been "we should not interfere". On the other hand, these groups were so sharp to attack my protest, because I set fire on Quran, because they believe in the Quran.

It simply means they don't really believe in human rights as much as they believe in Quran. Many incident has happened in Islamic states and this brand, I mean moderate Muslims, if you will, has proved that is not functional.

And it can't be, because for a Moderate Muslim we need a moderate Islam and moderate education. Nobody can advocate for Moderate Muslim ideology while there is no moderate Islam at the first place. So these brand shouldn't call themselves Moderate Muslim while they don't have appropriate tools and moves. They have to develop a Moderate Islam which includes Quran, hadiths and many other Islamic teachings. Then, hopefully next generations can call themselves moderate Muslim, then we can drop "moderate" and it would be an Islam without barbaric teachings.

MG: Should Iran be allowed to develop Nuclear Weapons?

Lost Horizon

Rotten Gods: Not at all, except if there is a suicide plan.

MG: Will there be a regime change in Iran?

Rotten Gods: For sure it will. The problem is timing.

MG: Would you favor an American intervention in Iran?

Rotten Gods: I prefer diplomacy and simply if any one of world powers doesn't support Islamic regime of Iran, there won't be any intervention but if diplomacy doesn't work, I need to know pre-analysis of intervention before reply to your question.

If there would be some strategic analysis of Islamic regime of Iran's behavior then we will exactly know, how to deal with them, where to begin, and where to stop.

MG: Good Cop, Bad Cop, Iranian Style: We know that former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami is frequently portrayed as a moderate and a reformer, and the man that replaced him, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an unabashed hardliner, but is this an example of the Persian version of good cop, bad cop with both men being part of the same system?

Dragon Ying-Yang

Rotten Gods: Exactly. Although I can't call Khatami, Good Cop. Just he doesn't say same things that Ahmadinejad have been saying doesn't make him any better. As you mentioned, both of them are part of the same system, the whole notion of Reformist party which Khatami has been part of it, in front of Conservative party, is just a puppet show for masses and all of them are part of the same system. The system suggests that we do have democracy in Iran because we can choose between these two opponent (!) parties and vote for whom we want but I call it Totalitarian Islamic Democracy.

For example, secret nuclear enrichment doesn't belong only to Ahmadinejad era, it has been going on in Iran for almost 20 years. Just figure it out how many presidents and PMs were informed.

MG: What is worse, the repression of the dictator or the repression of the Islamists?

Rotten Gods: Both because they use all means and resources to do what they want.

MG: So, where do you go from here?

Rotten Gods: Continuing this protest to pass the message to as many as people that we can.

MG: If people want to get involved with your effort, how can they support you?

Rotten Gods: Regardless of which country you are, you should speak up to clean the world from this religious superstition. If you want to, set the Quran on fire, and send us your video. Also link to www.fireonquran.com

Thanks MG for this interview.

Thanks to Rotten Gods for the In T View.

The In T View: Rotten Gods: Burning A Quran In Iran

2008-05-18T22:39:00.001-04:00

Angel by Marc Quinn

Intriguing tiny praying skeleton in Winchester Cathedral,
Winchester, UK. Taken from a cast of a 22-week old
foetus skeleton, cast in bronze, then painted white.

Iranian dissenter(s) and rights activist(s) Rotten Gods of FireonQuran.com is/are the bravest of the brave. When you think of a nation that has a dissident(s) burning Qurans to protest against Islamic supremacism, Sharia law, and religiously-inspired totalitarianism, to tell you the truth, a Muslim country like Iran is not the first place that comes to mind.

It is easy for those in the West, especially in the United States, with its rights of freedom and press, and separation of church and state, to engage in acts of dissent and protest, because the penalty is limited
for civil disobedience. Yes, perhaps the person may lose thir job, spend a night in jail, or be forced by their parents to clean the basement, but for Rotten Gods, the price is much higher.

Photo Hanging in the still breeze,
Tehran, Iran - Courtesy of Difficult Images

MG: Hello Rotten Gods, Welcome to the In T View.

Victim hung after being whipped - July 2007
execution - Courtesy of Holy Crime.com

1. Abusing Human Rights,

2. Executions,

3. Lack of freedom in society, specially for dissidents and imprisoning any of them,

4. Widespread injustice in society and specially in Judiciary system.

If setting Quran on fire is a horrendous act of blasphemy in Muslims viewpoint, I would challenge every Muslim to answer me; what would they call their Muslim-leaders-on-going-inhuman actions towards people?

If setting Quran on fire is a horrendous act of blasphemy in Muslims' viewpoint, I would challenge every Muslim to answer me; what would they call their Muslim-leaders-on-going-inhuman actions towards people?

MG: Is the Quran a sacred and holy book or is just a book, similar to all books written by the hand of man?

Copy of Burnt Quran at Sadriyah market in Baghdad
after a car bomb attack that killed at least 127 people
and injured 148 in April of 2007 - Courtesy AP

Swan by Christina Qualiana

Behold - Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois

MG: You are critical of the so-called "Moderate Muslims." Can you tell us why?

MG: Should Iran be allowed to develop Nuclear Weapons?

Lost Horizon

Dragon Ying-Yang

MG: So, where do you go from here?

Rotten Gods: Continuing this protest to pass the message to as many as people that we can.

Thanks MG for this interview.

Thanks to Rotten Gods for the In T View.

The In T View: Hayder Al-Khoei: I Believe Muqtada al-Sadr Ordered My Father's Murder

2008-05-02T20:49:00.026-04:00

The Creation by Michael Parkes

Hayder Al-Khoei (Eye Raki) is not your average Iraqi blogger. As a scion of the powerful and prestigious Al-Khoei family, he stands out as one of the great hopes for Iraq and one of the few Iraqi bloggers who can truly make a difference.

MG: Hayder Al-Khoei welcome to The In T View. As Neil once said on The Young Ones, "Boom Shanka: May the seed of your loin be fruitful in the belly of your woman."

First question, What's your favorite flavor of ice cream and where can you find a decent ice cream cone in Najaf?

Hayder Al-Khoei: I don't eat ice cream because we don't get much sun in London and I doubt you can find a decent cone in Najaf.

MG: Second question, Will there ever be a Doctor Who convention in Najaf?

Hayder Al-Khoei: Yes, after a beauty pageant is held in the Vatican.

MG: Well Hayder, I think it's safe to say, you are not the average Iraqi blogger. Although it's difficult to define exactly, whom the average Iraqi blogger is, generally the average Iraqi blogger does not have profiles of their father and grandfather in Wikipedia.

Being the son of Sayyid Abdul Majid Al-Khoei and the grandson of Grand Ayatollah Abdul-Qasim Al-Khoei, has there been pressure on you to follow in the footsteps of your family members? Why aren't you in Qom right now gaining your Ayatollahness?

Hayder Al-Khoei: There has always been more pressure from outside my family than in. My father always taught me to think for myself and make my own decisions.

His father like-wise never pressured his own sons to become clerics,and he was the marja'. I still haven't decided what to do after I finish my Politics degree here in the UK, but if I do study in the 'hawza' its not going to be in Qum.

MG: Your grandfather passed away in Iraq in 1992, while under a Saddam-imposed house arrest; your Uncle, Sayyed Mohamed Taghi Al Khoei died in a mysterious car accident in Iraq in 1994; and your father was assassinated in Najaf on April 10 2003... and here you are away from your home in London, back in Najaf. Do you ever say to yourself, "Hayder, what the hell are you doing here?" Why exactly have you returned to Najaf and is it a dangerous place for you?

Camel Spider, Najaf Area, C/O of bound4glory1884.

Hayder Al-Khoei: Najaf was and will always remain my real home. London is my home away from home. So no I've never felt out of place in Najaf. I personally don't think Najaf is a dangerous place for me. I travel without protection around the city. When we get stopped at police checkpoints, some Taxi drivers who would find out my identity would refuse to take the fare or invite me to their homes. I never once felt I was in danger.

MG: Who do you believe murdered your father and why do you think he was killed?

Hayder's father, Sayyid Abdul Majid Al-Khoei

Hayder Al-Khoei: I believe it was Moqtada al-Sadr who ordered the murder. My grandfather did not accept Moqtada's father as a Grand Ayatollah and was attacked (verbally) many times by the senior al-Sadr and his followers. Ever since my father left Iraq he was seen as a traitor by them who left the Iraqis to suffer while living a life of luxury in London. My father was older and had more religious credentials than Moqtada and was a natural rival.

The theory that my father was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, i.e., he simply got in the way of the real target, Hayder al-Rufai'i, is nonsense because the first thing members of Moqtada's office did was look for my father. It was a perfect opportunity to take out two of Sadr's enemies with one stone.

MG: In 2004, there was an arrest warrant issued by Judge Raed Juhi against Muqtada al-Sadr and his followers in the death of your father, but it was never enforced. As to why the warrant was never served, some say it was buried by the CPA (Coalition Provisional Authority), but others claim the Iraqi Government under Prime Minister Ibrahim al Jaafari squelched the warrant, because he needed the support of Muqtada al-Sadr to become Prime Minister. Why was the arrest warrant never served and can you update us on its current status?

Hayder Al-Khoei: The arrest warrant is still standing, but it was not enforced by the CPA or following governments, not just Ja'fari's. A time and date had been set by the CPA to arrest Moqtada for murder charges and it was supposed to be an Iraqi led-operation with US forces on stand-by just in case things went wrong. In the very last minute the Americans pulled out and the Iraqi forces refused to go ahead with the operation.

Until this day, the case has been at the mercy of politics, and politics has no mercy.

MG: Iraq is the land of conspiracy theories and rumors, so it's not surprising there is a lot of conjecture related to your father's death. One rumor I'd like to ask you about, that has been prominently mentioned, is your father was given $3 million dollars by the American CIA/Defense Department to purchase influence among the Iraqi Shia. Is there any veracity to this rumor?

Hayder Al-Khoei: Is it $3m or $13m? Which one is used more in the press? My father did not need money to purchase influence in Iraq. His name alone could influence a lot more Iraqis than US dollars can buy. Like Moqtada, it is simply his name that makes him such a popular figure. But let us speak about the $3m or $13m. That money could not have been wired in an account because its not like my father could have used his credit card to buy kebabs in Najaf. That money would have had to be hard cash. Cash would have to be carried by someone and the people with him would have seen it or at least known about it. Why is it then that only an "anonymous source" knows about this money?

I went with him to Washington DC before the war and in the meetings he had with various officials, money was never mentioned.

MG: Before your father returned to Iraq in 2003 from exile in England, he must have discussed the post-Saddam future of Iraq with his family. Can you tell us about your father's vision for Iraq?

Hayder Al-Khoei: My father would spend a lot of time traveling and working so when he did spend time with us it would be devoted to his family, not his work. So naturally Iraq was not discussed much. I however had interest in politics ever since I was a kid, and had the privilege of traveling a lot with him. His vision for Iraq, which he would repeat over and over again, was to start a new page in Iraq's history. He wanted to forget everything associated with the past and look to building a new forward-thinking democratic Iraq that respects all walks of life.

MG: And what is your vision for Iraq? What type of society would you like to see Iraq evolve in to?

Hayder Al-Khoei: I hope to see an Iraq where "wasta" no longer works. An Iraq where individuals are elected and appointed based on merit and qualifications, not name and connections. Iraq has a very traditional and conservative society. I don't think it will change but I want it to be a society that is tolerant and understanding of other cultures/beliefs. I wish to see a secular Iraq where religion plays little or no role in government.

Iraqi's sometimes look to places like Dubai with amazement and awe, I want the entire Arab and Muslim world to look at Iraq and say "wow". I am optimistic but a realist at the same time, I know we are decades away from that but I hope to see that Iraq within my lifetime.

MG: Your grandfather, Grand Ayatollah Abdul-Qasim Al-Khoei, seems to have been a larger than life figure. Born in Iran, before he moved to Najaf at age 13, he wrote 37 books and treatises, established numerous Islamic charities, foundations, and institutions around the world, and was the Marja (Islamic scholar) who instructed everyone from Ayatollah Sistani to Mohammad Baqir As-Sadr to Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardebili, former Chief Justice of Iran to Mahdi Al-Hakim.

Did you have a chance to spend any time with your grandfather before he was arrested by the Iraqi government, and what are your memories of him?

Young Hayder with Grampa Grand Ayatollah Al-Khoei
Photo courtesy of Hayder al-Khoei

Hayder Al-Khoei: I remember a few things about my grandfather. I think its safe to say I wasn't his favourite grandchild. He used to tie my legs with rope to stop me moving around because I would constantly flip over the fruit or sugar bowl in front of important guests. The thing he hated most was when I was around his office. Although he deals with millions of dollars, my grandfather was well-known for his strict oversight so when I would rip (or eat) a receipt for a few dinars he would become extremely angry and blame my mother for letting me near his papers.

MG: Would it be accurate to say that your grandfather as senior Shia cleric/Marja was the closest thing to a Shia concept of a Pope?

Hayder Al-Khoei: The Pope is the undisputed leader of Catholics, but there is usually more than one Grand Ayatollah. But yes, it is the closest thing we have to a Pope.

MG: And, there was an ideological battle between your grandfather and Ayatollah Khomeini. Can you describe to us, why they were in disagreement?

The Evil One Himself, Ayatollah Khomeini

Hayder Al-Khoei: His differences with Khomeini were on the role Islam should play in the state. My grandfather believed politics should be left for the politicians and religion to the clerics and saw no place for Islam in the government. He saw the religion as something pure that is a matter between the created and the creator and that should not be mixed with
politics.

Khomeini on the other hand believed that it is the cleric himself who should be the head of state and that Islam should play a fundamental role in government. Khomeini went further by stating that the head of state should be obeyed by the Muslim world in the same way the Prophet and Imams were obeyed. The Prophets and Imams in the Shia faith are divine figures, so when Khomeini gave these lectures in Najaf, people began to accuse him of being a self-proclaimed semi-divine figure.

Khomeini and my grandfather rarely bumped into each other in Najaf, but when they did they both respected each other and greeted each other warmly. When Khomeini landed in Baghdad, his son Mustafa called my uncle to let him know they were on their way to Najaf. It was their students who would argue with each other and have heated debates regarding which idea is more 'Islamic'.

Revolutionary fanatics hated my grandfather for not supporting Khomeini's take over in Tehran. They would publicly chant "Farah don't worry, when the Shah dies Khoei will marry you" in reference to the Iranian Empress who visited my grandfather.

MG: Because you are part of the al-Khoei family, there has been a lot of emphasis placed on the deeds of the male members in your family, but what about your mother? Can you tell us about your mother and what type of influence she has had on your life and the lives of your
siblings?

Happy Mother's Day to Hayder's Mom

Hayder Al-Khoei: My mother is my role model. She lost her husband and father within a month of each other but still stood strong. What ever life has thrown at her has bounced straight back. She is a wonderful person with a great heart whose family mean everything to her and who means everything to her family. I look up to her with respect and admiration, as does everyone who knows her.

MG: And what is your favorite dish, dessert, or meal that your mother makes?

Hayder Al-Khoei: Everything she makes is my favourite.

MG: Hayder, you live in Najaf, one of the most conservative places in Iraq, where women are forced to wear Abbayas and are harangued by the clergy and other men, if they are not properly attired in their view. Myself, I am very much anti-Hijab and if I were in power, I would ban the Hijab in the West, because it subjugates women, and I would certainly outlaw the Abbaya or Burqa, which renders women invisible. What are your thoughts on the Abbaya and other forms of Hijab? Should Muslim women be forced to wear them or should it be a personal choice in clothing?

Raquel Welch in Najaf, Iraq - 1,000,000 Years BC.
Today, she would be wearing an Abbaya.

Hayder Al-Khoei: Hijab has a cultural as well as religious aspect to it. My wife for example does not wear the same hijab in London as she does in Najaf because of the cultural 'norms' of a certain society or place but at the end of the day women should be free to wear what they want. I am against banning the hijab as passionately as I am against forcing the hijab. It is a personal choice that should be made by the individual, not big brother.

MG: Hayder, what's the best book that you've read in the last six months and why?

Hayder Al-Khoei: The Shia Revival by Vali Nasr because he explores the political and religious trends across the Middle-East and gives explains the Shia way of life (or ways of life). It also gives the reader an insight into the 1400 year old battle between Shia Islam and Sunni Islam and why they are at each others throats again.

MG: Hayder, it seems a natural thing for you to run for political office in Iraq, say the Prime Minister's spot, since you are the scion of a powerful, influential, and well respected family that carries a lot of Wasta, you are Western-trained, have a liberal education, speak fluent English and Arabic, and seem moderate and tolerant in your positions. Do you have any interest in Iraqi politics and could you use an American campaign manager?

Hayder Al-Khoei: I think if he you had told Maliki he would become Prime Minister of Iraq 6 years ago he would have laughed in your face. So who knows what could happen in 20 years time? Yes of course I have an interest in Iraqi politics but hopefully by then, my name will not be enough to run for office.

I hope to see Iraqi experts reach a standard that a US Presidential candidate would be looking for an Iraqi campaign manager, not the other way around. Thanks for the offer.

MG: You recently met with liberal Shia cleric Iyad Jamal Al-Deen, whose views about the United States, Israel, and the need for secularism in Iraq society are of great appeal to the West, but have alarmed his fellow Shia and Sunni clerics, who label him as a heretic.

Being cognizant of the fact of what happens to those who are labeled heretics in the Islamic world, do you think the political alliance of IIyad Allawi and Jamal Al-Deen will have an impact in the next Iraqi election, or will the Iraqi voters once again reject Secularism, and see the Shia voting for Shia parties, the Kurds choosing Kurds, and the Sunni electing members from the Sunni lists?

Hayder Al-Khoei: I was surprised that over 35,000 Iraqi's voted for secularism in Najaf, whose community is extremely religious. I cannot predict how good/bad Allawi will do next time but I think the overwhelming majority of voters will still vote along sectarian lines. Obviously the Shia voter believes the Shia politician will benefit him more than a Sunni politician, and vice versa. Maybe 15% of Iraqi's will not vote along sectarian lines, but I hope that number will rise with every election.

MG: Hayder, thanks very much for a nice In T View, and you have to promise me, if you ever become an Ayatollah, you'll begin one of your sermons with, "I am the ayatullah of rock-and-rollah..."

The Ayatullah of Rock-and-Rollah

Hayder Al-Khoei: Your welcome. Fat chance.

The In T View: Bill Putnam, Combat Photographer On Iraq, War, Photography, And Blogging

2006-10-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

Soldiers take a young boy accidentally shot at a traffic control point to an awating field ambulance the evening of Aug. 1, 2004. The boy's father tried running the check point in Baghdad's al Rashid District on a stressful and confusing night when five Christian churches in Baghdad and Mosul were carbombed by al Qaeda in Iraq... by Bill Putnam

Bill Putnam from Portland, Oregon, today's guest in the In T View, served for eight years as a photojournalist with the American military in both Kosovo and Iraq. After his tour of duty with the Army's 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment in Iraq ended, he returned to the country as an embedded Photojournalist working for the Zuma
Press and as a freelancer for Time Magazine.

Bill, who has written for newspapers, journals, and magazines, besides doing radio reports for North Country Public Radio, is also the proud proprietor of the very fine An independent look at Iraq blog, where you can peruse his wide range of beautiful photographs and his thoughts about Iraq. Bill will soon be moving to a new photographic assignment in Washington D.C., where he'll be covering the White House and Capitol Hill.

THE JOURNEY THERE

Mister Ghost: Should the United States have gone to War against Iraq?

Bill Putnam: That's a hard question to crack. I never thought about the grand political schemes or conspiricies that drove the war. I just know from the trench level, where I spent 99 percent of my time, that the Iraq was wasn't what we were told. So the question of whether we should've gone to war or not really, to me, is unanswerable. Everyone has their own opinion on the subject. The tough answer whether we like it or not is that we're there, we're stuck and we have to do what we can.

Mister Ghost: In one of your blog entries, you said your tour of duty in Iraq was over in about five months and you were never returning to Iraq. You were pretty emphatic about it. And yet, there you were, less than a year later, back in Iraq as a civilian photojournalist. What motivated you to return to the country?

Bill Putnam: I went back to cover the biggest war of my generation. It took a chance meeting with a veteran war correspondent to motivate me. Then I started thinking about photographing war. My first bit of conflict photography came during my deployment to Kosovo in 1999. I just felt like I was photographing something real, something tangible. Having the opportunity to photograph the war wasn't an easy one to decide upon. So the decision to come back was a big one that only happened after a bit of luck and a lot of thinking.

Mister Ghost: How difficult was it to actually return to Iraq? What obstacles did you face?

Bill Putnam: Going back wasn't too difficult. The only obstacle I faced was getting the mental stamina to go back. I'd been there for a year before and was thoroughly exhausted by it.

Mister Ghost: Had you had any prior combat photography experience in a War Zone before you got to Iraq?

Bill Putnam: The only experience I had in a war zone was my two deployments to Kosovo in 1999 and 2001. But I can't really count that second trip as a war zone. Kosovo was calm by then.The first trip though, I think, prepared me mentally for the stresses of it very early in my career.

IMPRESSIONS OF IRAQ

Mister Ghost: Did the Iraq of reality match up to the Iraq of your fantasies or dreams?

Bill Putnam: Fantasies or dreams... I never had dreams or fantasies of Iraq.

Mister Ghost: Iraq, the Hot. You were there in the Heart of the Dragon's Breath. Describe the Heat to us?

Bill Putnam: Ok, I can sink my teeth into this answer. The heat is unimaginable to anyone from the West. Imagine sitting in a sauna set at 140F. You're wearing anywhere from 25-50 pounds of gear. Now, hold up a hair dryer going full blast to your face. You're obviously sweating, a lot. The sweat chafes your skin almost raw. Your face, hands and feet swell up from the heat too. You drink water and gatorade all the time but the sweat never ends. Now put a 5-pound kevlar helmet on. Soon your head gets hot. Yes, it really is hot and I'm not sure I can even adequetly describe it. Hopefully this answer does it some justice.

Mister Ghost: You were a Corporal in the Army's 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. Can you tell us what your role in Iraq was and how it was different from your experience in Kosovo?

Bill Putnam: Comparing Kosovo and my first time in Iraq is hard. Both missions were different. Most of the Kosovars loved NATO's presence. Most Iraqis don't want Americans or foriegners there. Job wise it wasn't that different. I covered the military and dealt with the civilian media a lot.

Mister Ghost: Baghdad is?

Bill Putnam: A Hobbesian landscape of the strong eating the weak.

Mister Ghost: Mosul was?

Bill Putnam: A place where the fault lines of Iraq lie completely naked. Sunni Arabs, Kurds, Christians... all groups live there and all are vying for control. I only regret not being able to stay longer and explore them.

Mister Ghost: You mentioned garbage, garbage, everywhere in the neighborhoods of Baghdad. Piling up next to tidy houses, blowing in the hot breeze, children jumping over it, trash being burnt by the Iraqis... and the Raw Sewage wafting out in the open.. So, what type of impression did this leave on you?

Bill Putnam: The immense amounts of garbage... was a sign of the war and the collapse of Iraqi society. Its also a sign that humans can adapt to almost any situation. At first I wondered why anyone could live hat way. Its obviously unhealthy so why not clean up your block? But the ironic thing was every home's courtyard was clean. Some even had a small patch of grass. Then after a time I understood the trash and sewage outside was a sign of Iraqi society. It had devloved into something like anarchy. In other words it had become "I don't care about you, just about me and mine." That understanding helped me deal with it. That trash was also a sign the Coalition was swimming against the current.

Mister Ghost: Bill, Iraq receives such negative publicity: bombings, killings, unrest, kidnappings, civil strife...It's sort of portrayed as Hell on Earth by the Media. Having experienced Iraq from both a soldier's and photojournalist's perspective, what did you like about the country?

Bill Putnam: My experiences with Iraqi civilians was fairly limited at first. Either they worked for the Coalition or I met them during a raid on their homes. It wasn't until I came back as a civilian and lived downtown that I really met them. So I can say I miss the people I met over there.

Mister Ghost: And conversely, what did you dislike about Iraq?

Bill Putnam: The fact I could be kidnapped and murdered simply because I'm a westerner.

Mister Ghost: What didn't you have in Iraq, that you had in the States?

Bill Putnam: I didn't have a lot of alcohol in Iraq.

Mister Ghost: In the end, do you feel that Iraq was worth your time and effort?

Bill Putnam: I do feel Iraq was worth the time and effort. It was the biggest war my country has fought since Vietnam. Covering it, even if my bit of it was small, means I'm part of the historical record.

Mister Ghost: You said in an interview with David Sommerstein on NCPR that, "I just wanted to tell the story of Iraq." Do you think you succeeded?

Bill Putnam: I think I told one small part of the story. Unfortunately I couldn't move around downtown and talk with individual Iraqis and photograph them going about their lives. I believe I would've done a better job telling the story of Iraq as it goes through this war if movement around the country didn't make me a target.

IRAQ AND ITS PEOPLE

Mister Ghost: Are the Iraqis a likeable people?

Bill Putnam: Yes, I like the Iraqi people.

Mister Ghost: Tell me about someone you met in Iraq who impressed you and why?

Bill Putnam: The Iraqis who really impressed me were the journalists or those who worked with Western journos. They risked a lot to tell the story of Iraq.

Mister Ghost: The Iraqis are known to be hospitable. Can you give us an example of this?

Bill Putnam: Sure. One day in January I was out with an infantry platoon from 1-10th Mountain north of Abu Ghraib. We arrived at a house in the ville and this old man, he said he was the ville sheik, invited us in for tea. We sat in his house for a couple of hours talking with him about his home, his family and the recent elections. A couple of months before that in Mosul, I was out on an operation with squad from 2nd of the 1st Infantry. We were out on a rooftop and the family came up and offered us tea and cookies. Little things, sure, but worthwhile to remember and experience.

Mister Ghost: You were worried about the Interperetors or "Terps" and other Iraqis that worked with the Coalition forces. The insurgents were threatening them and killing them off. You had a good, brave Iraqi friend Leon, who served as an interpretor for your unit and you tried to help him and his family emigrate away to a safer place. Can you give us an update on Leon?

Bill Putnam: I've lost track of Leon and its impossible for me to figure out where is right now.

Mister Ghost: Bill, you're a big guy at 6-5, 250 pounds, do you think your size intimidated the Iraqis you encountered, since they lived and still live, in a fear and respect-based society?

Bill Putnam: Mmmm, you know that's a good question. My hope is no, my size didn't intimidate anyone. I liked to talk with the Iraqis and made my body language open to them. I smiled and laughed with them as well. I also tried speaking very, very rudimentary Arabic. If they said something to me I would say "na'am, na'am" or 'yes, yes.' Or I would say 'mer-haba' or which usually means 'welcome' or 'hello' This, I think, helped me talk with them.

Mister Ghost: During your time in Iraq, you had a chance to meet with American and Iraqi soldiers, but because of the security situation, you felt you would be a big target if you tried to interact with Iraqi civilians. Do you regret that you weren't able to have a friendly relationship with the regular Iraqis?

Bill Putnam: Yes, very much so. I have a whole list of things I want to do with Iraqis that I couldn't because of the security situation. Maybe one day I'll be able to do that stuff. The locals have a saying for that hope too: "insha' allah."

IRAQI WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Mister Ghost: You said in an early post in your blog, Grown women in this society are ghosts, seen and not heard; they seem so relegated, sadly, to nothing in this society. Did you find this was the case throughout Iraq, or were the Iraqi women in the larger cities like Baghdad a more visible open presence?

Bill Putnam: Iraqi women were always visible but speaking to them wasn't really an option. The only time I did talk to them was the random encounter I had with women journalists.

Mister Ghost: Didn't you mention that the Coalition forces were going out of their way to be kind to the Iraqi women, trying to win them over, because they possessed a great deal of influence in the domestic sphere?

Bill Putnam: The relationship I saw between men and women was a skewed one. Much of the time I was around regular Iraqis the men were sheltering the women to protect them.

Mister Ghost: "La chokalota - la chokolata," the Iraqi kids screamed out, as the American soldiers handed them candy. "Mistah! Mistah! Give me chockalot! Give me Pepsi!" they said to you. Did you get the sense the Iraqi children were starved for attention and niceties?

Bill Putnam: It depended on where I was but I had a sense kids were starved for attention and niceties, espcially in places around Baghdad like al-Dora, a generally poor mixed neighborhood.

Mister Ghost: In Baghdad's al-Rashid neighborhood, you saw a father with his child's blood on his hands. It was the night of the church bombings, and the Iraqi man apparently panicked and ran his car through the military checkpoint. The soldiers opened fire and one of the bullets grazed the child's temple, causing a blood clot and eventual death. Bill, what can you say about something like that? Is it a memory that haunts you, or after witnessing so much violence, you become desensitized to another death?

Bill Putnam: Its funny you ask that question. I was just looking at those photos last night. Sure, that night does haunt me to a degree. What I remember most are the sounds. Of men trying to save this boy's life. Of a father wailing in anguish. Of radios. Of Humvees idling. I don't think I'm desensitized to death. I've seen a lot of it and its all tragic. What bothers me, what haunts me really, is the seeing this boy fighting a losing and ultimately unnessacary fight.

Mister Ghost: Are you optimistic about the future of Iraq's children?

Bill Putnam: No, I'm afraid not. Life for them in the forseeable future is going to be hell.

A Photo of Bill in Staff Sgt. Aaron Lefeat's sunglasses April 25, 2006, during Operation Swift Sword, Day 3. by Bill Putnam

EMBEDDED

Mister Ghost: You spent time embedded with the 1st Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division, I believe in Mosul. How many different units were you embedded with in Iraq and did you have a favorite?

Bill Putnam: The 1-10 Mountain was around northwest Baghdad. My first embed was in Mosul with the 172nd Stryker Brigade. I was embedded with... *counting on my fingers* five different units of brigade (about 3,000 soldiers) or battalions (about 600 soldiers). My favorite, if I had to pick one, was the 187th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. Most of the grunts were veterans of the March 2003 invasion. A few of the first deployment into Afghanistan in late-2001. One battalion commander I met jumped into northern Iraq during the 2003 invasion with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. I spent about four months with one company, Abu Company, 1-187th Infantry, who were stationed in and around Bayji, Iraq.

This unit really understood counter-insurgency warfare and approached it with a good vision. Instead of just patrolling, which is something most units are guilty of, they actually got out and interacted with the locals. It resulted into a situation that could've been a very hard insurgency in the middle of the Sunni Triangle into something more manageable. Of course, there was some bang bang and that made life interesting. But I believe it could've been a lot worse and the unit did everything they could to difuse the situation.

Mister Ghost: How much freedom were you given as an embedded photojournalist? What restrictions were placed on you?

Bill Putnam: I was given pretty much open access to the units I embedded with. Obviously I could hear but not talk about certain things because they would violate operational security. Other times photographed detainees and couldn't transmit photos with their
uncovered faces; that would violate the Geneva Conventions.

Mister Ghost: As a former soldier yourself, how tough is the job the soldiers do?

Bill Putnam: The job these guys and gals face over ther is incredibly difficult. It was very, very difficult in 2004. By late 2005 and early 2006 the situation had become almost untenable. Sectarian violence had reared its ugly, distorted head. The individual grunt down in the trenches sees all this going on and is trying his best to stop it. Whether this Herculean effort can stop all the violence won't be decided down at their level. That's to be decided by the Iraqi people.

Mister Ghost: From your own perspectives as first a soldier, and then a member of the Media, do you feel your fellow members of the American Media are doing a good job of accurately portraying what's happening with the American Military in Iraq?

Bill Putnam: Yes, I think they are. Its a tough tough situation for both sides and covering that isn't easy. I still marvel that it still gets done.

Mister Ghost: Can you tell us what your scariest experience in Iraq was? What gave you serious heart palpitations?

Bill Putnam: My first raid as a civilian journo was by far the scariest. During my time as a soldier-photog, I carried a weapon. This time I was naked. Nothing. Approaching that house in the dark with just my cameras was the scariest thing I'd ever done.

Mister Ghost: You were staying near the Al-Hamra Hotel in Baghdad when it was bombed. When you are close by to a large explosion like that, what do you feel at the time? What thoughts are racing through your head?

Bill Putnam: The first reacion I had was "what the fuck was that?" Then I woke up and walked out into the living room of the house. The local staffers were there and kept telling me to go into my room. I was about to turn when the second -- and much bigger -- bomb went off. My only thought when the shock wave hit and the room brightend up considerably was "hoooollly fuuuck!"

At that point, with gunfire going off in the near distance, I ran into my room threw on some clothes, grabbed my cameras and ran out the door. I was one of the first two photogs on the site. As you can imagine, it was incredibly chaotic. I just wanted to capture what was going on around me. Doing all that I had one thought running through my mind like a tape reel: "this is unbelievable..."

I still think about this first minutes after the bombing and wonder who we got out of it alive.

BLOGGING

Mister Ghost: Could you tell us about the genesis of your blog, An independent look at Iraq? How did it come about, and why you became interested in blogging?

Bill Putnam: I first started blogging in 2004 during my time in Baghdad as a soldier. I kept it very low-key and didn't tell anyone in my unit about it. It was interesting to me because it was the advent of a new type of journalism, something immediate and what I thought was pure.

How I found them originally is something I'm not sure about.

Mister Ghost: When you were in Iraq, did you have a chance to read any of the Iraqi blogs? If so, did you think their perceptions of life there, concurred with your views of the situation?

Bill Putnam: I had a chance to read some blogs occassionally. But nothing on a regular basis.

Mister Ghost: Back in 2004, the US Military cracked down on Military Bloggers like Colby Buzzell of My War, because they were allegedly revealing sensitive information. Did this have any effect on your blogging? Was it an overreaction by the DOD and do you think they were trying to filter the news coming out of Iraq?

Bill Putnam: Yes, I do think this was DOD over-reacting. But I don't think this was direct attempt to filter the news coming out of the war. That was just an unintended benefit.

I remember reading about Colby's blog, reading it myself and liking it immensely. Here was a guy who trully reflected life in a war for what it was: brutal and boring.

The problem with shutting blogs down is the justification is its entirely subjective. Cobly's blog went against the grain... ie "this war sucks ass" then someone who believes in the war and is a position of power can shut you down. This happened to Colby.

What I don't think has been discussed is this reaction by DOD might be an echo of Viet Nam. In Colby's case he was actively saying what war was like. His command probably saw this is a threat to good order and discpline in the unit.

After all, if he felt this way how many others did?

What commander would want a bunch of guys breaking down the order of a unit in the middle of a fight, even if the fight was probably unjustified? This happened in Viet Nam. This may sound simplistic but commanders saw this happening in Viet Nam. The Army didn't want that happen. So they cracked down on it the first time something similar came up. They justified it by saying ti was about operational secrity. If they were really concerned about "op sec" they'd censure our emails and listen to our phone calls.

Mister Ghost: Do you have any favorite blogs you like to read and can recommend?

Bill Putnam: The one I actively followed was Chris Allbritton's blog www.back-to-iraq.com. Chris has moved on to Lebanon so there's not so much Iraq coverage anymore. Other times I'd run into blogs and read them but nothing like dedicated reading because I didn't have the time. Now I have the time and NBC News' blog is a good one. I've also read Bill Roggio's blog too. Iraq The Model is a good one as well. Recently I started tuning into The Angry Arab News Service.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Mister Ghost: How did you hook up as a free-lancer with Time Magazine?

Bill Putnam: This is pretty funny story. About five or six days before the Jan. 30, 2005, elections I was on Camp Liberty where the rest of my unit was stationed. Coming back from a detail I saw Michael Ware and Franco Pagetti standing by a Humvee. They'd just been picked up after a long embed with the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Brigade. I walked up to Michael and introduced myself.

"I liked your stuff with the insurgents," I told him. He looked geniunely surprised to hear that from an American soldier. That was when I had the brilliant idea of wanting to come back. I'd kicked the idea around a bit but never thought about just asking someone for help. So I did.

Michael said he could help me out so I could come back and photograph for the magazine. A few weeks later a letter arrived from Michael. So I went back with that one and my agency letter.

Mister Ghost: What do you think you are saying through your photography? What exactly are you trying to tell us?

Bill Putnam: My approach to photography is to make people think about war and conflict. I want people to think about what we're doing to ourselves.

Mister Ghost: Good Photography. A Science? An Art? Hard Work? Intuition? Experience?Or all of the above?

Bill Putnam: Definitely all of the above and I'm still learning it. I'll never stop learning it because no image is perfect. Nor is any photographer.

Mister Ghost: Is there an act of creation involved in taking a photograph?

Bill Putnam: Yeah, I think there is an act. You're capturing one/one-thousandths of a second of time. It takes a bit of preperation and luck to capture that time.

Mister Ghost: You carried about 45 pounds of equipment and three cameras while on assignment in Iraq. Did you really need all those cameras? Is combat photography really that rough on the equipment?

Bill Putnam: I definitely needed all that equipment and it really was rough on my gear. I've spent around $1,500 cleaning and readjusting it all.

Each of my cameras did a different job. One was my Leica M6; I shot film with it. Shooting it caused me to think a different way and try and capture moments the differently. My main body was my Nikon D1x with a 17-35mm lens. I used that in close in moments. The other body was my Nikon D2h with an 80-200. I hardly ever used it.

Mister Ghost: The last thing the insurgent saw before he died was you taking a picture of him. Were there some photographs that you didn't make public, and could you tell us why?

Bill Putnam: I didn't release that photo for personal reasons. Early in my career I read about photogs who'd done that very act and wondered how they could live with themselves. I never intended to take that man's last moments alive.

There were also other photographs I took that couldn't be released because they'd violate my embedding ground rules.

Mister Ghost: Combat photography is a dangerous occupation. Would you put your life on the line to get the perfect shot, say a "Pulitzer Prize" winning photograph?

Bill Putnam: I don't know if I would risk my life for a shot like that. Most Pulitizer winning shots aren't readily apparent. Its only during the post-processing work that you realize that.

FUTURE ENDEAVORS

Mister Ghost: So, what does the future hold for Bill Putnam?

Bill Putnam: I'm moving to Washington, D.C. this winter to finish up my degree in History. I'll continue my photography there by covering Capitol Hill and the White House for my agency, ZUMA Press.

Mister Ghost: Would you like to go back to Iraq?

Bill Putnam: I never say never but the chances of me going back to Iraq are slim.

Mister Ghost: Will you be covering any more wars?

Bill Putnam: My next trip will be to Afghanistan next summer in between semesters.

Mister Ghost: Final question Bill, and thanks very much for a gracious In T View: Do you have any advice for a crazy person like myself, who would like to go to Iraq unembedded and blog from all around the country?

Bill Putnam: Yeah, don't do it unless you have a lot of money for security and just general living. Thanks for having me.

The In T View: Bandit 36: Inside The Mind Of An American Officer In The Green Zone

2006-07-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

Assyrian King - Photo Appear Courtesy of Christians of Iraq. com

(Update: Bandit's friend Ali, a member of the Iraqi Police and mentioned below, was recently killed.
Bandit has more. We offer our
condolences.)

In this In T View we bring forth the thoughts of an American Officer from inside Iraq's famous Green Zone.

Bandit.three.six is his name and he's a Military Blogger, who can be found at the very fine Bandit.three.six blog, where he discusses events in Iraq, provides you with the latest in B36 News and Video, and brings forth the positive contributions of American Soldiers in the country.

Bandit, 24 years-old, and originally from Alaska, serves as a Site Officer in Charge of Communications, and has a wife and newborn son waiting for him when he returns home. Take it away, Bandit...

MG: When you first received word that you were being deployed to Iraq, what thoughts were running through your mind?

Bandit: I was suprised at first, but not really concerned. I was under the impression that we commo folk didn't deploy much so when I heard that I was it caught me off guard. I knew that thousands of Soldiers had deployed and came home safely before me so I figured that the percentages were on my side.

MG: Once you set forth in Iraq, could you give us your initial impressions of the country?

Bandit: When I first landed in Baghdad I was suprised at how chilled out everything was. I had figured that it was a war zone and everyone would be running everywhere in kevlars and helmets while dodging mortars and rockets. The only reason I knew I was in Baghdad and not Georgia was because someone said, "Welcome to Baghdad."

MG: The Heat! Is Iraq really as hot as everyone makes it out to be?

Bandit: I may not be the best guy to answer this question as I grew up in Alaska (avg winter temp was -80F w/ windchill) so my personal thermometer is somewhat skewed, but the only time I really notice the heat is when I go from inside to outside. After a while outside you get used to the heat and it's no big thing.

MG: You are there in Iraq, away from your family, your home, in a distant land, a different culture - Is the Soldiers life a lonely one?

Bandit: It is, but it doesn't really affect me. I've always been something of a loner and with the internet I can still interact with my family and millions of other people so I'm not too isolated. Plus I'm around other Soldiers all the time so I often wish I could be by myself from time to time. Finding a quite place to be alone is critical over here.

MG: How hard is it to concentrate on your service in Iraq, with a wife and newborn son back in the States? Do you have to be all business when on duty and place personal concerns in the back of your mind?

Bandit: I do my best to keep my personal life seperated from my professional life. I'm lucky to be married to an amazing woman. We have an awesome relationship and she's increadibly emotionally strong. That makes it easier for me to focus on work when I need to which, in turn, allows me to focus on family when I get the opportunity. Also, as a commo guy I'm rarely out of touch so I can talk with her and get pictures of my son. On the rare occasion when I put on my body armor I say a quick prayer that they'll be safe and focus on the mission.

Baghdad mosque by The Poss - Flickr

MG: Most of the Iraqi bloggers, both inside and outside of Iraq, seem to feel the country is in the midst of a Civil War. Just from your perspective, are the Iraqis in a Civil War?

Bandit: I think Civil War is too strong a word for the fighting that's going on right now. PM Maliki kicked off Operation Together Forward to secure Baghdad and what a lot of people don't realize is that to secure an area you will probably have to fight the bad guys who are already there and don't want to move. Pile on to this the terrorists who are fanning the flame of sectarianism and I'd say that we're doing pretty good really. I think most Iraqis are looking for a unified Iraq and recognize that most of the sectarian killing is being perpetrated by outsiders and extremists. The fact that there are people at these markets to get blown up is indicative of that. The people here are remarkably resiliant and determined.

MG: Iraq receives such negative publicity: bombings, killings, unrest, kidnappings, civil strife...It's sort of portrayed as Hell on Earth by the Media. Serving in Iraq, what do you like about the country?

Bandit: The fact that in spite of what the media is portraying, that most Iraqi people continue to do their best to make their country safe. 12.5 million people voted in the last election. That's 75% of available voters. This in spite of the threat of various attacks. And I'm thrilled that I can be a part of helping them build their country!

MG: And conversely, what do you dislike about Iraq?

Bandit: Celebratory gun fire. It goes up, and then it comes back down. Keep your helmet on.

Bathouse Photo appears courtesy of Dave's-Not-Here.net

MG: One thing I'd like to hear about, is your most hair-raising moment in Iraq. What situation occurred that you said afterwards, "Thank God, I survived that!?"

Bandit: I went out to one of the Iraqi ministries a few months ago and while we were there I had to use the bathroom. It was my first time outside the (IZ) and I wasn't sure what was what so I did my best to follow the lead of the guys who did this kind of thing every day. I told my buddy who had already been there a few times that I had to go and he said, "There's a crapper behind the building, I'll wait here for ya." "Ok, cool, I'll be right back," I said as I got out of the truck to find the toilet figuring that finding it by myself was no big deal since he had been here before.

When I got to the gate of the ministry I asked the Iraqi guard where the bathroom was and he pointed behind the ministry building so I started walking back that way. Once I got behind the building I was having trouble finding the bathroom and some guy (no ID/uniform) started talking to me in Arabic. I coulnd't understand him but by his body language I could tell he was trying to figure out what I was looking for. I put my hands to my crotch and motioned like I was unzipping my fly and he realized what I was after. He yelled to a couple kids in Arabic and they motioned for me to follow up some stairs with open doors at every other level. Just to recap, I'm at an Iraqi secured compound, by myself, the first time I've ever been outside a US secured area, and some kid is leading me up some stairs. I had my rifle very close and my eyes wide open.

As I'm walking up the stairs in full gear I pass by some rather startled Iraqi guys and I can tell by the look on their face that they really weren't expecting to see an American at just that moment. I do my best to play it off like everything is cool saying "Salaam," with a smile while raising my right hand from my rifle just long enough to be polite. After a few flights the kids lead me inside and point at a door while pretending to pee signaling to me that this was the bathroom. I opened the door and found myself staring at a hole in the ground which had obviously been used shortly before my arrival.

When in Rome, I figured. I used one foot to keep the door open so I could look over my shoulder and one hand stayed on my rifle while I did my business. When I was done I buttoned up and stepped back out of the stall. The kids instantly presented me with several small hands palm-up while chanting, "money, money, money!?!" After paying the kids off I followed them back downstairs past some different, but no less startled, Iraqi men and made my way back to the trucks. After getting back in my buddy laughs and says, "Sh*t man, I didn't think you'd really go by yourself."

MG: From your own thoughts on the matter, do you feel the American Media is doing a good job of accurately portraying what is happening with you, the American Military in Iraq?

Bandit: No. The good news stories don't get nearly enough play in the media. This is why I've started putting out as much of the good news as I can on my blog. It's not nearly enought to counter the tidal wave of negative media, but it's the best I can do given my resources.

MG: You are in the IZ, aka the Green Zone, the protected enclave that serves as the center of Coalition Forces in the country. Could you give us an idea of what it's like to work in the Green Zone?

Bandit: The going joke is that "we went to war and a garrison broke out." Garrison is the term we use to refer to our home station where the daily focus is on maintenance, paprework and training. Except for the rockets and mortars it's a lot like working a 16 hour-a-day job in back in the States.

Flares Over Baghdad by Trinity TestSite - Flickr

MG: There are those who would argue that the Green Zone isn't the real Iraq, they'd even call it a walled fortress, shut off from the rest of the nation. Obviously, if you were stationed in Mosul or al Anbar, you would have a different perspective of the country and people. Do you ever feel that you're missing out on the real action and flavor of Iraq because you are located in the Green Zone?

Bandit: Yes, I often do feel like I'm not getting a good taste of Iraq. However, if I were in Mosul or somewhere in Anbar I wouldn't have the same visibility of the overall situation throughout Iraq as I do here. Since this is the headquarters area I get to hear about stories from all over, not just my area.

MG: How much interaction do you as an American soldier have with the Iraqis? Do you have a chance to visit them in their homes? Can you make friends with them?

Bandit: I've made friends with several Iraqi policemen and Soldiers. In fact, one of them, Ali, also just had a child. I'm hoping that we can keep in touch so that 15 or 20 years from now when I bring my family out here to show them where I lived for a year we can meet up and properly introduce our kids.

MG: The generousness of the Iraqi People: Iraqis, like many of the Mideast peoples are know for their hospitality. Can you give us an example of Iraqi generosity?

Bandit: When I go to visit Ali he always has a small pot of tea brewing and never fails to offer me some. Even if he's just run out he'll start brewing a new pot and we'll chat while we wait for it to finish.

Eye In The Sky - F16CG Fighting Falcon over Iraq by Echo9er - Flickr

MG: I know there's a camraderie, a fellowship, between members of the same unit, and when there is a loss, you are all affected. I'd like to know how hard does it hit you, when a member of your unit is injured or killed?

Bandit: My unit has been very lucky thus far, the only injury we've had has been someone at another site getting minor wounds from a mortar attack. By the time we found out about it it was already known that her injuries weren't life-threatening so it became just a cool story to tell.

MG: In the end, do you feel that Iraq has been worth your time and effort? And could you tell us why?

Bandit: Yes, without a doubt. I often wish that I could do more to make life better here. When I start getting frusterated and start wondering, "Why am I here?", I think about when my son will be old enough to start asking questions about the war. I can't wait for the day when he asks, "Dad, were you in the war?" That will be a great day for me. And the day my grandchildren ask the same question will be equally as great. The work we're doing over here is so historically significant and I'm right in the middle of it helping out. I've recently been feeling conflicted about going back home, knowing that I won't be here directly helping win the war. If it were possible for me to bring my family here, I would definately consider extending. However, as rewarding and fulfilling as it is to be here, my family is more important to me and since they can't come to me, I'll go to them.

Sundown (Iraq) by TrinityTestSite - Flickr

MG says: Thanks Very Much to Bandit for a very thoughtful In T View.

The In T View: American Soldiers: Was Iraq Worth Your Time And Effort?

2006-07-04T23:00:00.000-04:00

Tank Silhouette - Photo Appears Courtesy of Dave's Not Here

Updated!

Happy Fourth of July - Today We Are All Americans.

The Iraqi Conflict.

The Media, in an Ideological Confrontation with the Bush administration, of whom, they don't regard as possessing the legitimacy to lead the nation, has framed the Iraqi Conflict as an unjust action, a dispirited cause, a quagmire of bombings and killings among the Iraqi citizenry, and an ever present collection of Grim Milestones of American Soldiers lives forfeited in Iraq: 500 gone; 1,000 killed; 1,500 lost; 2,000 dead; 2,500 extinguished, trumpeted throughout news headlines, in an unceasing meme of death and destruction.

But the American Servicemen and women, who are currently stationed in Iraq or whom have already served there, are not merely statistics to be bandied about by the Media, seeking to influence the American Public on their perceived unjustness of the conflict. No, these American Soldiers have their own opinions and ideas of the Iraqi War and aftermath, having first-hand experience of the conflict, unlike the majority of the Media.

In this In T View, we sought out American Soldiers perspectives of the Iraqi conflict, rather than the Media's biased and flawed portrayal of events in Iraq, asking the servicemen and women:

In the end, do you feel that Iraq was worth your time and effort? And could you tell us why?

And here are their responses...

Mister Ghost,
Thanks for the e-mail. I'm out of the sandbox now, and while security is always important, I have no problem with revealing my name, etc. now.

I'm 1st Lieutenant Lee Kelley, and I was in Ramadi for a year.

To answer your question:

In the end, do you feel that Iraq was worth your time and effort? And could you tell us why?

I do think Iraq was worth my time, for a lot of reasons. To put it simply, any way I can take part in the fight of my generatiuon, this global conflict against terrorists which is currently most predominant in thge Middle East, I am happy to help. I think it's important that we remember the truth of our history - that we had to carve America into what it is today, and that it came at no small price and no small amount of war or blood - and to keep in mind that the military is a necessary evil. And someone has to do it. I was more than happy to be one of them, and I'm proud of the work I did with my unit, and the work that all branches of the military continue to do.

I won't say it was easy. Often the work is thankless and sometimes quite shocking and frightening. Being separated from family for months, 12 of which were spent in Iraq, was the biggest mental challenge of all. I personally believe beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Army is shooting itself in the foot for deploying National Guard, citizen soldier units for so long. Recruiting and retention will not be able to keep up with the losses. I myself am considering an end to my military career in the next few years. I spent four years on active duty, and I fully expected to get deployed, just as the Actice Army does today, but I do believe in the concept of citizen soldier and I think 18 months is too long.

Iraq was worth my time and effort because of the humanitarian missions I was able to participate in. We're giving a country in need a chance at a type of freedom they may naver have had, and that's a truly humane thing to do. I could go on and on, but I'll just say Yes, I think the war in Iraq is necessary, and I'm glad I went.

I wrote about this subject at the following link:

http://www.wordsmithatwar.blog-city.com/essay2.htm

Thanks for all you do, Lieutenant K

Lieutenant K blogs at the renown Wordsmith at War

Hi just thought I would answer your questions since they seem well worth the time to answer because this is a question that alot of people who have been over there get asked...

In the end, do you feel that Iraq was worth your time and effort?

In a way I do but for the most part I think that it was stupid.... this is my own opinion and as no reflect on the military at all.... I lost one of my best friends on April 22 2005 outside of Tal Afar and I was in the truck with him when it happened... so I do think that it was a waste look at all the families and soldiers that have lost loved ones over something that the government cant even prove. maybe it was Iraq that started 9-11 but how can you prove that they werent working for some other country... alot of the Iraqi people are happy that america is there and then you have the ones that arent. Same as Americans. I dont think it was worth it at all. it is a waste of time effort and human life being over there.

Iraq is such a beautiful country, it has loving people in it that love America and are wondering why we are destroying their lives. I once talked to an Iraqi soldier who asked me "Why is America doing this to our families?" He lost his wife and kids when a bomb fell on his house. see how sad is that.. we go over there blowing shit up and kill innocent civilians tring to get one man... who I think is not even in Iraq since we attacked. So yes it is a waste to be there..

But than again it is good we are there.. they know that we mean business when you decide to fuck with America on our soil.... we are showing them that they messed with the wrong people and that we are going to punish those who were in charge of fucking with us.

Name Witheld By Request

Mister Ghost,
Thanks for your email! Every generation has a war in their lives, something hthat either the public is for or against. I lost a friend on Sept 11th, who flew KC 130's with me in the Marines. To me, this Jihad stuff is personal and I will do everything in my power to help put an end to it. Would I do it again? Yes in a heartbeat!! Would I go over to stop a country like Iran if we had to? Yes, and twice on Sunday. Take care and thanks for writing.
Semper Fi,
Taco

Taco aka Tacobell is located at Sandgram, formerly al AnBar, Iraq.

Armour - Photo Appears Courtesy of Dave's Not Here

Iraq wasn't worth my time nor my effort because my talents were not used and I didn't even perform the job the Army trained me to do. I was called back from the IRR and extended beyond my terminal ETS date to do something that anybody with any MOS could have done. I don't feel I was used to help in any significant way. It bothers me because I know I could have done more.
Thanks, Bobby LaRon

Bobby LaRon is at
Gypsy Life.

Mister Ghost,
Happy to oblige.

In the end, do you feel that Iraq was worth your time and effort? And could you tell us why?

I was a strong supporter of our efforts against Saddam Hussein specifically as a supporter of terror against the US, and in his defiance in the face of repeated injunctions by the UN Security Council. I knew he had weapons of mass destruction, and a proven willingness to use them against ethnic minorities and opponents. I never expected to be part of that effort in the National Guard, but I was proud to be called upon to serve in this way.

I think of my time in Iraq as service. I served my country, which I believe is the responsibility of all of our citizens. I also performed a service for the Iraqi people. This service involved sacrifices, on the part of me and my fellow soldiers, but also from our families, friends, and communities. It also has involved great sacrifice and expense from the Iraqi people themselves.

They were, are, and will be worth the sacrifice. They deserve the opportunity for freedom from brutality and oppression no less than any citizen of the world. They have shown remarkable courage in the face of grave dangers, and they have risen to all the challenges they've faced, from surviving one of the world's most brutal and corrupt regimes, to ignoring a largely ambivalent world audience, to forming the a new Democracy in the heart of the Middle East when few gave them any hope of doing so.

They will be great allies in the Middle East, against the many enemies we still have there, who's days are numbered in less quantity, thanks to the Iraqi People.

Personally, my time in Iraq was a time of tremendous spiritual growth for me and my family. I started to spend more time with the Bible, and shared thoughts and insights on Holy Scripture with friends and family and fellow believers back home. I found gifts I never knew I had. My wife grew in faith as well; not having me to lean on in a physical sense, while we were in regular contact, she found strength and ways to minister to others. My son also came to a better understanding of God's faithfulness and provision, and even the absence of his earthly father caused him to rely on our Heavenly Father in a way he had not known before.

We are a stronger, more knit together family, more focused on God's Will for our lives.

My job in Iraq was relatively safe, and we were blessed to serve 10 months in Iraq and bring the 200 soldiers in our unit home without injury or death. Some return with physical problems, most related to the hardships and stress, given that the average age of our (National Guard) unit was about 38, with a few Vietnam Veterans among us.

But I did complete about a dozen or so convoys. I remember those vividly, I wouldn't call them a "best" memory, just vivid. You take things like the pre-convoy brief very serious, you practice drills, how to respond to accidents or injuries, and of course improvised explosive devices (IED). You are never more alive as you sit in the seat, loaded down, locked and loaded, weapons ready, scanning every piece of trash, every person, every vehicle for potential threats. Then, getting where you're going, pealing off the layers, soaked in sweat, standing there alongside the clearing barrels or later over at the post exchange (PX, or military store), just breathing deep with "we made it" satisfaction.

That was part of God's provision, as well. I read and was reminded often of Psalm 91 in the Old Testament, where the Psalmist says, "I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." (Psalm 91:2)

Beyond that, my time in Iraq was the impetus for me to start blogging. I posted an article about Why I MILBLOG. I explained that MILBLOGGERS like Greyhawk, Citizen Smash, and Blackfive had an excellent opportunity to comment on all things military from their blogs. Most importantly, their perspectives, insights and commentary stood in sharp contrast to what passes for "Journalism" on the part of mainstream (news) media (MSM).

In my view, the most important function of the MILBLOG is to provide information. On-the-ground reporting, and the perspective of those closest to and part of the action. Relatively few soldiers conduct direct combat operations, although more and more are subjected to potential conflict and violence. Still, everything that happens can potentially be a part of history. In many ways, we have only scratched the surface on capturing what it means to be a soldier, sailor, airman, marine.

Somewhere along the way, early on in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), I realized that I would have few opportunities to do the "shock and awe," real-time, heart pounding and heat of battle war correspondent kind of reporting. I could, however, pay attention to the many fine men and women around me in combat service support roles, serving their country with quiet honor, dedication, and a fair amount of good humor. Thus were Dadmanly Profiles born.

I believe it is times of sacrifice, of trials, of taking risks for purposes greater than our own comfort or physical well-being, in which God allows us to experience more fully His power.

So was my time in Iraq worth it? Absolutely, for in it and through it and out of it, flow blessings too numerous to count. My heart desires that God will bring the good Iraqi people through their long struggle and tribulation of these many decades, and bless them for their courage and faith with a brighter, free, more peaceful and prosperous future.

Dadmanly

Dadmanly is the very fine blogger at
Dadmanly.

Do I think Iraq was/is worth it? Pardon my use of the language, but, FUCK NO. These kids are forced to say that shit when a camera is stuffed in their face, or when the media is speaking to some FOBBIT who never once left the damn compound. I was a DUSTOFF pilot who threw a 16 ½ year career away because of my beliefs. I officially left the military this month. So that should tell you how strong my conviction to this question is.

Robert R.

Blackhawk Cabin - Photo Appears Courtesy of Dave's Not Here

In the end, do you feel that Iraq was worth your time and effort?

Absolutely

And could you tell us why?

There is no doubt in my mind that the Iraqi people appreciate what we have done for them. The people I talked to and encountered on the streets of Baghdad were fearful of us leaving prematurely.

Iraq when I left was a different country than when I arrived. The Iraqi Army had made substantial improvements... both in numbers and performance. The Iraqi people began siding with the Coalition Forces. Zarqawi's biggest mistake was to target the Iraqi populace. He only strengthened our relationship with the people of Iraq. I am extremely proud of what I did in Iraq and the progress we made there. Iraq is improving daily. I cannot believe we have accomplished as much as we have in only a few years. The people of Iraq will stay with me forever. Their perseverance in the face of adversity and their continuous resolve has changed the way I look at life.

Hope this helps.

-Mark Miner can be found at Boots In Baghdad.

I don't think I really know enough about what's going on in Iraq to know if my efforts were worth it, and I also think it's too soon to tell.

Akino L.

At the end and to this day I feel that my time in Iraq was absolutely worth the time and effort. I sacrificed a lot during that time but years from now when history shows how Iraq escaped and rose from the depths of tyrannical leadership I will have been a vital part of that.

It will take a great deal of sacrifice for this to work out, but in the end it will be a much better place for all involved.

Gordo C. can be found here .

Mister Ghost, Sure... here are my two-cents:

I was hoping you could answer the following brief questions, and I would post your response: In the end, do you feel that Iraq was worth your time and effort?

YES. I see this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a truly representative government in the Middle East. It also is a chance for our two vastly different cultures to gain respect for each one's strengths, and learn from each one's weaknesses. For generations, we have allowed the entire region of the Middle East to continue on a corrosive path of self sustaining isolation, corruption, and oppression. Saddam Hussein's incalcitrance in over 12 years of UN violations to the 1991 Cease-fire agreement demanded a clear & response. The United States, which is often held responsible for providing World-Wide stability, made the decision to change the status-quo and take a risk at setting the conditions for a catalyst for political change in the greater Middle East.

Critics have enumerated their list of mistakes made during this venture. My own view is that many of these "mistakes", while not prepared for, were unavoidable. These mistakes only prove the difficulty of the challenge - the value of the mission and the benefits of a successful outcome remain clear. I do regret that more effort was not spent gaining support in the International Community. This lack of support for us has not only hampered the efforts to build a stable Iraq, but has also fomented the insanity of providing support (implicit & explicit) for continued instability in the region. This dynamic has encouraged some of the most heinous violent acts against Coalition & Iraqis simply because of a stubborn anger at the decision to remove Saddam.

This conflict has been agonizing, heartbreaking, exacerbating, and demoralizing. However, it has been so difficult because of the historic opportunity it represents.

The very articulate GI. John is at a secret location somewhere in the Euphrates Valley.

1. DO I FEEL IRAQ WAS WORTH MY TIME AND EFFORT?

Yes - despite the blood shed on both sides of this conflict, it is very important that the US continue to remain in Iraq until such time that the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense are strong enough to take control of the major cities and fight the insurgency on their own without the need for US logistical and operational support. Currently, the Iraqi Army and police forces do not have the ability to effectively commit their own forces into major operations without US military and logistics support. Overall, they lack the logistics capability in transportation, communications, equipment, and command and control to effectively engage in battle and coordinate large scale operations among different units of the Iraqi security forces.. Small units are doing very well on an individual basis, but there is still a need for additional training, equipping and practice before the Iraqi security forces can effectively provide security without US intervention.

If the US departed now, many of the Iraqi security forces (both Police and military units) would rapidly deteriorate and fall apart due to the lack of support. There is still a problem with corruption in certain ranks, as well as individuals in the security forces who are sympathetic to the insurgency. This will take time to get control of and eliminate. The flow of foreign fighters into Iraq would increase, as well as seeing an increase in ethnic crimes (Sunni vs. Shiaa) between the 2 dominant religions in Iraq. None of the US Soldiers and Marines want to be in Iraq any longer than necessary, and all hope that the Iraqi forces continue to grow stronger daily, in hopes that we can eventually turn over the security efforts to them without worrying if the forces will be able to stand against the insurgents and terrorists killing the innocent Iraqi citizens, as well as coalition soldiers.

Until the new Iraqi government can provide security, the insurgency will continue to fight the coalition. Only time will tell if the insurgency will continue once the coalition withdraws and the insurgents have only the Iraqi security forces to attack. As it stands, the security forces cannot effectively stand up against these attacks on their own. We improve this situation slowly every day, but time and effort must still be expended to ensure the new Iraqi government meets with success in the future.

Name Witheld By Request

Biapterm 3 - Photo Appears Courtesy of Dave's Not Here

MG,
Happy to oblige... and probably giving you more than you've asked for...
_______________________

Unequivocally yes, every moment I spend in Iraq is worth the time and effort and I will continuously volunteer to return.

Our forefathers and those who fought on their behalf secured our Blessings of Liberty. It's now our obligation to secure these same Blessings for our Posterity, whether that means our children, our neighbors, or our fellow man.

Perhaps those who don't care to return the favor to our fellow man ought to have to trade just one day of their pampered and free lives with those who weren't lucky enough to be born in the United States or anywhere else in the free world. Then, maybe then... they'll get the hint.
Armand

Armand T blogs at Un-common Sense, The Red Voice, and 1000 Words.

In the end, do you feel that Iraq was worth your time and effort?

Yes.

And could you tell us why?

The United States can no longer pretend that failed states halfway across the world have no effect on our national security or world stability. 9/11 proved that. Saddam refused to partner with the free world against state-sponsored terror, and in many ways supported it himself. Thus, he left us with no choice but to remove him. The U.S. could have then packed up and left Iraq to it's own internal squabbles, but another tyrant would have just assumed power and put us and the Iraqi people right back where we started. We owed it to them to stay and try to win the next generation of Iraqis a future of self-determination. I will never regret fighting for the principles of freedom anywhere in the world, whether it be my own or someone I've never met. It's a shame that it has to come at such a high cost for everyone involved, but there's a reason why the National Mall in Washington D.C. has a granite inscription that says "Freedom isn't Free."

Buck Sargent examines the Politics of War and American Military History at American Citizen Soldier

In the end, do you feel that Iraq was worth your time and effort?

That's a great question... I've met numerous Iraqis, and I find them to be very hard working, intelligent, and friendly, for the most part. The media generally portrays the Iraqi people in the wrong light. Like many people, a few bad people give the rest of you a bad name. Same with the US effort in Iraq.

I feel that Iraq needed our help, and I still believe we've done many positive things here. There have been some bad decisions made, of course, and some people forget that we're here to help the Iraqi people. Overall, though, I'm glad to be here, and I try to do my part every day to be positive and friendly with the local population. I like to shake hands with Iraqis, talk to them, ask them about their hopes, dreams and futures.

The effort in Iraq has been hampered by setbacks, and is not going as well as we had hoped. The key to this effort lies within the Iraqi people themselves, and I love seeing progress there. For example, I heard of an Iraqi army unit conducting a very good counterattack on insurgents in the southern part of the country, using great tactics, and it was very fluid. This was different than my earlier impressions of the Iraqi army, and I like seeing them get better, and take a more active role in their country's security...

Name Witheld By Request

Medivac Chopper - Photo Appears Courtesy of Dave's Not Here

Yes Iraq is worh my time and effort.

Why? Because this is what America wanted the military to do. The time to debate going to war passed us long ago. It is hardly my place to question what to do, now is the time to do my best. Iraq still needs help and that is what I will do while I am here.

Johnny Dolittle

Hey there sure I'll answer.

In the end, do you feel that Iraq was worth your time and effort? ----

Very much so. Unlike what the news reports I know that while we were over there the US military accomplishes alot for the populace. In my AO (near Buquba) we set in 2 new polling sites from the Refeorandum vote to the dec elections. Countless number of schools received devlopment work, re-fixed the bridge going across the river in Baquba and helped establish the 2-2 IA battalion. While I didn't enjoy being deployed, its my job and every soldier who has joined the Army since 9-11 has known this is thier job.

Randy P.

My thanks to all the Soldiers who responded and to
Dave's Not Here for use of his fine photos.

The In T View: What Does Canada Stand For?

2006-07-01T14:48:00.000-04:00

Updated!

Happy Canada or Dominion Day! Today we are all Canadians.

What does Canada Stand For?

It's a question that came to my mind after reading Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch comments about the recent arrest of the Canadian terrorist plotters. Spencer contended, "the miasma of Canadian anything-goes multiculturalism..." makes homegrown Jihadism in Canada possible now and in the future, because "Canada stands for nothing and can mount resistance to no ideology."

If you asked many Americans, What does Canada stand for, they would probably draw a blank for a moment, shrug their shoulders, and most likely reel off the well-known characteristics of the country. It's cold, they have great hockey players, the famous Canadian beers, pretty Canadian women, nice hunting, and so forth. To most Americans, Canada is just there to the north, quiet and peaceful, and that's the way they like it.

But, to the Canadians themselves, What Does Canada Stand For is a far more important question. It's a possible way of defining a National Identity or a Core Belief System. As an American, I tend to believe our national identity, our set of beliefs that define us as who we are, is much more readily apparent and stronger than those of Canadians. But, I could be wrong. So, I thought it was an interesting quesiton to query Canadian Bloggers and Writers on, to see what they had to say, learn how they felt, and present their responses.

Krista Boryskavich addressed the issue of What Does Canada Stand For? in her June 29 Winnipeg Sun column:

What does Canada stand for? It was a question raised to me in an e-mail from an American blogger, who wrote: "The reason I ask is I read ... comments about the recent arrest of the Canadian terrorist plotters (Robert Spencer at www.jihadwatch.org). Spencer contends 'the miasma of Canadian anything-goes multiculturalism' makes homegrown jihadism in Canada possible now and in the future, because 'Canada stands for nothing and can mount resistance to no ideology.' "If you ask me as an American what the United States stands for, the word that comes to mind is opportunity. But for you as a Canadian, what does Canada stand for?" Ask many non-Canadians what they think of Canada and it's likely they'll list some of the better-known icons, events and personalities that have come to symbolize our nation -- Tim Hortons, hockey, Wayne Gretzky, the beaver, the moose, the maple leaf, the CBC, the CN Tower, Pamela Anderson, the seal hunt, the Calgary Stampede, Celine Dion, and a cold bottle of good old Labatt's Blue.
But the question of what Canada stands for goes much deeper than mere symbolism. It involves a set of shared values that all Canadians can embrace.
So if the United States stands for opportunity, as our American friend suggests, what is the one word that best describes what Canada stands for?
Tolerance? Compromise? Equality? Diversity? Multiculturalism? Bilingualism?
If you think we're a tolerant society, try sitting in a school playground for half an hour, or reading some of the e-mail I receive from readers. It might change your mind.
If you think we're an equal society, I'd suggest you reread my recent column on the different treatment accorded urban and rural folk when it comes to the provision of health-care services. {...}
Perhaps more importantly, is it even possible to narrow the values of a vast, diverse nation to a single word? With the threat of Quebec separation in recent decades, and increasing talk of western alienation in recent years, can we really say that Albertans share the same values as Ontarians, or that Quebecers share the same values as Manitobans?
When I asked readers of my blog (kristasrants.blogspot.com) what their Canada stood for, one anonymous poster responded with: "the right to do what you want -- as long as you don't bring harm to others." {...}
On the right side of the political spectrum, many Canadians value safety and security, prosperity, and individual choice.
And on the left side of the political spectrum, many Canadians value the environment, compassion for those less fortunate, and community.
Combine the best of both worlds, and we just might have a set of shared Canadian values -- perhaps the one word that best describes what Canada stands for is compromise after all.
In reality, though, it's not that simple to narrow the values of a nation into a single word.
Try though I might, I certainly can't do it.
Can you?
What does your Canada stand for?

Krista Boryskavich is a columnist for the Winnipeg Sun, a co-author of The Auto Pact: Investment, Labour and the Wto, and a blogger at
Krista Rants.

Hello Mr. G.,
What does Canada stand for?
The official answer is: peace, order and good government.
Not as dramatic, to be sure, as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, or France's liberte, egalite, fraternite, but a recipe for a quiet and contented society.
If the U.S. in one word is "opportunity," Canada would be "equality."
Whoever the jerk Spencer is and thinks, we do not have anything-goes multiculturalism. But we've probably erred in the past on the "tolerance of differences" aspect. Suspect we'll start to see a Canada-first drive in the (very) near future.) We'll all have mixed feelings about that: good in principle -- but American-style jingoism would be counter to the Canadian nature.
Hopes this helps.
Lynda Hurst

As a columnist and feature writer for the Toronto Star, Lynda Hurst has written on everything from Sharia Law to Adolph Hitler to the Pentagon's use of insects for military purposes. Her subject material includes national and provincial issues, the War on Terror, history, politics, Islam, Iraq, the U.S. Military, and Canadian culture.

Hi,
As with Americans, it depends on which Canadian you're asking.
Cheers,
Rachel

Rachel Marsden is a Canadian Media Personality, a Political Pundit, and a Columnist who has appeared on the O'Reilly Factor, the Dennis Miller program, Fox News, and hosted her own radio show. She has written for the New York Post, the National Post, the Toronto Sun, Front Page Magazine, Newsmax , and many others. Her official site is here.

Good question, and one we ask ourselves constantly. You happen to have hit upon one of the few neo-cons in Canada, so be advised that I am obviously a bit cynical. I think Canada stands for anti-Americanism first and foremost. That is not what Canadians will say: They will say they stand for Progressivism, Tolerance, Multi-culturalism,Equality, Peacekeeping rather than War-fighting, and (drum roll please) Medicare!!! But what really binds us as a nation is that we are not America. What that means in practice is fighting tooth and nail against any presumption of religious groups having any say at all in a public discussion and a show of open contempt for Christianity in the public square, the sanctification of gays and people of colour and those who wear cover, a pathological distaste for military adventures (even though peacekeeping is a non-starter these days)and an inability to take open pride in our heroes, but tons of compassion goes to victims. We are a victim-obsessed society and reluctant to show open admiration for those of high accomplishment. We cut down tall poppies with relish.We have no first amendment and tend to shut down debate when it becomes "offensive". We have a child-like dependence on the government to run our lives. We like that. We are rather infantile politically, passive until things go so bad there is no other choice but to change the government, which recently happened, but it took a scandal of corruption so widespread it couldn't be ignored to do that. We had been drifting with a bad gov't for years, but the complacency level is so high, it is hard to make a dent in the public consciousness. We think we are safe because our country is so big. We have not yet gotten it about terrorism, even though a huge plot was just uncovered here. It will take a while to sink in though, because we can't bear the idea of profiling since it is so un-politically correct. That being said, I would rather live in Canada than in the US, much as I admire America. Canada is in the fortunate position of being able to cherry-pick the qualities and opportunities America offers and to ignore the stuff that is not so palatable - the obsessive consumerism, the obesity, the cultural ignorance of the masses, etc. Canada is still a safer place, in many ways a more civil place, and as for Medicare, it is not perfect and we need the competition of the private sphere (it already exists unofficially), but it brings security to all at a basic level and it means we needn't be obsessed with health insurance as Americans are. I could not feel right about having access to good medical care knowing there are so many poor people who get second class treatment. Hope this helps, Barbara

Barbara Kay is a well respected columnist for the National Post, serves as "the editor in chief of FIRSTFRUITS, an annual anthology of creative writing published by the Jewish Public Library," has written for Front Page magazine, is a longtime book reviewer, and taught "Literature and Composition at Concordia University, Mariannopolis College, Dawson College, and Vanier College for many years."

Mister Ghost, Canada has struggled with its own identity from even before it has been a nation, but if I had to compress what I thought Canada stood for into one word, it would be this: community. Canada throughout its history has been built up by groups of people who have come to this nation, supporting each other as they entered this rugged, somewhat hostile land. From the French Canadians who were largely left to themselves after immigrating to New France, to the United Empire Loyalists who fled American persecution in the wake of the revolution, to Chinese immigrants who built our national transcontinental railway, to the Ukrainians and other Eastern Europeans who opened up our West, and to many other groups too numerous to count, our history has been a patchwork quilt of immigrant stories (not to forget the stories of the first nations who occupied the land before us), and by respecting each other's identity, I think we've built up a country wherein we mostly respect each other. It has not been a perfect arrangement. Groups have butted heads in the past and will likely do so again in the future. But we've helped each other; we've pulled together, at Vimy Ridge, on D-Day, in the Liberation of Holland, in Korea, in our peacekeeping efforts, and even in our close and longstanding friendship with the United States of America. I think we've built a beautiful country. I'm proud of my land and my Irish/English/Scottish/Chinese history that I can lay claim to. I strongly dispute Mr. Spencer's comments suggesting that Canadian multiculturalism "makes homegrown Jihadism... possible now and in the future." Isn't it interesting that, in the United Kingdom, which struggles with its influx of immigrants, can point to specific mosques and Imans responsible for the inciteful rhetoric that contributed to the London Underground bombings, and yet we can point to no mosque or Iman where similar rhetoric occurs here? I was not surprised to learn of the arrest of 17 individuals planning attacks on Canadian soil (two of whom went to the United States to purchase weapons for use in those attacks; one could ask who is threatening whom here ). I'd been expecting something like this to happen sooner rather than later because the sad fact is that it has always been possible for a few madmen to make things uncomfortable for the rest of us. But those 17 individuals do not, in any way, speak for the overwhelming majority of the 600,000 Muslim Canadians who are as decent and as law-abiding as I am. The RCMP is on the ball, and doesn't have to deal with the complicated FBI/CIA/DoHS bureaucracy in dealing with our terrorist threats. Americans should take comfort in the fact that we are as ready to handle this sort of attack as they are. But nobody -- American or Canadian -- should forget that these sick individuals remain an aberration rather than the norm. And if Mr. Spencer truly thinks that Canada's multiculturalism is the root of the problem, I simply point out that the United Kingdom and the United States faced down terrorist attacks first. Did the melting pot or assimilation protect them? Anyway, I hope you find this useful. Yours sincerely, James Bow

Renaissance man James Bow is the author of
The Unwritten Girl and other fiction, a Transit Geek, an Urban Planner, a Doctor Who fan, head of the Alliance of Non Partisan Bloggers in Canada, and blogs at Bow. James Bow.

Hi,
Thanks for writing. My first comment is about Robert Spencer's claim vis-a-vis Canadian multiculturalism. While our federal policy of multiculturalism, popular ideas about multiculturalism or a more pervasive "ideology of multiculturalism" might be called into question I fail to see what it has to do with jihadi religious or political beliefs or their propensity for violence. India, East Timor, Israel, Bali in Indonesia, the UK, Russia, mainland China and the United States are a diverse group of countries with little in common except for the fact they have all been and continue to be targeted by jihadis. Canada's particular political, social and economic make-up therefore seem dramatically less important to our own home-grown jihadis than the ideology they share with their fellow-travellers around the world.

That said, I would say Canada stands for diversity, reasonableness and compromise.

Yours,

Nicholas

Nicholas Packwood is heralded in blogging circles and beyond for his captivating blog, Ghost of a flea, where he recieves "love and hugs"
from Kylie Minogue, functions as "Anthropologist to the Stars", and was voted the Best Culture Blog in Canada in 2005.

Hello, and thank you for your question.
What does Canada stand for? It’s not an easy question to answer. We too believe in opportunity, although I don’t think that opportunity is what Canadians would say characterizes them. In truth, as with any free society, it is impossible to point one’s finger on one or two beliefs that all or most Canadians identify with. I’m not trying to dodge the question – just asking in return if such a question is fair and really answerable.
Having written this, I think that you have raised some important issues regarding Canada’s overt policy of multiculturalism, although you may be surprised to learn that I do not agree with those who assert that such a policy leads to the balkanization of society. Quite the opposite, enforced multiculturalism has resulted in a great conformity of ideas, though not practices. I refer you to a speech I delivered at Simon Fraser University that touches on this subject http://www.canadianvalues.ca/issues.aspx?aid=11.

Regarding Moslem extremists living in and operating out of Canada, this has been a problem that I have been intimately involved in for several years. I think that Canadians are naïve and self-righteous when it comes to the war on terror which leads, inevitably, to lax security. I don’t sense that the recent arrests were of sufficient magnitude to really change the minds of the general public even if it did serve as a wake up call to some. In this, though, I’m not sure that Canada and Canadians are much different that other much of western society including in the United States. May I refer you to a few interesting op-ed pieces on this subject on our website:
http://www.canadianvalues.ca/issues.aspx?aid=169,
http://www.canadianvalues.ca/issues.aspx?aid=178
http://www.canadianvalues.ca/issues.aspx?aid=173
http://www.canadianvalues.ca/issues.aspx?aid=183
http://www.canadianvalues.ca/issues.aspx?aid=194
I don’t know if I’ve been of much help. Let me know if you want or need more...
Joseph C. Ben-Ami

Joseph C. Ben-Ami is the Executive Director of the Institute for Canadian Values, and a "Senior Fellow specializing in Religion, Law and Society as well as Human Rights and Democratic Development." Ben-Ami is "the former Director of Government Relations and Diplomatic Affairs for the Jewish human rights organization, B’nai Brith Canada." And also serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation.

Uh ....... that's a difficult question. Canadians have identity issues.
1. We are a country of many distinct regions. Quebcers are not Albertans are not Newfoundlanders etc.
2. Then there's our multi-culti tradition. We are not so much a melting pot as an exotic stew with many different tastes and textures.
3. Because we are next to the giant, with many of the same values, a common language, and the spillover culture and media, many Canadians try to define themselves as not being Americans.
4. But basically most of us stand for socialized medicine and the notion, fantastic or not, that we are a kindler, gentler and just society.

Antonia Zerbisias
Media Columnist/Bloggerista
The Toronto Star

Born in Montreal, Antonia Zerbisias has had a long career as a Media Critic and Columnist for the Toronto Star, as well as serving as a TV host and reporter for the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). In 1996, Antonia won the "National Newspaper Award for critical writing for her columns about magazines." Zerbisas currently blogs at Azerbic.

Canada is politically correct, inoffensive and apathetic to the point of offending anyone with half a brain and a healthy dose of conservatism.
Canada could be and should be a great nation - tolerant and fair without caving into the ridiculous, proud and dignified without being arrogant, moderate and gentle without being pussies.
-Lydia Lovric

Lydia Lovric has been a political firebrand from an early age, writing for the Calgary Herald, Montreal Gazette, Toronto Star, and Globe and Mail. Currently, she is a columnist at the Winnipeg Sun, a contributor to the Vancouver Province, and is frequently heard and seen on such programs as the John Oakley Show (MOJO 640), Adler On Line (CJOB - Winnipeg), and the Michael Coren Show (CTS TV), as well as hosting her own show, the "Sunday Brunch" on AM 900 CHML. Her website is here.

Hi Mister Ghost:
I'd say Canada stands for Decency and Civility, two qualities becoming increasingly rare in our world. A lot of people might scorn at the idea of what Canada stands for, but I believe these are worthy qualities once were prized by gentlemen above all. Now what do gentlemen stand for these days? Regards,
Salim

Salim Mansur, BA, MA, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario. A writer, his column appears at London Free Press alternate Wednesdays, and the Toronto Sun on Thursdays... Salim is a member of the Board of Directors for the Center for Islamic Pluralism based in Washington, D.C., a Senior Fellow with the Canadian Coalition for Democracies, and an academic-consultant with the Center for Security Policy in Washington, D.C...

...I'm almost sorry that you used the word "opportunity" to describe America as that is the word that I would have used to describe Canada. The difference is that Canada is a land of opportunity where diversity (at least for the time being) is not only tolerated, but accepted and celebrated, it is what makes us what we are.... the difference between the melting pot and multicultural concepts. We don't believe that everybody needs to conform to some ridgid national identity criteria in order to be "Canadian". Unfortunately, in light of recent developments, that concept may be in for a bit of a rough ride. Hopefully we will survive the calls of those who are afraid of whatever boogy-man they think is hiding in the closet and want people of other languages, cultures, or religions, to toe what they want to define as the "Canadian National Line". Hope this is what you were looking for Marcel

Marcel Mason, married to an Aboriginal Inuk woman, is a father of four, a network administrator for a Canadian National Aboriginal Administration, a member of the
Progressive Bloggers, and can be found at Stageleft: Life on the left side.

Well that is a question Canadians have been trying to answer for hundreds of years. In the mid-twentieth century, “Canadian identity” became an obsession. Our writers and artists all debated it, esp. after Margaret Atwood’s famous book, Survival. She maintained that Canada had a “fortress” mentality, that we were haunted by the pioneer experience of Canada as cold, dark and frightening.

The areas of Canada are very distinct, just as the different regions of the USA are. But here in Toronto, the media and university elites as well as the politicians all hold to a very liberal, 1960s, 1970s view of Canada, mostly out of misplaced nostalgia. They believe everything Pierre Trudeau told them: that the French and English in Canada were equally important; that multiculturalism and socialism were the way of the future. If you dare challenge these views in public, your career in any of these fields, or even your chances of getting invited to a party, are greatly reduced...

More than anything else, Canadians define themselves in this way:

“We are not Americans.”

For all their pretend politeness and tolerance, most Canadians (except me and about 100 others!) hate Americans with a passion you cannot fathom. This predates George Bush — I was born in 1964 and heard it all my life. Americans are patriotic? Then we will look down on patriotism. Americans have a huge army; very well, we will reduce ours to a skeleton force. Americans don’t have “free” “health” “care” and we do, so we are superior (no matter than a Canadian has to wait almost two years for some routine operations that an American would get in a week). Imagine: Americans are proud of their inventions and their triumphs on the battlefield. We Canadians are most proud of a government entitlement that doesn’t even work anymore!

This smug bigotry is the only acceptable one in polite Canadian society. Americans are “fat, stupid, greedy, violent and evil.” My fellow Canadians consider this a sophisticated stance. Alas, they don’t realize how petty and jealous they appear. If America does indeed represent “opportunity” -- and I agree with you that it does — that is exactly what Canadians hate about it. They like their government run lives, no matter that our disposable income is 30% less than an American’s and our taxes are higher. Success is not something most Canadians admire. “Just keep your nose clean and one day you’ll win the lottery — or retire”. Very sad.

I would love to get out of here tomorrow, but alas, Green Cards are impossible to get :-)

Toronto's Kathy Shaidle is an award winning writer, author, and editor who has worked and written for Media and Corporate clients such as the Dallas Morning News, the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, the American Spectator, the Catholic Register (where she was a Contributing Editor), the Shopping Channel, the United Way, the Book Promoters Association of Canada, among others. In her blog, Relapsed Catholic, Kathy merges Pop Culture, religion, politics, life experiences, and conservatism in a grand syncretismic tour of her psyche.

Hi there,

This may be too late to respond to you, but I've been on vacation, so sorry about that.

Canada stands for "peace, order and good government" according to our constitution, which is in remarkable contrast to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". We're far more corporate that individualistic, and thus rely much more on the government to make our lives good than on individual effort.

Part of this, of course, is that we never had to fight for anything (the World Wars notwithstanding, when we were fighting for someone else, not ourselves). Even those who settled in Canada did so deliberately to avoid becoming American and cling to the British empire, or to actually flee the American Revolution. Tradition, peace, and order are a good part of our history.

We tend to frown on any ostentatious display of wealth, just as the British do, and we tend to view with suspicion anyone who has been too successful. The upper class in Canada is almost all Liberal. While Americans, too, tend to be liberal among the upper classes, it is not nearly as monolithic as in Canada.

To be Canadian is to believe in the Charter of Rights, the goodness of government, the evils of individualism, and the need to be protected from whatever may happen. It is to downplay one's own importance, to feel somehow not quite good enough, and at the same time to be angry about this.

Ironically, we do have much to be proud of. We subdued a huge nation. We fought valiantly in both World Wars. We had a navy and an air force that were amazing considering our small size.

Yet we forget these things and instead focus on Canada's perceived guilt in the world--our treatment of the aboriginals, the interment of the Japanese in World War II, the Chinese head tax. We feel guilty rather than proud. It's really quite sad.

That's about all I can say. Sorry if this is too late,
Sheila.

Sheila Wray Gregoire is a true Canadian Renaissance woman. She is the author of such books as, How Big Is Your Umbrella? To Love, Honor And Vacuum; Honey, I Dont Have A Headache Tonight, and Reality Check. She is also a Mom, a host of a radio show, Reality Check Radio, has her own Blog, is a Lay Minister, and writes a column, Reality Check for the Intelligencer and Southern Exposure newspapers.

Ha!! Mister Ghost. You have hit the nail on the head. We are a nation of the confused and muddled and we seem to like it that way.

It has to do with our geography. We are separated by geographic featues that make us very regional-centric. We also have huge disparities in population between the regions which makes for unequal representation in our parliament and a constitution that doesn't adequately address that disparity.

We've also got the French/English albatross keeping us embroiled in collective handwringing, fretting and finger pointing. Some of us identify ourselves by juxtapostion with the US, which expresses itself as: "The US is bad, therefore in order for us to be good, we have to bash everything American."

We're basically very worried about being swallowed up by the US, which causes us to do a lot of stupid things, like creating the CBC and the National Film Board which were originally intended to unite Canadians and foster a common culture, but they've become little more than propaganda tools for the left of centre view.

But when it comes right down to it, I think what defines us, or, to put it in your terms, what we stand for, what unites us, is our hatred of Toronto. HAhhahahaahahaha.

Seriously, we don't go into patriotism in a big way, but I do think we like to be proud of what we can do on the international stage, but we haven't done too well in that arena for quite a while. We also take great pride in being self-effacing. Maybe the second gets in the way of the first. I don't know.

Louise S. is a librarian in Western Canada, a frequent commenter on Iraqi Blogs, a strong proponent of a democratized Middle East, and a Blogger at the highly thought-of SEARCH, and Stubble Jumping Redneck.

I think it's a little too simplistic to boil it down to one word but I'll humour the question. :+)
I would say: Equality. True Equality (ie. not economic... but in treatment and respect).
That encompasses the truly Canadian values of multiculturalism, tolerance, and diplomacy.
Anyone who says "Canada stands for nothing and can mount resistance to no ideology" is ignoring the ultimate sacrifice made by thousands of Canadian soldiers in the First and Second World War.
I hope that helps you.
Cheers.
Chris

Green Blogger Chris A. takes the murky view on life with his blog of the same name, the Murky View concentrating on war, peace, family, politics, the UN, the environment, and the good life.

Hi again Mister Ghost,
I think if you had to summarize what people generally believe Canada stands for it would be Social Justice. This is reinforced mainly through socialist domestic policy that is reinforced through political correctness and underpinned by an ethos of multiculturalism, wherein no one culture is more important or morally superior to another and, consequently, nobody is driven to assimilate into another culture. It is the antithesis of the classical American "melting pot".
Now, many may call this ideal Equality, but it should not be mistaken as such, for any time socialism enters the fray what you really have is state-mandated wealth distribution from the rich to the poor; theft by proxy, as I call it. Canada does not treat everyone equally; our tax system (just one example) belies this truth. What is more, multiculturalism and political correctness hinge on a minority-as-victim philosophy and create an environment where it is practically impossible to level justifiable criticism against any minority -- perceived, visible or otherwise -- without being branded a racist, xenophobe and the like. In this sense, the majority culture within the "Canadian fabric" is also not treated as equal to minorities; it is treated as a victimizing oppressor, always.
I, as a conservative Canadian, deplore both socialism and multiculturalism and believe the former is crippling us economically while the latter is slowly eating away at the fabric of our nation, creating a nation with no real identity, hence no single rally point from which we can combat primitive ideologies like jihad. Unwritten codes of political correctness also severely hinder the possibility for rational public discourse on civilization-destroying ideologies like jihadism.
I would like nothing less than for Canada to abolish the pipe-dream Trudeupian socialist ideal, return to an assimilation model, impose flat tax rates and expose political correctness for the sham that it is... Hope that helps. Kind regards.
Mark

Mark Peters, originally from New Foundland, now living in Nova Scotia, is a married father of one, a member of the Blogging Tories, a strong proponent of the United States and Israel, and makes his opinions known at markpeters.ca.

You want one word? I would say “compromise”. “Pragmatism” would be a close second.
I say that because Canada has always been about balancing different forces. From the time that Britain took Quebec to the present, our domestic politics have been about balancing British and French North American cultures and traditions. Our Constitution was written calling for “peace, order and good government”. We were the middle link in the “North Atlantic Triangle” of the US and Britain through WWII. We were trusted peace keepers throughout the Cold War (including in Vietnam) even though we were decidedly on the democratic side. More recently we have been somewhat of a middle ground between the US and Europe.
To more directly address Spencer, I note that all the perpetrators of 911 were American. This is one Canadian plot that was stopped before it happened and, as far as I can tell, the only connection with the US is that the Canadian group was taught by Americans! How can one cell of terrorists in a country of over 30 million people be a sign that our society is broken? The very notion is laughable.
Even in the war on terror, we have been somewhat of an intermediary between the Western and Muslim societies. As one example, our Jewish Justice Minister organized a meeting of Israeli and Arab justice ministers before the Liberals lost the election. This would not have been possible if were not thought of positively throughout the Arab world. If there is going to be an end to Islamic terrorism without the clash of civilizations that people like Spencer hope for, the world will need to pay more attention to how Canada has been so successful by purposely avoiding ideology.

Jason Cherniak, who is a graduate of Dalhousie Law School and works for a major Toronto law firm, runs "the unofficial list of Canadian Liberal bloggers", and blogs at
Cherniak on Politics.

Good Evening Mr. Ghost,
I think this is the first time I have ever drafted a response to a question poised by a Ghost.
It should be an easy question to answer but as a nation we have been struggling for the last 30 years to answer it succinctly. I have written two Dominion/ Canada Day posts and you might care to visit them to get a feel for the national struggle. At one point, I was a member of the Red Ensign bloggers and hosted the bi-weekly carnival called the Standard. I think that it easier to quote what I wrote in that introduction:
It's tradition for the host of the Red Ensign Standard to write a personal introduction but since this is my second time up on deck I thought that I try to write more on a theme instead. I struggled for the last two weeks trying to define in my mind what a Canadian is in 2005 and still came up with naught. It should be easy, but really isn't. Since my teenage years, 30 years ago and the rise of Trudeaupia in the land, all discussions of Canadian nationalism begin with defining what we are not, which leaves very little room or inclination for what we are. We are probably the only nation in the world who does this. Can you imagine our American or Mexican neighbors beginning a discussion of American or Mexican nationalism and start by saying; "Well, we aren't Canadians." In 2005, we are still struggling with new Canada.

Fifty years ago, school children in Canada could have told you what it means to be a Canadian but the parameters have changed so radically that I fear we are in danger of losing not only our place in the world but our national will. Regionalism threatens all the ties that use to bind us. And sorry, I cannot rally around our healthcare system and do not see waiting patiently in line for years for a hip replacement or an MRI as a value that I want to pass onto my children.

We live in a land whose geography leaves its imprint upon our character early in life, and we were a nation forged and tempered by war; from the Plains of Abraham, to Vimy Ridge, to the beaches of Normandy. Freedom meant something beyond an existential definition which is all the value we place on freedom today. Here's the new Canada's truism; I am less free today by law than I was in 1985. In 2005, freedom is now measured by the quantity of law and by-laws that weighs down and restricts our daily existence.

The new Canada denies our warrior past and says we are a nation of peacekeepers with blue helmets. Frankly, I'll take Vimy Ridge and you can keep Rwanda and the helmets. For there will be no peace to keep if our leaders have lost the will to fight to keep the peace for freedom's sake.

We claim tolerance as a national virtue and yet we have Hate Speech laws. Tolerance in the New Canada seems to mean; think as I think, do as I do, speak as I speak, rather than allowing individuals the freedom to speak what they think or even reason - if that speech could potentially create division or dissonance in this new Canada. Our national tolerance seems a very shabby fragile thing.

We have embraced the virtues of multi-culturalism so wholeheartedly in this new Canada that when my children claim they are Canadian their teacher's teach them to call themselves Jamaican-Canadians, and yet, not one of them has ever left to find a home in Jamaica.

In discussions, I have often been told if I do not like this new Canada then I should leave my native land, and go to another where I might feel more comfortable and free, and I would, but the land ties me to it. What is bred in the bone comes out in the flesh and I will not give up this land or my children's place in it to live freely from sea to shining sea without a fight; against all odds and all comers - if need be. That is what defines and makes me a Canadian.
Do all Canadians feel as I do? Contrary to what is represented in Canadian MSM, we are not a few isolated souls. And here's the thing, if it came down to the wire, and Canadians were forced to bunker down to the barricades, I would be joined by my ex-Iranian and now Canadian neighbor who fled the rule of the mullahs to claim his place in the Great White North. He too is not prepared to give up this country to the jihadist theocrats without a fight. This is where he, and many others just like him will make his stand and we will stand for the land.
I would like to make one further point that often gets muddled by outsiders. It is an incredibly long and arduous process to legally immigrate to Canada but our official refugee process is one of the slackest in the Western world. Canada makes a very separate and distinct difference between those wishing to immigrate and those who are applying for refugee status. Basically, all one has to do to claim refugee status in Canada is show up at one of other borders and demand political asylum. At that point, all bets are off. A hearing will be scheduled to hear your claim and you will be free to go into the country to await your hearing. The whole process is long and it is not unheard of for refugee claims to go on beyond a ten year period. The Millennium Bomber is a prime example of slack refugee process.
Originally, our generous refugee policy was crafted in response to plight of the Vietnamese Boat People and let stand to provide entry to others in a similar plight, but as I have written before good intentions makes bad law, and the shame is that it has never been fully revisited or revised since that period.

Kateland

Kateland or Kate Y. is a Canadian Conservative, a former ballet dancer, a mother, and a widow, who blogs at The Last Amazon.

hi...

in high school, they teach us canada stands for peace, order, and good government (id say the first two with conviction, and giggle at the last). america stands for life, liberty, and property. i think canada has worked out a bit better because our "we stand for X" is actually about governance, and not some kind of amorphous libertarian ideology that has never been implemented :)

i dont think robert spencer's summation of what canada stands for is fair at all. "multiculturalism" as an ideology in canada was not invented in the socialist 60s, as these people claim. compromise is part of our history. look up the manitoba schools question and also quebec language laws and ukranian language instruction in alberta - youll see that canada has a bit of a history of accomodating minorities. (except for aboriginals, who were assimilated in residential schools)

of course, that history is restricted to accomodating white minorities until the 80s rolls around and multiculturalism comes to mean being comfortable with immigrants retaining their culture (in theory - in practice, canadians are as racist as anyone else, but they dont act on these beliefs criminally). i dont think canadian multiculturalism had anything to do with the actions of those arrested in conjunction with bomb plots in toronto. france assimilates immigrants, and experiences riots. canada (though also very secular) doesnt require assimilation, and could have faced a brutal attack. this problem is bigger than any western government's multicultural policy. radical ideology and criminal intent arent really provoked by whether or not these people feel "canadian." i dont think any indoctrination on our part could alleviate the alienation that drove these people to become politically-motivated criminals.

this attack plot scares me way less than ontario's flirtation with implementing sharia law.

i dont know if this helps. i wasnt fed enough propaganda in school to be able to speak so convincingly on such an emotionally-charged question as "what does canada stand for?" see the charter of rights and freedoms for information on that in a legal sense!

peace.
-ainge lotusland

The UBC's and Vancouver's own Ainge is a girl blogger and political science aficioanado contained within Lotusland.

Hi Mr. Ghost,
I could tell you what I think Canada stands for, but you may find it more interesting to see what the government of Canada is telling immigrants about what Canada stands for. See this excerpt from the guide A Look at Canada: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizen/look/look-02e.html

Regards,
Laurent

Laurent Moss, hails from Quebec, where he blogs at Le blog de Polyscopique , a bilingual blog renown for its fine coverage of Quebec politics.

Hi Mister Ghost --Interesting question, but I'm not sure I know. Mostly I think Canada and Canadians want to be liked. We will avoid the truth if it means not offending people -- and I'm not talking about on a large scale like Islam and jihad, I'm talking about simple things like a popular national sports commentator having been taken to task and put on a seven second delay because he said something outrageously offensive: "It's the French guys and Europeans who wear the most visors" (Don Cherry was speaking about hockey and why players don't control their sticks the way they should. He was commenting that most of the high sticking comes from players who wear visors, and that French Canadians and Europeans tend to wear visors more than English Canadians and Americans) It turns out that he was right on both points, but our national broadcaster CBC nearly fired him over the incident. Never mind the truth -- so long as you don't offend anyone. Best as I can figure, that is our national identity. I know I'm constantly telling my kids 'don't say this outside the house'. because there are just some things you can't say. Hope this is what you're looking for. Best. Canadianna

Canadianna or Angela is a twenty-something
conservative, criminology and psych graduate, married with children, who blogs at
Cerebral Compost.

I was hoping you could answer a question for me, for a post I'm working on about Canada:
What Does Canada Stand For?

I'm not sure that I'm a particularly good source for the canonical answer to that question. My family immigrated to Canada in 1967, and I've been active in Libertarian political happenings -- off and on -- since the late 1970's. I'm not particularly close to the Canadian mainstream (and never really have been).

The reason I ask, is I read Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch comments about the recent arrest of the Canadian terrorist plotters. Spencer contends, "the miasma of Canadian anything-goes multiculturalism..." makes homegrown Jihadism in Canada possible now and in the future, because "Canada stands for nothing and can mount resistance to no ideology."

That is true for a number of Canadians, especially in Toronto and Vancouver. They're not a majority of Canadians, but they _are_ a majority of the type of Canadians that Canadian journalists think of as "typical Canadians". They're the sort of people for whom "universal medicare" could stand in as a replacement for their core principles without a ripple.

We have our "Red States" and "Blue States" (although we reverse the colour coding), but they really do break down more as city versus non-city.

If you ask me as an American, what the United States stands for, the word that comes to mind is Opportunity.

Most of the Americans I know through online contact would certainly agree with that...

But for you as a Canadian, what does Canada stand for?

Canadians tend to illustrate what the country stands for in contrast to what they think America stands for (the two are closer in reality than in rhetoric). Take away the guns, and add a state-mismanaged healthcare system and Minnesota or Pennsylvania would be very comfortable as Canadian provinces.

Alberta, on the other hand, feels less and less like a part of Canada every year. Quebecers think of themselves as a separate nation within Canada (rather like Wales or Scotland within the United Kingdom). Ontarians never quite "get it" that the rest of Canada isn't happy under the control of the Ontario/Quebec axis.

Canada doesn't stand for a single idea or concept: from Confederation, we've been more concensus-driven than concept-driven. For too many Canadians, it's sufficient to point south and say "We're not like them!"

I realize this doesn't actually answer your question, but I suspect the question doesn't lend itself to an easy one-word or short-phrase answer. I'll be interested to read your round-up of the answers you've received to this question.

Regards,
Nicholas

Nicholas R., an observer of Canadian political and sociological trends, does a very fine job at his
Quotulatiousness blog, and in his capacity as a wine connoisseur, surveys the Ontario Wine Scene for the Ontario Wine Blog.

In the end, what did I learn from the responses? Well, Canada and Canadians do seem to have a bit of an identity crisis, but yes, the country and the people as a whole, have welcoming and admirable qualities, our nice neighbor to the north.

Life, Love, LIberty & Pluralism - Clarity & Resolve

2006-06-29T17:39:00.000-04:00

[Workout]

Patrick Kafir is the team leader of Clarity & Resolve. A site with a fun and straight to the point approach. C & R has a lot to offer: beautiful writing, original images and insightful commentaries on the war launched by Islamo-fascism againts freedom. One can also find at the C&R website, Clarity & Resolve Kafir Gear, a little shop fearturing items with the cool C & R logo, Kafir FOR Infidel in Arabic.

Patrick has kindly agreed to answer a few questions for Pro-Freedom Artists.

Your craft and blogging.

1- Patrick Kafir, you are an artist, a musician and a devoted dog owner and you seem animated by the passion to write. Could you comment on the source of that passion?

I don't know if I'd call myself an artist, Diane. I don't mind being called a graphic artist, but I'm no Michaelangelo. I love to create, and I've always done so throughout my life, whether with pen and paper, music, writing, and now using digital media.

I've found myself spectacularly inspired in the creation of graphics and with web design - perhaps more so than ever in my life. It's definitely something that I find myself doing more and more these days. The possibilities are virtually (pun semi-intended) endless right now for digital arts. It's yet another benefit of a free society and the wondrous innovations that are inevitable when people are able to pursue excellence in an open and competitive environment.

- What is your approach and what do you hope to communicate through your work, whether it is music, writing or images?

At C&R, I also try to communicate a sense of "Yeah, the situation we currently face in handling those who oppose freedom - those who are demonstrably willing and ready to kill us - is pretty messed up, but ultimately, we're going to win." "We" being anyone, anywhere who loves freedom.

[Happy Easter, Infidels]

More than anything, I want to convey a message of hope. I can't say that I always succeed in this at Clarity & Resolve since the subject I cover there is so often grave and horrible. But in my day-to-day life, I try to stress that life is beautiful - that we are beautiful. I want people to feel wonder and awe and I want them to feel love. Not just the love of family or nation or religion, but a universal love which recognizes goodness wherever it exists, and which also recognizes the inseverable ties that bind us all.

2- Open publishing via the web is a powerful incentive for creating: what do you think is behind your own creativity?

I think the single most powerful factor in publishing today is its accessibility. Virtually anyone with a computer and an internet connection can write, create art, make music, etc., and then publish it to the world. Of course the downside to this is a lot of drivel, unwanted attention, and negativity, but more freedom is always better when it comes to expression, I think. This innovation of linking the world and empowering people to be heard and to share ideas is enormously powerful. That's why totalitarian states and ideologies don't like it.
[The Peaceful Religion of Mushroom Clouds]

At the foundation of this awesome technological creative boon is the same ancient human spirit that's always driven us to create and to share. We've always loved to create, to tell stories, to impress others, to reach for the sublime, and to challenge ourselves. I'm sure we always will.

The primary impetus behind my own creativity is the simple fact that I love being alive. I'm grateful for every breath I draw, and I'm grateful to enjoy the freedom to express myself as I see fit. Creativity is selfish in that it is often purely a matter of satisfying ones own personal drive for excellence and gratification. But when we share the fruits of our creative efforts with others, sometimes the magic of communion happens, and we find a deeper meaning. This is grand and exalting, I think.

3- From reading your blog, we see that words, music, and visual arts are clearly important to you. Which artist, and what specific works in these fields have captivated your imagination?

When I was younger, my favorite author was Dostoevsky. I read all of his novels. He made me look at humanity in a way I'd hitherto not thought of. Pity, he was apparently an antisemite. I also loved Steinbeck, Herman Hesse, and Honore de Balzac. And Gabriel Garcia Marquez, whose prose is poetic, even in English. I haven't read any fiction in years, though. I find Oriana Fallaci's writing to be very impressive - what a cool woman. Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs & Steel is pretty amazing, and I wish more people would read it. I really like science writing too. I usually have a few books going at once, and I don't know how I get through any of them.
[Surface to Air Dog Snow]

I love all music. I'm primarily a drummer, but I've been known to play guitar on occasion. Growing up I loved the Beatles because my Dad had all their stuff. As a teenager, I was into the Grateful Dead, Metallica, and Public Enemy. Now I listen to practically all genres. Yesterday I listened to Maria Callas, Erik Satie, and the Dave Matthews Band.
[Uncle Sociopath Rocks the Courthouse]

I've always been fond of impressionist paintings, especially Van Gogh's, and I've always admired graphic artwork as well. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention cartoon hero, Tex Avery, a true artistic genius. Art is everywhere because art is simply a depiction of the human experience. The only art I truly dislike - in all its forms - is postmodernist stuff. My favorite visual artwork these days is a brilliantly planned and skillfully rendered Flash site. I love Flash - it's truly an amazing artistic tool. Computers are giving more and more people the power to create stunning artwork.
[Van Gogh, Wikipedia]

4- Patrick, what does the name Clarity and Resolve stand for?

.......

It signifies using ones ability to see what is good and what is bad around us, so that we can stand up for the former and against the latter.

[Islamic Family Values]

5- Your website is quite rich in content. Could you describe it for us?

I would describe it as one man's attempt to frame a highly dynamic and sometimes overwhelming world in which the space between the forces of good and evil have been drastically reduced - the two collide far more frequently and dramatically these days. In my mind, we have some huge issues to tackle in this century: famine, disease, environmental decimation, and degraded biodiversity, to name a few. Before we can get to these issues, we need to first conquer the "little" issues, like jihad, communism, racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. Clarity & Resolve is a way station on this journey, I guess. It's also a place for anyone who is frustrated with the persistence of anti-freedom/anti-human forces, and those who support them. [Iranian Shia Islamocrat: Near Future Will Be in the Hands of Islam]

It's a place for those who are thoroughly frustrated with the "peaceful inner struggle" of jihad and the inscrutable penchant of the West to whitewash it. [Yet More Shocking Crimes Against Quranity™]

It's also a place to laugh, because frankly, that's sometimes the only way to deal with the wretched lunacy I traffic in for my writing. So, there's a lot of sarcasm, black humor, and of course, Photoshops that mock jihad. Good ol' Photoshop.

Truth be told, Clarity & Resolve isn't half as rich as I might like it to be. I just don't have as much time as I'd like to spend on it. Hamza vs. Hamza]

6- Do you have any favorite posts? What do you look for in the posts you read?

I don't know what to tell you regarding which of my posts are my favorites. There are many that I've felt satisfied with once finished, sometimes even laughing out loud, but I never remember which ones. Like my imagery, I leave it to the beholder to choose which, if any, is of great merit. Writing is something magical to me. It is familiar and almost pedestrian to me, but a consummate joy each time I do it - like taking the same pleasant route to work or to the market each day. You forget which day was which - they blend - but it's always a wonderful walk because you smell wet earth or the new grass and flowers. The airbites your face or just lightly touches it. You notice new things that make you appreciate the moment and your part in it. You feel the sun and the rain on your skin - you feel intensely alive. You see old friends and you make new ones. You learn. Just like yesterday and just like tomorrow.

[K-9DF R & R, New England Style]

7- Many bloggers have said blogging is a wonderful tool. Could you share some of your own experiences as a blogger with us?

I love blogging. I studied (and continue to study) Islam in great depth after 9/11. I was alarmed, saddened, and outraged by what I learned and what I see happening every day to Muslims and infidels alike in the name of Allah. I became acquainted with the 9/11 every day lifestyle of the average Israeli. This new awareness started to weigh on me to the point of depression, so I said, "To heck with it - I'll start a blog." I figured if nothing else, I'd be able to vent and lay out my ideas and conclusions in a concrete way.
[Mass Moonbat Epiphany]

Overall, it's been vastly rewarding. I hear from people all the time who say they read Clarity & Resolve every day, and that they're grateful for the work I do. That's kind of humbling. These are intelligent people who make a point of taking the time each day to read my analysis and perhaps to share a laugh with me. They appreciate the time and effort I put into this blog. I'm extremely pleased that people are seeking out information about the free world's war against jihad/sharia and other totalitarian ideologies, but I'm genuinely touched and thankful that some of them are seeking it at C&R.

I've been mentioned in an Australian newspaper article about blogging and traditional news media. I've been contacted by a foreign embassy official in Washington D.C., and I've gotten email from around the world - most of it positive. Blogs are bringing people together, and that's a great thing. It's part of the first step in a global phenomenon which I feel will increase our awareness that we have far more in common than we have in opposition.

[Kadafi Kafir]

I'd like to mention briefly how important it is for bloggers to police themselves. You should have your facts straight and corroborated, and you should refrain from a purely ad hominem line of criticism. You should admit when you're wrong and learn from your mistakes. I think that accountability and honesty are two vital ingredients for a good blog.

8- There are so many good websites; could you name a few favorites? Which ones do you read daily?

Yeah, there are a lot. It's really hard to keep up. The only sites I religiously go to each day are news sites like Google News, Yahoo! News, and Jpost.com and Ynetnews.com to get information and news on what's happening in Israel. I get a lot of my news right in my Safari browser with the built in RSS reader. I love it. Never has so much information been available on demand in all of mankind's history.

Believe it or not, I very rarely read blogs. I don't really have the time, unfortunately. I always make a point of reading Robert Spencer's blogs because as far as I'm concerned, he's the preeminent infidel authority online (and off) when it comes to Islam and Islamic terror. I try to get to Charles Johnson's Little Green Footballs when I can, because there's such a huge community there, which always results in copious amounts of information. Plus, Charles is a smart, funny guy and he has great taste in music.

One of my favorite sites is Best Flash Animation Site.com. You'll always find mind-blowing work there. It's also fun to go to Photoshopping contest sites like Fark and Worth1000. I check out a lot of graphic arts sites to see how far the envelope's been pushed since I last checked, which is usually a good deal.

For science sites, I like NASA, Edge.org, and Ray Kurzweil's AI site (KurzweilAI.net).

9- Could you tell us about your companions, the canine squad and the other members at C & R?

For reasons of security, I can't say all that much about my human companions. I do write about the Religion of Peace, after all, and I speak freely. Suffice it to say that I've been blessed by a wonderful family which has helped me to get through all of the difficult times in my life, and they mean the world to me.

[Kafir Time Constraints]

The Canine Defense Forces is a scrappy group of dogs who were all assembled from previously failed dog combat units, but who have gotten their act together to perform like true pros for the elite C&R team. Maggie (Agent Choco) came from the mean streets of Tacoma, Washington. Action Jack escaped from a puppy mill in Minnesota. Specialist Rudy (who resides with some dear infidel friends of mine) - I don't even know his background story. He's kind of a shadowy figure. Friendly too. He also has a new partner, whom I'll be introducing soon. Watch for upcoming K-9DF news! These dogs are lean, mean infidel-protecting canine machines, and I'm proud of all of them.

As far as other members go, I consider everyone who comes by to read or comment at Clarity & Resolve as part of the team. Some people bring up points I've missed, some disagree with my commentary, some are downright hilarious. All are welcome and appreciated. They inspire me.

10- What is behind the burqa car?

The burqa car is nice because it kind of illustrates the absurdity and misogyny inherent in Islam. As decent and reasonable people, we must question an ideology which is so dreadfully insecure about its women's autonomy that it imposes a portable means of confinement on them when they leave the home, and as is the case on the great Muhammadan peninsula, actually denies them the simple mobility of a car. [Burka car]

I explain it the way I explain all of the anachronistic, anti-human attitudes found in Islam: It's a politicoreligious ideology which was formulated in a barbaric place at a barbaric time, and it was designed to remain unchanged. Add to this the fact that Muslims believe that the Koran is the inerrant word of God, and one begins to understand why the Islamic world struggles so desperately with the concept of progress.

[Iran, Where a Vote Isn't a Vote]

Fallacious arguments from Islamic apologists notwithstanding, Islam has always been anti-woman. It attaches a pathologically shameful stigma to the feminine sex that is borne out in the Koran and sunna. This has ruined the dreams and hopes - and human rights - of countless little Muslim girls.

When you have the putative word of God (the Koran) prescribing oppression of women and the account of the ideal Muslim man (Muhammad, in the sunna) fulfilling and expanding upon such prescriptions, you have a disaster of colossal proportions for Muslim women. It's not right.

[Nice Jewish Girls With Assault Rifles]

Incidentally, I've long suspected that if Islam is to stand a chance at reform - indeed at survival - it will likely be because of its women.

11- What does Christianity mean to you? How do you describe or imagine God? Do you think God really exists?

Christianity is the faith I was brought up in. It was instrumental in providing me with the ethical foundation upon which I've built my moral sense. Christianity shaped Western civilization, and made it better. It gave us "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar and unto God the things that are GodÃ¢â‚â„¢s," which left us plenty of room to eventually eschew theocracy during the enlightenment and to embrace democracy. This stands in stark contrast to Islam's rigid insistence that God's law be imposed upon all men of all times in all places.
[Iraq: Avian Defense Forces]

The beneficial Judeo-Christian contribution to mankind cannot be overstated in my opinion.

I'm an atheist/agnostic (I don't really care which label people use to describe me), Diane, so what God may be like is of little concern to me. I don't meant that in an arrogant way, and I sincerely respect the profound and poignant relationship that most of us have with our Creator. I just don't believe in supernatural agency or phenomena, so it's really a non-issue for me.

That being said, I still consider myself to be a Christian on many levels. Much of the codified Christian moral precepts are simply self-evident guidelines to being a good human being, I think.

12- Do you think those values we cherish in the free world are universal to humanity or are they somehow exclusive to Christianity? Do we find values similar to our Christian values in other major world religions?

I think that all humans have the same moral template, which is used uniquely from one culture to the next. There are certainly universal morals and values, but the extent to which they are developed depends on the culture they occur in. Western civilization has emerged - largely by accident - as the best social environment to nurture the concepts of freedom and pluralism. Again, I feel that Christianity was an essential influence in this process.
[American Infidel Cowboys Love Kids]

Life, love, freedom, and plurality are just, more or less, my favorite things. Or rather, these things make all other good things possible, in my opinion. These are values that the West and Christianity have imbued us with. They are invaluable. I try to accentuate their value at Clarity & Resolve, and I also try to show how bad it is when and where they are absent.

[West and Est]

13- For about three decades in the West, God has not been a regular subject of our public debate. Since 9/11 and the Islamic assault on the West, religion and its role, if any, in determining the norms of our civic society has returned full force. Just think of the recent Danish cartoon debate. As a consequence, God or more generally speaking, religion with all its emotional baggage seems to have returned to claim a place in our public lives. For example, we now hear Americans often referring to Europeans as being Godless. What do you think our American friends mean by this?

I think it's mostly people on the right who worry about the degree of religiosity among the average European. However, I feel a case can be made that secularism can be taken to the same unhealthy, dangerous extreme that religion sometimes is. I would venture to guess that Americans and Europeans both are no more or less religious than they have been in recent history. But (and I'm speaking in general terms here) the former is comfortable with publicly expressing religious sentiments, while the latter appears to have adopted the notion that open satisfaction with ones Christian faith is somehow shameful.
[Rock of Ages]

Europeans, for whatever reason, have largely been more receptive than Americans to the fuzzy thinking found in ideas like the noble savage and the innately, irremediably flawed white European. Such thinking does have the superficial glow of progressivism and enlightenment. However, it only muddies the water more because it ignores the fact that all peoples have been, at one time or another, good and bad. It is popular among the intelligentsia in Europe (and America) to claim that Europeans (and Americans) have more to be ashamed of than proud of in their heritage. Christianity appears to have been bundled into this package.
[Gloria In Excelsis]

At the end of the day, I think that the supposed divide between Europeans and Americans is mostly insubstantial, and exists more in political circles than social ones.

Finally, I'm not in Europe, and I haven't spent much time there (I really loved it, though), so I'm probably not qualified to make any sort of conclusive assessment of the European soul. I just hope that they don't sell it out to Islam.
[Scoring Halaal Goals for God]

14- We can certainly understand that many Europeans are still traumatized from the horrors of WWI and WWII. Before these terribly conflicts, so costly in treasure and human life, they went through centuries of the religious wars. Do you see a relationship between their past and what appears to be a real reluctance to face the threat of Islam both from within and from outside their own societies?

European leaders made some egregiously foolhardy decisions in the seventies which have resulted in a large, prolific, and hostile Muslim citizenry today. I think that's where the reluctance to confront jihad and dawa (the non-military, missionary spread of Islam) come from. Europe has a very big problem now, and I don't know if it's reversible.
[The Multicultural Misery]

15- The left has always viewed and prided itself as the real defender of human rights. Yet in the current context, they are vigorously opposed to almost any forceful action designed to put an end to dictatorships. How is it that the left excuses these dictators, who are the worst offenders of the very human rights the left purports to defend? How you explain this?

Something malicious and tragic happened to the left while no one was paying attention. There's a new left that, through naivete or design, has forgotten what the word liberal means and how it relates to liberty and individual rights - to freedom of conscience. This departure from classical liberal values is very similar to Islam, fascism, and communism. I guess that a surfeit of freedom and rights breeds a particular form of collective idiocy that, sadly, ends up getting people killed and supporting the most vile acts and actors.
[Genocide Intervention Fund]

I'd like to say that it's only the fringe of the left that hates Israel, hates America, and loves Castro and Hamas. You know, the same way that only the fringe of the right supports the KKK or David Duke. I don't know if that's true, though. It seems that an increasingly large contingent of the center left are allowing themselves to be pulled down by the lunatics who are clamoring to offer up the West's neck to Islamofascism.
[Hamas: Mass Murder of Civilians OK]

These people are the new useful idiots, and this time they're furthering the agenda of jihad as well as communism. Ironically, they themselves would go under the sword or the burden of jizya if the Religion of Peace was somehow able to vanquish those of us who unabashedly defend the West and Western values. Also ironically, we defend these idiots from their own idiocy. Maybe that's one of God's little jokes!

16- Recently in the United States, some retired Generals were critical of the Sec of Defence for his handling of the Iraq War. The strong left lobby and the powerful news media (MSM - NYT) locked on to this issue, fanning the flames in a major offensive to get rid of Donald Rumsfeld. In effect, an effort by them to decapitate the civil leadership of the US military. As a Democrat, what do think of this?

[Heroes Then, Now & Always]

I think it's case study #whatever of a leftist bias in big media. It may be part of what we will later realize was big media's last gasp. Blogs are here now, and people are tired of being insulted by a rank partisan, disdainful media elite.

But yeah, these people hate George W. Bush with a passion that I've seldom seen equaled. They'll sink to any level if they think it'll hurt Bush. Sadly, it just hurts our ability to effectively address and combat the forces that threaten us. It's really a shame because it fosters an environment of petty divisiveness at a time when America - and the world - need unity more than ever.

I think that is probably one course of action that is being pursued right now. We certainly know who to contact inside Iran and we certainly have C.I.A. and special ops guys on the ground as well. I don't think that there will be any way to avoid armed conflict when all is said and done, though. Ahmadinejad - or "Armageddonjihad," as I call him - wants holy war, he wants Israel destroyed, and he wants the Islamic rapture. Unfortunately, a disturbingly large number of influential voices are providing him with the cover of legitimacy.

[Yeah, That's a Hoot]

I just hope that when we hit them, it will be fast, overwhelming, and decisive. Like any American, I'm sick of watching our guys die. As a human being, I'm sick of watching bloggers imprisoned and young girls and gay men being murdered by the despicable mullahs in Iran.

17- What are your thoughts on the future of democracy and capitalism?

It's mankind's only hope. No other form of governance and economy has thus far been devised which so closely mirrors man's nature and serves our needs and desires. With the proper resolve and support, it will proceed to its natural end of wiping out most human suffering. We're in a bottle neck right now - a crucial one - and we need all the hope and tenacity we can muster to get through it intact.

Media, communication, information

18- The image provided by the MSM is quite different in reality from that of the real world, which is reported, discussed, and analyzed in the vast blogosphere, 24/7. Which media source - traditional or the net - will be the most persuasive in the short and medium term?

Mainstream media (in its present form) still has the upper hand, because people are familiar with it, and the saturation of the masses with the computer isn't yet complete. This is about to change, though. Within the space of a couple of decades, we've gone from a few geeks building the internet as we know it on clunky, slow, and expensive machines to the common person having access to the internet - and participating in its evolution - at lightning speeds on cheap, well-running machines. The TV revolution that built modern media and the telegraph/telephone/radio and printing press revolutions before that took centuries to bear their fruits.
[It's the Jihad, Stupid]

The phenomenon of blogging was bound to happen. The good blogs were bound to stand out. Traditional media will be absorbed by the new media, which will then become mainstream. The difference will be that people will have more choices about where to get their information and analysis, which is, of course, a very good thing.

18- Do you think the explosion of information in the blogosphere will have a definitive impact on way the MSM determines what is news and how it will cover, what it traditionally calls, "the story"?

It already has. The big guys read the little guys, and in some cases, the little guys are now big guys. Mainstream media is now being fact-checked and analyzed in real time in a milieu freely available to millions on demand. It makes sense for big media to pay attention to what is being discussed on blogs because, after all, people are paying attention too.

When I saw myself being quoted on MSNBC last year, it really hit me how mainstream citizen journalism has become in such a short amount of time. It was really an eye-opener, because I'm not famous by any stretch of the imagination. I'm quite anonymous, in fact. Nevertheless, there were the words I'd written in the privacy of my home, being broadcast to millions on the television. Incredible.

19 - What are your thoughts on the Mainstream Media's coverage of Jihad?

It usually falls into two categories: Woefully ignorant or shamefully dishonest. I suppose that ignorance in journalism is to be expected to some degree when covering exotic and complex topics like Islamic jihad, but that excuse is wearing pretty thin these days. Pick up the Koran, pay attention to the news wires, and stop the uncritical acceptance of what CAIR and agenda-driven academics are peddling.
[HIGHWAY SA]

The dishonesty is worse. It's a deliberate choice to mislead and it justifies the horrendous acts carried out by the mujahideen. It enables them. The willful distortion of simple facts, especially when it comes to Israel and the undeniable connection between mainstream Islam and Islamic terror, is disgraceful. Calling them "militants" or "activists" is disgraceful and insulting to their victims.

This is a serious matter, and the media is letting the public down in a big way. Thankfully, there is internet media to help fill in the moral, psychological, and factual gaps.
[Dar al-Gitmo Times]

20- What are your observations on the cartoon madness? What do you think is the real story behind the MSM refusing to publish these cartoons?

It's fear. Everyone knows what happened to Theo van Gogh. Salman Rushdie or Ibn Warraq or Ayaan Hirsi Ali. They're afraid of Muslims coming after them and their family to redeem the "honor" of their religion's founder. I was afraid too. I still am. These people - not all of them, mind you, but enough of them - kill when they feel their faith has been insulted.

Where's the guy who gave us "Piss Christ"? Where are the actors from The Last Temptation of Christ and The Passion of the Christ? I'll tell you where they aren't: In front of a mob of enraged Christians or Jews whipped up into a murderous fury, running for their lives.

Leftists are fond of the canard that we have surrendered our freedoms out of unwarranted fear through our adoption of the Patriot Act and our construction of Camp X-Ray in Gunatanamo Bay. They don't seem to mind accommodating the barbarians who kill over cartoons, though.

21- What are your thoughts on the fairness and balance - or lack there of - in the MSM coverage of Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

I'd like to see how these people would react to their neighbors, family members, and loved ones being blown to bloody pieces and bone fragments in their streets. They should be ashamed of their hypocrisy. When their jihadis friends came to America, they were terrorists. When they came to Madrid and London, they were terrorists. In Bali and Beslan, they are Islamic terrorist killers. In Israel, they are equated with the IDF who are struggling to protect Israeli sovereignty and security, while preserving the lives of Palestinian Arab civilians. There is no moral equivalence here, but that's what so many in the mainstream media are trying to feed us.

[One More Light Goes Out]

Alan Dershowitz said in The Case for Israel that Israel is the Jew of the world. That is, among nations, it is simply accepted that it's all right to unfairly criticize Israel for spurious faults while ignoring the glaring wickedness being perpetrated by so many others. Where does this unethical and stupid prejudice come from?
[Culture of Death: PA, Terrorists & Kids]

There's definitely some antisemitism to it, but there's also the element of a pervasive leftist slant in the media. I think it goes back to what we were talking about earlier regarding the leftist penchant for self-effacement and inflated veneration for the supposed victims who kill the innocent because we force them to. It sounds simplistic, but I think a lot of these people in MSM see Israelis - as per their distorted worldview - as the soulless white imperialists living off the suffering of aggrieved, noble brown people.

I don't know how else to explain it, but I will say this: It's intellectually lazy and ethically reckless.

22- Who are your favorite observers / columnists and who stands out as being particularly awful?

I really like Robert Spencer, because he's a veritable repository of information on the Religion of Peace. Oriana Fallaci is unparalleled for her keen sense and fiery conviction. There's a radio talk show host from Boston named Howie Carr who I like because he makes me laugh. I don't always agree with his politics, but he's very entertaining. I listen to him sometimes when I'm in the car.

For the moment, I think I'll decline mentioning by name the scoundrels whose print gets under my skin.

23. Patrick, what are some of the projects you wish to complete, "before the bones", as an old Muslim friend of ours says?

Ha! That's a cool expression. Well, my aim is to not get to that point at all, or at least to choose when I do. I want to live long enough to see the time when we can choose whether or not we want to die. It may seem like science fiction, but we are quickly approaching the era where what once seemed miraculous will become commonplace - all through technology and our integration with it, or rather, its integration with us.
[Smiles Are Universal]

This is all contingent on whether we can get over the stupid stuff like jihad and other forms of tyranny over mankind's body, mind, and soul.

In the meantime, I just want to become a better person and to keep learning. I want to improve my artistic skills. If I can, I want to help others. I want to raise awareness of the suffering of people and animals. I want to have a lot of fun, and make life fun for those around me.

About life

24. What are your thoughts on life, what matters and what does not really matter?

Life matters. We matter. Whether you are a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, or an atheist, you matter and you deserve peace, security, and happiness. No one matters more than others by virtue of their religion, race, or other nominal distinction. Those things matter to us as individuals within discrete groups, but they shouldn't matter one whit when it comes to how we treat each other as a whole. Whatever we believe comes after this life, one thing is certain: right now we're all here together and it is wholly possible to be good to each other, no matter where we come from. Life itself matters, and I think we should honor it across its broad spectrum.
[American Infidel Crusaders Love Kids]

Science matters, and I don't think enough of us appreciate that. Faith is sustenance for man's spirit, but science is what makes life better in a practical sense. It has lifted us out of barbarism and, along with art, has transformed us into something better. It is also truly exhilarating to apprehend how it all works, and our part in it.

[Smiles Are Universal]

What doesn't really matter is the meaningless divisions we construct between ourselves as people. They shouldn't matter, at least. They mainly serve to hurt us and inhibit our progress toward unity and peace.

Life is precious, and whether you believe in God or not, you are a lost soul when you discount the inestimable value of life. You are then throwing away the most priceless gift we have. To do so in God's name is unutterably vile, in my view.

Many thanks to Patrick Kafir for his fun and thoughful commentaries.

- Additional interesting links from C&R -

About Clarity & Resolve and Ethical/Editorial Standards Summary

Clarity & Resolve Kafir Gear

Kafir: Arabic for "infidel"—one who refuses to submit to the Islamic God (Allah) and the Islamic faith, and who denies that Muhammad was God's messenger. We use the lovely Arabic calligraphic script for "kafir" as our logo, with the English "infidel" below.

Terror:
DJ al-Qaradawi Rocks the Mosque
Peaceful Inner Struggle Watch
Justice Matters... In a Relative, Conditional Sort of Way - Anti-Semite art
Pink Jihad: The Camouflage Burqa Brigades of Hamas
Saudi Death Cultists Make Token Gesture
Iran: Killing Gay Kids for Allah
Allah: The Angry, Violent Deity With No Sense of Humor - Norway

Iraq:
CDF Iraq, Canine Defense Force in Iraq
We Love Life
Can't Sleep... Freedom on the March...
Strangely Unlike a Quagmire

Hockey:
C&R Sports Desk

Diane, Pro-freedom Artitsts

Wonderful Sunshine

2006-04-23T00:45:00.000-04:00

Whether it rises on a lake in North Bay, Canada or
on the Tigris River in beautiful Mosul, the sun is ours to stay,
bloody wars or not.

Her name is Sunshine, she was born on a glorious January 29 in 1992, in Iraq.

Considered to be the Best Young Iraqi Blogger at age 14, Sunshine from Mosul has experienced a few cloudy days recently with her mother in need of an operation, her Great Grandmother passing away during surgery, and her friend losing several family members in a terrorist/insurgent attack. However, despite the recent difficulties, toils and troubles, of being a young woman growing up in a rebuilding Iraq, Sunshine, like the sun, rises warm and sunny every morning, each day a new learning experience for this bright studious girl, a cornerstone of Iraq's future potential.

Sunshine From Mosul, Days of My Life - Best Young Iraqi Blogger

Hello Sunshine, how are you?

Sunshine: Hello sir, I am fine thanks.

- Can you tell us what a typical or average day for Sunshine is like?

Sunshine: Well, I wake up early in the morning, I go to school at 7:30, & come back at 1:30, I take my lunch & study till bed time …. In the holidays or weekends I sometimes wake up early too if we have electricity, I work on computer (& of course if the voltage is high enough), & I like reading, I am not too interested in watching TV, actually I don't have enough time, but I like Oprah show, Dr. Phil, & the reports.. I love reports...

- Can you describe some of the changes that have occurred for your family and you since the War began?

Sunshine: Since the war we spend most of the time at home, no more fun, no more picnics, no birthdays with guests, my parents discusses policy in most of the day, and watch news many many times during the day...

- What is the most important thing to you in life and why?

Sunshine: I believe that the most important thing in any ones life is education, Iraq needs re-building, & I want to share in rebuilding my country...

- Sunshine, what does Love mean to you?

Sunshine: Well, I don't know, I am still too young, but I think if you love someone you should trust, respect, & to be honest with your lover... Love is important in humanity to make life peaceful … Life without love makes people the same as dolls...

- You mentioned during the recent Iraqi Election that you would have voted for Allawi, List No. 731. Can you tell us what you liked about Allawi? And were you happy with the election results?

Sunshine: Yes I would have voted for Allawi, because he is educated, courageous man, as well as the other members with him & that what we need. I am not happy with the results I am very upset...

- Sunshine, are you worried that Iraq is heading down a more Fundamental Islamic path? Five years from today, will you have to wear a Abbaya when you venture outside?

Sunshine: Well the word " worried" don't describe what I am feeling now, but "terrified" does… but I assure you that no one in this world can makes me wear al-Abbaya...

-Does the World Media (Television, Radio, and Newspapers) present an accurate view of what's happening in Iraq?

Sunshine: NO, they don't. I hear many explosions everyday, many people die, sometimes people we know, but the media don't show that, and don't give a related view... Few days ago, a suicid bomber exploded himself in our neighborhood, all the windows were broken and no one mentioned that at all. In my mid-year exam there was a mine near my school, no one talked about that too, so many things happen every day and no one talk about them... No one show the real people's condition, not even in the Iraqi media, I don't know why?! When they make a questionnaire, for example, they ask poor, uneducated people such as an old woman with Abbaya or a cadger... They don't ask a doctor, professor, engineer, they don't do that in universities or in hospitals... I can barely recognize my country, while listening to the news or see reports about Iraq...

- Do you feel that the present conditions in Iraq and Mosul restrict your ability to learn?

Sunshine: Yes sir, absolutely. Sometimes I can't reach school and I miss classes, sometimes I can't concentrate, I keep thinking about tomorrow; my safety, orI think about my parents' safety or about sad stories I heard...

- Iraqi Schools and Teacher Qualifications: You are critical of the Iraqi schools and the educators. Can you discuss some of the problems you've experienced or heard about concerning the schools and teachers?

Sunshine: Well, most of the teachers, but not all of them (I can't generalize) are not qualified to teach. Sometimes intelligent pupils amend or correct for the teachers!!! Few months ago I saw an interview in Al-hurrah TV, with the Iraqi minister of education; he said that most of the teachers are not qualified morally nor vocationally to teach!!! When I heard that, I was shocked. Let me give you an example, I have a relative who is my dad's cousin. She is 19 years old, she didn't pass the third class for so many years, so her parents decided to send her to the teaching institution!! I talked to her few times, I saw that she has not been unenlightened at all and she can't even make a conversation!!! How could anyone imagine that she will elevate a generation!!! That what I can't understand!! The other thing that is annoying to me is that unfortunately some teachers are very extremist, especially the religion teachers. This year, I had problems like that. I had to talk to my mom and she talked with the headmistress. My teacher used to tell me that I would go to hell because I don't wear al-hijab. She always hurts my feelings and treats me like I am a bad person. My sister who is 7 years old, feels terrified from the religion teacher, she don't want to go to school and she cries a lot, because her teacher keeps telling them stories about agony and death. My sister complains from nightmares all the time!!!

- So, what's your least favorite subject in school? What subject do you really dislike?

Sunshine: I don't enjoy studying chemistry & geography...

- If you could meet any person on the planet, any person Sunshine, and have them over for dinner, who would it be?

Sunshine: I want to meet soooo many people, like Oprah, Lance Armstrong, Dr. Phil and of course, my regular readers & commenters .

- What's your favorite food or junk food?

Sunshine: I like everything that does not contain cauliflower and the peas, I love the potatoes chips and meat balls with vegetables & curries soup, and I like chocolate cakes, yummy!

- Can you cook, Sunshine? Does your mother let you prepare meals? Do Iraqi girls learn how to cook early on in life?

Sunshine: Yes I know some simple things to prepare like my delicious macaroni and my mom allow me to work in the kitchen in case I promise her to wash the dishes. I know how to make delicious desserts. Some Iraqi girls learn to cook early and some don't even know how to boil an egg for breakfast!!! Depends on their desire...

- Sunshine, you like country music. Do you ever think about putting on a cowboy hat and forming the first Iraqi All-Girls Country Music Band? Do you have a favorite country singer?

Sunshine: I love country music, I very much enjoy listening to it. I like many country singers like Shania Twain . But I won't form the first Iraqi country music band!

- Tell me one intriguing place in the world that you would love to visit and why?

Sunshine: I would love to visit America because I have relatives & friends there and I might visit you, sir ... Visiting Europe would be great too... and I would like to travel around the world someday! To see how the people live and to learn more about their countries, traditions, religions & cultures.

- If you couldn't live in Iraq, where would you like to live?

Sunshine: I would like to live in any peaceful place, with beautiful nature, good people...

- You have a Great Uncle in the United States. Would you like to see him some day?

Sunshine: Yes, this is my dream. I wish I will be able one day, but unfortunately, Iraqis can't step into USA easily.

- Sunshine is there an Iraqi equivalent of a Nerd or a Geek?

Sunshine: Here in Iraq we call them "bloggers", hehehehe…

- Your home in Mosul has been inspected twice by American Soldiers. Did the inspections upset you?

Sunshine: The first time, I was upset because of the bad behavior of one of the soldiers, although the others were nice. The second time, things went okay for everyone, we talked and sat for a long time together, the soldiers were polite and we showed good hospitality.

- Did you feel the soldiers were intruding into your personal space?

Sunshine: I know that the soldiers are doing their jobs, but I don't feel comfortable to know that someone is searching among my clothes & personal things.

- Were the American Soldiers civil and polite?

Sunshine: In the first inspection one of them was rude, but in the second time they were all polite.

- Can you describe to us what an inspection is like?

Sunshine: Well, when we see some tanks "panzers" in the neighborhood, then we know that we might have an inspection and sometimes the soldiers suddenly enter the house! We all stay in one room or outside the house, the soldiers ask us if we have guns or any weapons, two or three soldiers stay with us and the others inspect the house, I like to talk with the soldiers and try to leave a good impression.

- How did your other family members react to the soldier’s presence?

Sunshine: All my family members cooperate with the soldiers. But some of the relatives feel nervous & uncomfortable and others don't. Few days ago my relatives had a home inspection, their boys played basketball with the soldiers and had a nice time.

- Does it snow at all in Mosul?

Sunshine: I saw it snowing twice during my life, but my mom said that the day I was born, it was snowing, but it snows every winter in Kurdistan...

- Have you ever been in a snowball fight or made a snowman?

Sunshine: Yes I did once, I had lots of fun & I took some pictures too.

- Do you have a favorite video or computer game you like to play?

Sunshine: I don't have any, but sometimes I try to play with my friends, each time I don't feel interested nor do I find it fun. When I was in grade two at primary school, my parents wanted to buy me a present , they asked me if I want a play station or computer , I preferred the computer, although some of my friends considered me crazy, but I am so happy with my choice.
MG: How important is the internet to you?

Sunshine: It is very important to me, it is my life and through the internet, I met so many gorgeous people and became more enlightened.

- How did you become interested in blogging, and how did your blog "Days of My Life" originate?

Sunshine: First when I had internet for the first time, my aunt Rose, gave us her blog address, her husband's & Najma's, just then I started to learn about blogging... I always wanted to have friends around the world & to show them that the people in Iraq are just like everyone else & share with them my suffering, success, diaries, my happy & sad moments.

- Can you tell us about some of the other Blogs you like to read and can recommend?

Sunshine: All the bloggers that I made a link for, are my favorite . I also read the blogs that are mentioned in Iraqi blog account.

- Sunshine, there seems to be a lot of warmth and affection between the commenters at your blog and you. Does that give you a good feeling?

Sunshine: Of course, I feel so happy when I read the comments, whether the commenters agree or disagree with me, every time I publish a post I can't wait till I receive the comments .

- Many people consider you to be the best young Iraqi blogger. That must be rewarding and I suspect that this won’t get you a swell head or a big ego.

Sunshine: Am I?! Well, it is my honor & I would love to be the best blogger. I don't think that I will be a big ego or get a swelled head, although sometimes my mom ask me to do some housework, like wash the dishes, for example, I answer her "come on this is moi, Sunshine, the famous blogger!! " but of course I say that just for fun , and I do what my mom wants me to do.

- Do you feel pressure to write something creative every time you post?

Sunshine: Every time I write a post, I hesitate, I want my readers to love the subject even the title of the post. I try to find something that attracts the readers. I usually read and check my posts for many times before publishing it, to make sure that there aren't any mistakes in my spelling or grammar.

- You're a member of the largest clan of interrelated bloggers in the Iraqi blogosphere. There's you, Mama, Dr. Truth Teller, Najma, HNK, Raghda, your Aunt Rose, Hassan, Dalia, and I know I'm missing on or two... This is one big extended blogging family.

Sunshine: Yes, we are all relatives and everyone encourage the others to write and also encourage the other members to start their own blogs. You can see we sometimes have different point of views, but that does not conflict with the fact that we are all one happy family.

- Does your cousin Raghda, the famous Iraqi Cat Blogger, really love cats.

Sunshine: Yes she does, she loves cats so much and she also have three in her house, Raghda is a good friend of mine and I wish her all the best.

- Do you have any pets yourself?

Sunshine: No, I don't, but my dad had two chipmunks when he was in my age and my mom had lovebirds. I like the small puppies and I wish that I can own one someday!

- Sunshine, I am curious, do Iraqi children and teens love Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia too?

Sunshine: First I didn't know who is Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia untill I searched on the internet. However, my information about them is still limited because most of the websites I visited are not free, and I don't have an account… Second the majority of the teens don't know English well, so they can't read English books. Unfortunately books are the last thing teens of my age might think to buy, most of the boys prefer video games and girls like to buy magazines, containing subjects such as beauty, actors, fashion, jewelries etc…

- Sunshine, what are some of your favorite TV programs?

Sunshine: I like 20/20 , 48 hours, 24 hours, Oprah show, Dr. Phil, Super Nanny and I also like the comedy series, investigation programs and all kinds of reports.

- You like watching Oprah. You even wrote a letter to her. Can you tell me what you like about Oprah?

Sunshine: I wrote so many letters to her, I admire her and her show a lot, she inspired me in so many ways and I like her spirit and her generosity. She was poor, she tried to improve herself in every way and she succeeded. She helps the paupers and encourage people to help each other. So many series of her show contain very inspiring stories which I believe. This makes me a better person and improved my ability to give and help the others. Once, my mom and I saw a show about “Christmas generosity", she was helping children in Africa; my mom and I were touched. We purveyed clothes & toys and put them in bags. On the next day, my mom went to her work and gave those things to the children in the village. I also like her advises very much… She has a good show although she allows advertisements to those people who sponsor her show.

- Suppose, Oprah invited you to appear on her show. Would you come to America with your parents?

Sunshine: That would be nice of her, but Iraqis are not allowed to come to America!! If I could, I would love to appear on her show... and to come to America with my parents.

- What's the best book you've read in the last two weeks?

Sunshine: Lately I read two books, one of them was in Arabic (it was a miscellaneous book about history, poetry, aphorism and religion) and the other is in English it's name "How to stop worrying and start living" by Dale Carnegie , I have not finished it yet.

- Sunshine, you are a very gifted writer. Do you aspire to be a novelist or journalist some day?

Sunshine: Journalist?! That would be wonderful, especially if things turn out to be better in Iraq.

- Tell me about your family's garden: What sort of interesting trees, plants, flowers or fruits do you have growing in it? Is it a peaceful place where you can seek some solitude for study?

Sunshine: We have a very big garden (240 square meters). We have so many kinds of flowers and some are rare. My grandma used to take care of it, she likes gardening. I have grown a mandarin tree once. We have 17 orange trees & 4 mandarin trees, one Japanese orange tree, one apple tree, a grapefruit tree and a lemon tree. We have as well spearmint plants & many plants of "Itra"; it's a kind of herbs that we put in tea and it makes the tea tastes & smells good… However, unfortunately even our own garden is not safe; we found many slivers and bullets in it, due to the many attacks against the nearby police station.

- Thanks very much for a nice In T View, Sunshine, and final question: Have you ever seen a Ghost?

Sunshine: Thank you for making this very nice T View with me. It was my honor. I see the Ghosts in the movies only. My favorite is "Casper". I like films & series that contain ghosts like "Charmed"!

Interview by Mister Ghost

Most photos are Sunshine's, Days of My Life
Sunrise on the water - Rose, Leap Frog
Women's Rights are Human Rights, Amir Normandi - Testing Human Rights
Chipmunck for Sunshine, Mister Ghost
Layout and photo-montage "Bébé Sunshine dans les Fleurs du Canada", Diane - Arts for Democracy

Amir Normandi, No Hejab Is Required

2006-02-02T11:10:00.000-05:00

Iranian-American photographer Amir Normandi took the Blogosphere
by storm in 2005, when his No Veil Is Required show at Harper College in Illinois was cancelled after a few Muslim students protested the inclusion of nudity in the exhibition.

Normandi, 57, who escaped Iran at the height of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and emigrated to the United States, has been captivated by the visual image his entire life, taking more than One Million photographs in his long career as a professional photographer, which he continues to this day, at his d'Last Studios in Chicago.

MG: Amir Normandi, Welcome to the In T View. Could provide a description of yourself?

Amir Normandi: I am just another person with fascination of my surroundings, but lucky to have access to still cameras, enabling me to capture scenes and acts of my life theater.

MG: Amir, you were born in the beautiful Iranian city of Rasht on the edge of the Caspian Sea. A nice place? Would like to return to it? Did growing up in Rasht have any influence on your life's work?

Amir Normandi: Yes, Rasht is a very beautiful city and I would love to go back there. Unfortunately I did not grow up in Rasht. But, I was brought up under the influence of Rasht culture in Tehran, culture of respect for humanity and their habitats.

MG: You left your native Iran in 1979 right at the time of Revolution. What was your main reason for leaving? And was it a perilous escape?

Amir Normandi: I left my native land after casting a no vote for the Islamic Republic Regime. I left after witnessing my euphoric nation being cheated by a group of Religious Merchants, Mercenaries, Opportunists, and Traitors whom aided the re-invasion of Iran by the Islamic Sword.

MG: Amir, you've commented in the past, that your Great-Grandfather was, "revered as a saint with (a) blood line linked to Prophet Mohammad..." Can you go in to more detail about who your great-grandfather was?

Amir Normandi: Allegedly he was a -- holy/wise and learned man -- great-grand child of Prophet Mohammad. The Forefathers Shrine ( Jaad-Khaneh) where my great, great grandfather is buried, was declared a domain of Holy Centers and Religious Foundations in 1970. Even the brook that passes through my ancestor's land and his grave site was named -Tahir Goorab- (Chaste grave side-water). One of the legends about him is that his sandals use to come together after he took them off after entering a home. The lays still visit his shrine on Thursdays' eve of Islamic Sabbath day Friday.

MG: Amir, you became somewhat of a cause celebre in the Blogosphere and Media in 2005 when Harper College cancelled your No Veil Is Required photo exhibition, after Muslim students complained that the photographs were offensive. Even if the photographs were "Offensive" to Muslims, should they as a very small minority, have had the power to force Harper College to curtail your exhibition?

Amir Normandi: No, they should not have or be given the power, nor should a large majority have the power, to silence any member of society because of that member's thinking and stands.

MG: Harper College's International Studies Coordinator Richard Johnson, who was responsible for bringing No Veil Is Required to Harper College and closing the exhibition down, claimed in a 2005 Chicago Reader article, that your post-exhibition actions -- such as issuing a press release and having Chicago televison stations show up at your forum -- were a "'huge puiblciity stunt...'" How do you respond to these charges?

Amir Normandi: No matter how they spin it, Harper College gave democracy and freedom of expression a black eye by shutting down the "No Veil is Required Exhibit" . Even with my extensive effort in publicizing that dark day in Harper's history, reporters Alex Perez of NBC-5 and Ben Bradly of ABC-7 failed to see beyond the lawyers line which was put out by Harper's spokesperson. What was amazing that NBC-5 put out an on line survey that polled over 600 visitor of their internet site and 72% of them disagreed with Harper's action is shutting down my exhibition. In short: No it was not a stunt; it was a civil act to show the ugly face of censorship.

MG: Why did you file a Censorship Lawsuit against Harper College for cancelling your exhibition and then decide to drop the case?

Amir Normandi: I did not file any lawsuit. The American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) -- as an advocate of civil liberties -- wrote a letter of inquiry with regards to rules governing the display of art work inside the Harper's campus inline with the Illinois and the United States Freedom of Information Act. Since Harper hired a law firm that charged hundreds of dollars per hour to defend them instead of simply furnishing the data and being transparent, they went in to legal advisories mode by mailing irrelevant emails in duplicates and hiding themselves behind a different kind of veil. I did not want taxpayers money to be spent on defense of a grossly wrong decision.

MG: Was it necessarily a bad thing that your exhibit was cancelled, as it drew much more attention to your work and subject matter?

Amir Normandi: No, it was a good outcome in spite of Harper's misguided reaction in removing my exhibit.

MG: And what was the central theme of No Veil Is Required?

Amire Normandi: Self determination and defiance of gender-specific dress code.

MG: Amir, you are anti-Hejab or Hijab. Can you explain for those who don't know, what a hijab is, and why you're against it?

Amir Normandi: Hejab is the general term for the compulsory dress code for women in Islamic societies. This Hejab is the same covering known as ABAYA in Saudi Arabia, Burqua in Afghanistan, and Chador in Iran. I am against forced Hejab which is a gender specific dress code and a tool for domination of women. It is almost always enforced by men and it is a segregation method which ends up making a woman a half human.

MG: If you portrayed Christian women in robes exhibiting some nudity would there have been any sort of outcry, and would Harper College have allegedly caved in like they did?

Amir Normandi: I do not have an answer to this Q, but that gives me an idea for future projects.

MG: Why is Academia so intimidated by Islam?

Amir Normandi: Academia is suffering from many phobias. It is not Islam-o-phobia only. I think as a matter of policy the academia needs to learn bravery and honesty from their student body, which have been inspiring through out recent history.

MG: Can you tell us why No Veil Is Required was dedicated to Zahra Kazemi and Theo Van Gogh?

Amir Normandi: Because they too have hoped with their images, giving the world another jolt in opening their eyes to the traditional oppression of women!

MG: What would you say was the most powerful image in your exhibition and why?

Amir Normandi: First, "No Veil is Required - Tahira." That image was inspred from the life story of "Tahira Qurat-al_an" whose (self) unveiling about 100 years ago caused a few hardliners to slit their own throat in Badakh-sh.

Second is "Defiance in Red Burqua" which sympathizes with the struggle of Afghani women and their home grown brand of Islam and the recent version imported by Saudi brand of Islam: WAHABI's courtesy of Osama Bin Laden.

Third is "Safe in Saudi Arabia" which tells the world that the Saudi's are holding the people inside and out side of their borders at gun-point!

MG: Did you think of vieling some Muslim
men or placing them in burkhas, and entitling the image, "How Do You Like This?"

Amir Normandi: As a matter of fact I have and I will.

MG: There certainly is an element of Sexuality and Eroticism in the No Veil Is Required images. Was that purposely done on your part?

Amir Normandi: Yes, purposely and by design. For a show of defiance in response to those who consider women child bearers -incubator for men- and by denying women any sense of self-worth or human desire.

MG: In your introduction to No Veil Is Required, you state, "women's rights IS human rights, women's freedom is equality for everyone." You obviously see a linkage between veiling women and a loss of women's rights. Can you expound on this?

Amir Normandi: When you subjugate children with specific gender to a dress code when they reach the age of 7 and start segregating them, and then considering them (worth) half of the other gender by giving them half of inheritance rights, and half the restitution if they were dismembered by accident or because of a criminal act. Deny them divorce rights, child custody rights, travel rights, and many other inequalities that began with forced veiling. To me this is the most tangible form of gender apartheid and discrimination, which is a human rights issue.

MG: One of the criticisms levelled at No Veil is Required is that you didn't use Muslim women as models for the photographs. Why didn't you use Muslim women?

Amir Normandi: I have featured Muslim women in my photographs protesting the gender specific compulsory dress code, but the issue of gender apartheid goes beyond Islamic practice. In some place it is adopted by Islam from a region and proliferated by Muslims to other faiths, such as: Christian women in Jordan, Palestine, and other countries which suffer under the same
mistreatments.

MG: Do you worry that Radical Moslims will target your livelihood in the US because of the nature of your work?

Amir Normandi: I am not worried about radicals in USA - They are not here because they advocate a strong faith. They are here to get wealthy - this bunch usually talks, they only talk when they know their wealth is secured otherwise, they keep quiet.

MG: Have you been allegedly threatened by CAIR yet?

Amir Normandi: I have been threatened; but, I do not know their affiliations.

MG: Andres Serrano's controversial work Piss Christ was supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts - Do you think your No Veil Is Required should have been similarly entitled?

Amir Normandi: I need financial support for my campaign/projects; but I don't feel I am entitled to that.

MG: Amir, in a response to comments made about your exhibition, you are quoted as saying, "I believe most of the anger and rage in my region of the world is a direct result of oppression of women." Amir, the question to ask then is, "Why are Women being Oppressed in the Middle East?" Is it the misogynistic nature of Islam, for Islam is the prevailing religious and cultural force in your region of the world?

Amir Normandi: No, it is not Islam only; in my region there are Christians and followers of other faiths that oppress their women. I know Assyrian and Armenian Christians of my region do oppress their women. I even know of cases of oppression in the United States.

MG: Do you personally know of any women who were mistreated by the Iranian authorities and can you tell us about them?

Amir Normandi: More than one. Fortunately, they are here in the USA or Europe. But, many, many are still in Iran like Shahrnoosh Parsi Pour, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ezzat Goshehgir, among the well knows to name a few. But, I came to know quite a few more through my other job as an interpreter/translator for asylum seekers, which I served between 1981 to '90. I came in close contact with many victims who may volunteer to be the subject of my future projects.

MG: Amir, The Middle East: Dictators, death, and despair, explosions, endless wars, poverty, subjugation and hostility towards women, honor killings, genital mutilation, suicide bombings, the fury of the Arab Street, pollution, human trafficking, ignorance, ignorance, ignorance...Should a two hundred-foot fence be built around the entire Middle East and anyone attempting to escape be shot? Should not we try to contain the Madness within before it affects us all?

Amir Normandi: The madness is affecting billions already. No walls my friend, walls and veils are to be brought down. We should demand openess and compel industrial democratic governments to stop aiding and abetting corrupt dictators in the region. We can not sell democracy; we need to expand democracy, not only to create a new market for industrial nations; we can do that for the sake of humanity. By promoting democracy all parties are bound to gain.

MG: Amir, are you worried about family members and friends back in Iran?

Amir Normandi Yes I am worried for my family and friends. Their wellbeing is one of my biggest concerns.

MG: If there's a regime change in Iran to a more democratic state, will you be returning to your homeland?

Amir Normandi: Yes, my friend, I want the right of return to my birth land. I have been in the States too long to let go. I have deep roots here; my adult children do not know any other city as home. Chicago is home now.

MG: Would you be in favor of an American attack against the Iranian nuclear facilties to prevent the current regime in Iran from developing a Nuclear Weapon?

Amir Normandi: I do not want the current regime of Iran to gain any additional power. As far as nuclear weapons, I would like to see every country's nuclear weapon de-activated. Bombing Iranian territory to punish the Islamic regime is NOT PRUDENT.

MG: Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" or alternatively moved to Europe or Alaska. What is the Iranian's regime fascination for Israel?

Amir Normandi: The Islamic Republic's platform has been anti US/Israel since its inception, for many contradictory reasons coming from US resentment. But, the Iranian people historically have shown respect and kindness toward followers of Moses and so are the followers of Islam, I do not know about this goon?

MG: And why does the existense of Israel burden the Islamic world so?

Amir Normandi: I do not have an answer for that, personally I am for live and let live and do not support any destruction.

MG: Most artists have voiced their opposition to the U.S. intervention in Iraq. Are you one of them?

Amir Normandi: Since mostly innocent people of Iraq along with the young soldiers of the Coalition Forces are paying the tolls with their lives, I could not have been supportive of the initial action. But now after this huge scarifies I want unwavering stand in installation of a secular government.

MG: Photography is your art, your love, and your life, an all encompassing mistress: Is this ever a burden to you?

Amir Normandi: No, never, I have never regretted becoming a photographer.

MG: Portraiture, Figure, Landscape, Abstraction, Sports, Surrealism, Post Modernism, New Wave: Is there a specific photographic genre that suits your being more than others?

Amir Normandi: Life pictography with a mission is my genre.

MG: Do you feel you can express everything you want to say through photography?

Amir Normandi: Yes, but there are only two minor obstacles, Money/Time;
otherwise, any thing can be expressed by photography.

MG: Is there an act of creation involved in taking a photograph?

Amir Normandi: In my projects the answer is a resounding YES. My frames are freeze shot of life as it happens or by re-enactment.

MG: Photographic Mission Impossible: In 2001, you smuggled out of Iran some 500 images taken by Iranian students, putting yourself at risk of imprisonment and torture by the Iranian authorities, since it is illegal to take photographs there without official permission. What possessed you to smuggle the images out of Iran?

Amir Normandi: For some reason I was very confident that I'll be fine. The only worry I had was losing the prints, negatives and CDs in transit to US. So, I did not think of the risks till I was taken in to the special interview room.

MG: And how did you react to criticism by local Iranians in your area that you put the Iranian students in Iran at risk?

Amir Normandi: The students were not at risk because we used measures to protect them. About the local Iranians, they ought to learn some gallantry from those students and perhaps instead of smuggling antiques and valuables out of Iran to add to their personal wealth, they could help in other similarendeavors for democracy in Iran.

MG: Where can we find out more information about your photography and you?

Amir Normandi: With the help of human right activist Diane Carriere a site is coming soon.

(MG says: The sites have arrived. Amir and Diane have collaborated on the following Blogs:

Amir's Bio

Amir's Human Rights
Portfolio & Statements

Amir's Links - Blog & Media Response
to Amir's Works - Photographs )

MG: Amir, if there's one thing you could do in your life that you haven't done already, what would it be?

Amir Normandi: To abolish borders and create a true world citizenship. And then work on the details later.

MG: Thanks Very Much Amir for a nice In T View and final question: Have you ever photographed a Ghost?

Amir Normandi: Not yet, but I'll be very interested.

In T View By MG

Layout & additional research: Diane - AFD

The In T View: Baghdad Treasure, Iraqi Journalist And Blogger

2006-01-25T21:36:00.000-05:00

Iraqi journalist and blogger Baghdad Treasure answers Mister Ghost's questions thoughtfully and openly, a man willing to speak his mind, regardless of the costs. And is that not what a citizen of the New "Democratic" Iraq should be? Silent no more, proud to let the world know where they stand, without fear or reprisal. A free press in Iraq, a free society, and citizens like Baghdad Treasure unhesitatingly confronting life's issues...

MG: Baghdad Treasure, Welcome to the In T View. Can you tell us about yourself?

Baghdad Treasure: I am an average Iraqi citizen lives in Baghdad and went through hard times of three wars and 12-year sanctions. I am a reporter with one of the most famous and influential newspapers in the world. I chose this job to help my country in revealing the truth and making myself a productive and influential part in the Iraqi society.

MG: How did you become interested in blogging and what was the genesis of your Blog: Baghdad Treasure ?

Baghdad Treasure: The first time I heard of blogging was through an article published in the Washington Post. The article talked about how blogging in Iraq is incredibly increasing after the U.S.-led war in 2003. Among those interviewed was An Average Iraqi who becomes one of my favorite blog friends.

MG: Then, you suddenly stopped blogging. Could you tell us why?

Baghdad Treasure: For a long time, I was really impressed by the way the bloggers tried to make a change in the world. But I discovered that this is not completely true. Maybe 10 percent of the blogs in allover the world can make a difference while the others are trying to do something but in vain. I know mine is included in this 10%. Until now, there are people who want to listen to what they believe and that's it. They don't want to hear opinions of others. If what is written matches their beliefs, they praise the author and if not, they curse him or her and sometimes insult them. That's what happened to me. So, I decided that these people do not deserve the effort I am doing and said it is better to find another way to be helpful. But then I thought of the other readers, whose goal is to get the truth, no matter how bitter it is. And for them, and for the truth to be revealed, I decided to continue.

MG: And now you've resumed blogging, what made you change your mind?

Baghdad Treasure: What changed my mind was what happened to one of my best friends in this world, Jill Carroll. She was my muse. She was the very first person who told me what journalism and being a reporter mean. So, I thought writing about her is my task to make people understand how a great journalist this kidnapped friend is.

MG: Your Friend and colleague American journalist, Jill Carroll, was kidnapped on January 7th in Baghdad. She was abducted within "300 yards of the office" of prominent Sunni politician Adnan al-Dulaimi, mysteriously absent from an appointment that had been set up with Jill. Can you comment on the speculation that al-Dulaimi or someone in his office allegedly set up Ms. Carroll?

Baghdad Treasure: I don't think Dulaimi is involved personally. Also, I don't believe Jill would go to that neighborhood without a pre-set up appointment. That appointment was behind the killing of Allan, the interpreter, and her kidnapping. Whoever kidnapped her might sold her to a gang who sells hostages to Qaeda or someone else.

MG: Why was she kidnapped? There was obviously a message in it and that message was?

Baghdad Treasure: These criminals, mostly foreigners, want to turn Iraq into Afghanistan under Talaban. A colleague of mine always says this is the ? New Talabanization of Iraq?. They want to make all women wear scarves and men grow beards and carry weapons in a country that used to be secular and cosmopolitan. They want to kill the civilization in this ancient country. And I think they are succeeding gradually. That?s why most of the educated people are suffering. They are being killed one after the other. Immigration is increasing because no one is able to stop these criminals. The Iraqi government and its weak security forces cannot protect themselves and the American forces are doing their best to get rid of them but still. These criminals are increasing and becoming stronger day after day. Now, journalists are writing about all the above. The first message any journalist would get from the kidnapping of Jill is "be careful and leave, or you will be next."

MG: Is she like a big sister to you? Can you share a memory of her with us?

Baghdad Treasure: Jill is more than a sister to me. She is a sister, a teacher, a friend, and a muse. I am always inspired by her courage and nobility and love of life. I cannot forget the first day I worked with her when she was working for the Jordan Times in 2003. That day was my birthday, the last day in college, and the day when Uday and Qusay [Saddam?s sons] were killed. It was the very first day I work with a westerner. One of the nice times we spent together was when we had a farewell party to J, my friend and colleague. At dinner, Jill was present and she was sitting next to me. We talked, joked and laughed for a long time. She was speaking Egyptian Arabic as I requested so she could practice her Arabic as much as she can. Whenever I finished my glass of wine, she refilled it over and over. ?Yallah, Yallah. "You are happy? " she said, while we were having a great time along with J and O, my friends.

MG: Is there something you would like to say to her right now?

Baghdad Treasure: I would like to say,"Jill, I miss you and I am praying for you day and night. I'm proud of you and your bravery. I wish I can do something to free you."

MG: Another colleague of yours, Iraqi Journalist Allan Enwiyah, 32 serving as an interpreter for Jill was also abducted with her and found dead, "shot twice in the head..." Can you tell us about Allan? I understand he was a good man?

Baghdad Treasure: Allan was a very good man. The first thing I heard about him was when I was in college before the U.S.-led invasion. He had a very famous CD music store in a high scale neighborhood in Baghdad. I used to hear about him since then. One day, I was surprised when he worked as an interpreter for Jill. So, that's how I met him the first time, through Jill. He was a nice person. He used to joke with Jill accusing her of caring about O and me more than him.

MG: What will you miss most about him?

Baghdad Treasure: I will miss his company in smoking Hookah [Tobacco]!

MG: His sad passing saw his two children left without a father. Is there a support system in Iraqi society that will help his wife look after the children?

Baghdad Treasure: As we say in Iraq, There is the mercy of God and that's it.

MG: Because of what happened to Jill and Alan, do you feel intimidated or scared off investigating a story?

Baghdad Treasure: I don't feel scared at all. If so, I would have not accepted to be interviewed here.

MG: Since reporting in Iraq is one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet, why don't you or other reporters carry a Concealed Weapon?

Baghdad Treasure: I do carry weapons. I have a pen and a notebook!

MG: What is the most intriguing rumor, you recently heard in Iraqi journalistic circles, that you can safely share with us?

Baghdad Treasure: Mohammed Bahr Al-Uloom, a prominent Shiite clergy and a former Governing Council member, is gay. We can discuss this freely and safely!

MG: Our next door neighbor's daughter is a lesbian, and we all know this to be so, because she's very open about it. If there was a homosexual woman in Iraq who was equally open about her sexual preference, what would happen to her?

Baghdad Treasure: There is no lesbian in my neighborhood, as far as I know.

MG: You're worried about your neighborhood. Those likely sympathetic to the insurgents or insurgents themselves are moving in to your section of Baghdad from the Anbar province. If your neighborhood becomes a hotbed of insurgency are you worried about being caught in a crossfire figuratively and literally?

Baghdad Treasure: There isn't any safe place in Baghdad anymore. The best thing to do is to tell people that you work privately. Wherever we go now, there are clashes or car bombs. I might be caught anywhere. It doesn't matter.

MG: Are we seeing the "beiruitification" of Baghdad with neighborhoods being divided by sectarian and ethnic issues and Shia, Sunni, and Kurds leaving their old neighborhoods to be with their own people? Has a post war segregation taken place?

Baghdad Treasure: Yes, but not in allover the country. In Baghdad , I can say no. We are still beyond what is called a civil or sectarian war. If so, I would have been killed since a long time ago, being a Shiite living in a very Sunni neighborhood.

MG: Baghdad, what keeps you in Iraq? Since, it's only real estate, why not move to a safer place?

Baghdad Treasure: Iraq is not real estate. Iraq is history and it is the reason why the world exists on papers now.
I get this question from people very often, but I
understand why they ask.
It is not like those countries, where people migrate to from other places and don't feel attached to history and background. Iraq has roots to go back several thousands of years into time, and its people are the same since. Therefore, they are attached to it. And no matter how many Iraqis are abroad, their next generations are returning in the future.

MG: You've said of an Iraqi friend and you, that we spent the " best time in our lives in wars and sanctions that stole the smile from our faces." I ask you Baghdad, what then would put the smile back on your faces?

Baghdad Treasure: Safety and security.

MG: Your fellow Iraqi blogger Akbar, commenting at the ITM's comment section said the United Iraqi Alliance received the majority of votes because:

One of the side effects of living under saddam (and i know this from personal experience) is that when an Iraqi is in Public voicing an opinion he/she will always voice the opinnion that is generally wanted of him .. what i mean, when those people went to the election booths and saw the police and milisias running the show,, a natural reaction is to immidiately go with the crowd and vote for whoever is demanded of you to vote for.. Its an inate fear that you are watched even though you are not...

Do you think this is an accurate assessment by him?

Baghdad Treasure: People tend to have different opinions and we should respect these differences.

MG: Will Iraq have a civil war, as the country seems to be in a cold civil war at the moment?

Baghdad Treasure: Yes, there might be a civil war and I think it would be over within 15 years when everyone feels bored and fed up.

MG: Baghdad, you are a Shia, and on the Day of Ashurah or Ishirih, some of your fellow Shi'ites in Iraq engage in a flagellation ritual called "zanjeer zani or zanjeer matam" using a zanjeer, to slice open to bleed, the skin of themselves and their children. Baghdad, here in the 21st Century, is this ritual in the time of AIDS and other diseases, really necessary? Is the practice too barbaric for our modern society?

Baghdad Treasure: Just a lesson in history for those who don't know, before I answer the question. These "barbaric" rituals originally came from Spain .

Christians hit themselves with chains and stab themselves with daggers and nails mourning Jesus.

Then the Iranians imported these "barbaric" actions to their land, and that's why you used Iranian names and phrases in your question because we don't have certain names for them. The Iranians on their part, exported these rituals to Iraq when they annually visited the shrines of Hussein, Ali, and Abbas in the holy cities of karbala and Najaf. So to answer this question, I would say if one believes these rituals are "Too Barbaric", he or she shouldn't practice them. Instead, they should find a cure for AIDS.

MG: Do you think that there is a state of religious apartheid in Southern Iraq where all but Shia religious observances are discouraged and endangered?

Baghdad Treasure: No, there is not.

MG: Baghdad, one of the most under-reported stories from Iraq seems to be Christian flight from the country with estimates of 30 - 50 percent of the Christians leaving. Will there come a day when all the Christians are gone from Iraq like the Jews?

Baghdad Treasure: First of all, not all the Jewish left Iraq. There are estimated 30 Jewish families in Iraq now. You should know that for a Christian to immigrate is much easier than for a Muslim. Therefore, the number of Christians fleeing Iraq is higher than Muslims. One day, when Iraq is safer for Iraqis to live in, Iraqis should return.

MG: Inshallah... It's in God's hands. Baghdad, do you think one of problems with the all-pervasive role of Islam in Middle Eastern society is that people abrogate personal responsibility since everything, the outcome of all things, is in God's hands? Or, if not abrogating personal responsibility, what about a lack of self-criticism?

MG: Baghdad, the Middle East: Dictators, death, despair, explosions, endless wars, poverty, subjugation and hostility towards women, honor killings, genital mutilation, suicide bombings, the fury of the Arab street, pollution, human trafficking, ignorance, ignorance, ignorance... Should a two hundred-foot fence be built around the entire Middle East and anyone attempting to escape be shot? Should we not try to contain the madness within before it affects us all?

Baghdad Treasure: Woooow, calm down man. Are you asking or angrily answering? Have you been to the Middle East before? I don't think you've been. Otherwise, you wouldn't be such misinformed. As for the 200-foot fence, I think you should spend this money on your poor people. Don't you think you should mind your own poverty and child molestation first? (as Oprah Winfrey always advised)

MG: In your recent journey to America, what impressed you the most about the U.S.?

Baghdad Treasure: The busy life the Americans live that sometimes deprives them from emotions.

MG: When you were in Boston, did you have a chance to sample the New England delicacy known as fried clams and wash it all down with another New England favorite, Moxie? Because you really haven't experienced life until you've survived drinking Moxie at least once.

Baghdad Treasure: No, I did not. But I'm still alive!

MG: During your visit to the States, one
of the differences you noticed between American
and Iraqi women is that American women aren't as
makeup intensive as Iraqi women. Do you prefer
women to wear makeup?

Baghdad Treasure: Yes, definitely. Make up makes women more beautiful. But FYI, Iraq doesn't spend billions of dollars a year on plastic surgeries!

MG: Poverty: My father hates bananas, can't even stand the smell of them, because when his mother was pregnant with him a long while ago, his family was so poor, the only food they could afford that was cheap and plentiful was bananas, so she ate them by the carload during her pregnancy. Have your family or you experienced such poverty too, or do you know of any poor acquaintances that you try to help out?

Baghdad Treasure: My family never experienced poverty but our next-door neighbor did. We helped them a lot in the time salaries were terrible under Saddam. For months, my mother cooked for them and I carried the food to their house every single day. The thing in Iraq is that no matter how poor you are, you still afford to live. Iraq is rich, and never turned down its people. How do you think Iraqis survived 12- year sanctions?

MG: Baghdad, your Mother is a schoolteacher and obviously a big influence on your life. What makes her special to you?

Baghdad Treasure: My mother taught me what life means. She taught me what being an Iraqi woman living in a hard time means. She is one of the millions of the great Iraqi mothers-women.

MG: You mention Anthony Shadid's book, Night Draws Near a lot in your blog. Tell me about it? What justifies your high praise for this work?

Baghdad Treasure: Shadid is a brilliant reporter. I was interested in reading his book because it was a clear mirror that reflects how Iraq looks like. Anyone reads the book will feel he or she was in Iraq before, during and after the US invasion. Shadid was very sincere in conveying every single thought he wrote in the book. He was very accurate and brilliant in writing about feelings. It is not easy to do that, especially in a country with peopleof mixed feelings. The book does not deal with the US invasion as much as it does with how people feel about this invasion, supporting or rejecting it. Honestly, it is a journey into the pain and joy of the Iraqi people.

MG: Thanks very much, Baghdad Treasure, for a nice interview and the final question is: Have you ever reported on a Ghost Story?

Baghdad Treasure: Thank you. I don't believe in Ghosts!

Photos sources:

Baghdad Treasure, Tigris, The Soul of Baghdad

Baghdad Treasure, Chosing the Name

Wikipedia, Hulagu Baghdad - Battle of Baghdad ("A long article about Hulagu's conquest of Baghdad, written by Ian Frazier, appeared in the April 25, 2005 issue of The New Yorker. It explains Osama bin Laden's reference to Hulagu." See Link.)

The Schøyen Collection, Lexical list of God's names in order of senority and importance.
Manuscript in Sumerian on clay, Sumer, 2400-2200 BC, 1 tablet, 4,7x4,4x1,7 cm, single column, 5+5 lines in cuneiform script. Binding: Barking, Essex, 1998, blue cloth gilt folding case by Aquarius. Commentary: This is clearly the beginning of the list, since Enlil, god of the town of Nippur, was the practical head of the pantheon at this time. The Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian religions had thousands of gods, hence extensive lists to keep track of them. No other copy of this particular list is so far known.

Wikipedia, Map - Persian Domination; 550 BCE to 652 CE-Achaemenid Empire

Edmund Dulac Gallery, Arabian Nights 1 The (fictional) storyteller of The Book of One Thousand and One Night

Baghdad Treasure,Baghdad Taxi - "Not my Way"

In T View by Mister Ghost.
(Layout & additional research: Diane - AFD)

24 Steps To Liberty, Iraqi Journalist

2005-12-22T09:17:00.000-05:00

Where The Sea Meets The Shore - Art Littoral by MG

Young, Baghdad-based Iraqi Journalist, 24 Steps To Liberty, runs the very fine and appropriately named 24 Steps To Liberty Blog, where he provides his readers with a Reporter's and Personal Perspective on the Events, Dramas, Politics, and Happenings in Iraq and his Life, as well as his chosen profession of Journalism.

It's The In T View: 24 Steps To Liberty, Iraqi Journalist

MG: Hello 24 Steps to Liberty. Why don't you introduce yourself to the World Audience. Who are you, What are you, Why are you?

24 Steps: I am just an average Iraqi who had the chance and good luck to hookup with one of the best newspapers in the world and has been
working for it as a reporter for almost three years now.

MG: 24 Steps, What is the Most Important Thing to you in Life?

24 Steps: To be able to produce and try to change what should be changed. Mainly, to be part of some era's influence.

MG: Why is Libya's Moammar Ghadaffi still a Colonel and not a General?

24 Steps: Because it doesn't matter if he was a general or soldier. He rules the country and will be ruling it for a long time.

MG: Is he just a Modest Man?

24 Steps: No, he is a hollow, tough-like man with wired ideas.

MG: What makes you Laugh?

24 Steps: Stupidity of some foreigners, who think they know my country more than I do.

MG: What makes you Cry?

24 Steps: My country. My life.

MG: What book that you've read, has had the most influence on your life?

24 Steps: I don't remember the name, it was something like Leave Worry and Start Living, or something like that.

MG: Tell me about Iraq's Children: Are they being Traumatized by the Violence and Destruction? Is there a whole generation of Iraq's Youth with a Void in their Psyches, a Cloud of Darkness in their Souls? And what would you like to see done to alleviate the situation?

24 Steps: We'll have mentally unstable community for the coming 100 years. Mark my word.

MG: 24 Steps: What is your Ultimate Hope for the Children of Iraq?

24 Steps: I just hope one day they can breath freely and not feel targeted or lost, like how I felt while growing up. I wish they can find their future.

MG: How were you or your family members affected by Saddam and the Baathist Government?

24 Steps: Not directly, but we were affected

Journalism

MG: Who, What, Where, Why, and How: What is the Most Important Question you as an Iraqi Journalist can ask when getting to the Heart of a Story?

24 Steps: What? I love this question. From there, I lead the way to wherever I want.

MG: What is the Typical Day of an Iraqi Journalist like?

24 Steps: Wake up in the morning at about 7am, dress up, and tell himself or herself in the mirror that "No one and nothing will make me upset today." then drive (if has a car) to the office ignoring the stupid government's decision of cars with even car license number could drive a day, and with odd drive the next!!! Arrive to the office. For those who work for foreign news outlets, they read the Iraqi newspapers to get an idea of what is going on. At least eight newspapers. Then read his or her newspaper, then the competition. Then start working. As for me, I look if there is any press conference I should go to do any interview I already set up and go to. Or, as usual, for those who cover violence, go out to the every-day-bombings. By the time they come back from all this stuff, it is almost 4 or 5 pm. They file and, as for me, go back home at around 9pm. That's it. (that's in fact a typical day for me)

MG: The hotel near your office in Baghdad was recently targeted by Suicide Bombers causing some damage to it: So, how Dangerous is it to be a Reporter in Iraq?

24 Steps: It is one of the most dangerous and unappreciated jobs in Iraq now. You never know when you are going to be in the wrong place.

MG: Have you lost any Journalist Friends or Aquaintances to the violence?

24 Steps: No.

MG: Do you feel safe/secure returning to your workplace after a close explosion, or is the thought always in the back of your mind, the next time they're going to strike directly at me?

24 Steps: No, in fact that day, when they hit a few yards away from the office, I was on my way driving to the office, but the shooting afterward and targeting any car drove by the scene prevented me from entering the compound. So I had to wait for another hour to go back. And this is not the first time this happens near the office, we had car bomb pretty much the same distance as the one happened while ago. So, it is not a big deal. It became an expected drama.

MG: Is it a tight-knit community of Iraqi journalists? Do you know each other and watch out for each other?

24 Steps: No.

MG: Do you have be secretive when discussing your job, especially in your own neighborhood?

24 Steps: I don't even discuss it. That would be attempting suicide.

MG: How does the Average Iraqi view Journalists, especially those working with the Western Media?

24 Steps: Well, it differs according to level of education, but mainly they think we are "rich" people and don't care about our country or conveying the truth and that we just follow what the foreigners say.

MG: Do Iraqi Journalists fall in love with each other? Is Inter-Journalism Dating common?

24 Steps: This issue is not a big deal here, so I don't hear about it at all.

MG: Is there Government Censorship of the Media in Iraq?

24 Steps: Of course there is, but hidden. And they cannot prevent you from writing something, but they would target you through the irregular armed militias, which all belong to parties that dominate the government.

MG: Is there Religious Censhorship of the Iraqi Media? Can you or any of your fellow reporters write an article critical of Islam?

24 Steps: No, we are free to write, but again, it is the tradition. You would be also targeted just because you violated the rule of traditions.

MG: Are there some reporters in Iraq who are Gore Junkies? People attracted to the Death, Destruction, and Misery?

24 Steps: I haven't hear this before.

MG: After interviewing the family members of victims of the various Massacres, Explosions,
and Shootings, how do you Decompress, Escape from Trauma And Refresh your Mind? Do you take the events of your work day home with you?

24 Steps: I just don't think about it after I am done. I've never thought of a bombing scene after I filed the report to the newspaper or my bureau chief. Otherwise, I would be mentally sick now.

MG: What's the most annoying thing to you about the Foreign Media in Iraq?

24 Steps: Many of the news outlets have their own agenda. Plus, they come to Iraq with no idea about the country and its tradition, which leads to exchanged misunderstanding and disrespect.

MG: Tell me about your Mother. What is Special about her?

24 Steps: She is very sacrificing. She spent her life trying to make my siblings and I be the best. My parents lost the best of their years just to give us the best always.

MG: You tell us via your Blog, that you don't like Tomatoes. Neither do I, but I like tomato sauce for some reason. So, what foods do you like? And what is a Perfect Meal to you?

24 Steps: I like what the Americans would call "junk food." And I love pastry. My favorite meal though is Cheeseburger and fries, or onion rings.

MG: What do you do to Relax, to get away from it all?

24 Steps: Sleep. Nothing else to help in my country now.

MG: Can Islam and Democracy Coexist? Because as Dennis Prager notes via a Freedom House study on Democracy:
Of the world's 47 Muslim countries, only Mali is free. Sixty percent are not free, and 38% are partly free. Muslim-majority states account for a majority of the world's "not free" states. And of the 10 "worst of the worst," seven are Islamic states. So, what exactly is the problem between Islam and Democracy?

24 Steps: Islam cannot work parallel with democracy. That's just impossible. But that doesn't mean Islam is a bad religion or includes bad ideologies. For many people, it works well by itself. But to combine it with democracy?? Never.

MG: Are you upset at the Jordanians for their double standards? When the Jordanian Jihadists
and others were terrorizing Iraqis, there was silence, even support for the terror from the people of Jordan, but after the Hotel Bombings in Amman and Sunni on Sunni violence, now there's suddenly 200,000-strong Jordanian protests? Is there a Hypocricy here?

24 Steps: We have lost thousands of innocent people to terrorism, we have the right to be upset. And the Jordanians lost a number of their citizens to terrorism too, and the have the right to protest.

The United States

You recently accompanied a group of Foreign Journalists visiting the United States: What was the experience like to you?

24 Steps: A five-year-old child, who has to do nothing but live peacefully. And work-wise, it was perfect to meet with my audience and know how much they lack information and how much they are misinformed.

MG: What's the Best Memory you have of the United States?

24 Steps: How generous and hospitable people are.

MG: Tell us about some of the preconcevied notions or beliefs about America that were expressed to you in Iraq? You mention in your Blog, that people kept telling you to watch out, the Americans would hurt you?

24 Steps: Yes, I was told and asked to be careful and not to stay out late at night and that I shouldn't advertise that I am a Muslim from Iraq because people might hurt me, for example, be mugged or stabbed to death. My reaction was that I stayed out late every night. Went out with strangers, whom I didn't know but for a few hours. And wherever I went, I advertised myself as a Muslim HUMANBEING coming from Iraq.

MG: During your visit to the US, you were impressed with all the American Flags that were present, and you saw this as the presence of a National Identity. Do Iraqis lack a similar National Identity?

24 Steps: The Iraqis don't lack this feeling. They are just tired of decades of false calls for the national feeling. And they need to know how to appreciate their country, the one they've never felt safe living in.

MG: Your encounter with the Ocean during your US Visit had a powerful effect on you. Can you describe this feeling to us?

24 Steps: I've been careful all my life, in what I say and what I express. That was because of the tyrant government we were living under. I was imprisoned in a very big cell, that is Iraq. When I faced the ocean, it just gave me a huge space to look at and be free to shout and scream my feelings, which I did at night.

MG: Would you like to come back to the US?

24 Steps: Sure, I would like to meet all my friends there again.

Blogging

MG: 24 Steps, your Blog name is derived from an encounter you had with the Statue of Liberty, when you were on your American Journey. Can you tell us about it, the meaning of 24 Steps To Liberty?

24 Steps: I was 24 years old when I went to the statue, or ending the 24th. When the guide said "now you will take 24 steps to liberty" I was thrilled. It was like I was liberated, but very late. Every step I had to take to liberty took me a year. That is all about the name.

MG: How did you become interested in Blogging and how did your Blog: 24 Steps to Liberty come about?

24 Steps: Well, very simple. A colleague of mine was doing a story about bloggers and we talked about how much help it would be to myself if I speak things out in a blog. And I was convinced.

MG: Is there another Iraqi or Kurdish Blogger you would like to meet in person and why?

24 Steps: No.

MG: Is there another Iraqi or Kurdish Blogger you'd like to meet in person and give them a kick in the behind, because you can't
stand them?

24 Steps: No. Everyone is allowed to say what he or she wants to say. There is no limits on polite and well-behaved blogging.

MG: Besides your own blog, what other Blogs do you like to read and can Recommend?

24 Steps: Many. In general, whatever feeds my mind.

MG: If the Automobile Genie stopped by your home and said to you, "24 Steps, I grant to thee the wish of any Car in the world of your Choosing - Make Your Choice!" What vehicle would you
select, 24 Steps?

24 Steps: Jaguar, any Jaguar car.

MG: Five Years from Now, Iraq will be?

24 Steps: My country, home, identity, and citizenship.

MG: Thanks very much for a Nice In T View, 24 Steps, and Final Question: Have you ever seen a Ghost?

24 Steps: Not yet!

The Iraqi Election: Vahal Of The Iraqi Vote Blog

2005-12-15T04:40:00.000-05:00

The Mountains of Northern Iraq, Kurdistan By MG

Iraqi Kurd Vahal Abdulrahman has done an excellent job tracking and profiling this Historic Iraqi Election through his Iraqi Vote Blog, and has graciously consented to answer questions about what could be a Watershed Democratic Moment in the Troubled but Hopeful Nation of Iraq.

It's The Iraqi Election In T View: Vahal Of The Iraqi Vote Blog

In T View and Artwork By MG

MG: How is the News and Media in Iraq covering the Election?

Vahal: For the past at least three weeks, the election has been the single most important issue in the Iraqi media and the coverage has been outstanding.

MG: What party/list do you think Saddam would cast his vote for?

Vahal: That’s a tough question, I don’t think Saddam knows what it means to have choices, his elections used to ask Iraqis, “Do you want Saddam? Yes or No?” So this would be a very novel process for him.

MG: What Worries you about this Election?

Vahal: While it is unlikely, the matter that worries me the most is if the United Iraqi Alliance got enough votes to form a government on its own without a coalition, in which case, we are likely to see the country become increasingly more Islamist.

MG: The Iraqi Expat 2005 Election Voting Experience: Can you share your experience as an Iraqi Expatriate casting his vote, thousand of
miles away from the motherland?

Vahal: I haven’t voted yet, but I plan on voting the morning of the 15th. I waited until the 15th for two reasons, first I wanted to vote on the same day all Iraqis voted and secondly, I wanted to cast my vote with my father who will be in town that day.

MG: Will there be many Dead Iraqis voting in the election? Or many Live Iranians - Do you see a lot of Fraud happening with the election?

Vahal: Undoubtedly there will be some voter fraud, however, I hope the fraud will be balanced with the large turnout that is expected to occur.

MG: What's the latest information on the New York Times report of Iran smuggling forged ballots in to Iraq by tanker truck?

Vahal: Officials from the Ministry of Interior have denied the allegations. But keep in mind that even if that particular incident was false, there will still be voter fraud, I just hope that it will be minimal and that it will not have a great impact on the results.

MG: And How strongly will the Iranians try to influence this election?

Vahal: They will try very hard, however, they realize that there are many people in Iraq who are not crazy about their meddling, not to mention that Iraq has a free and aggressive media that will simply expose them and their allies if need be.

MG: Can Democracy really blossom in Iraq, when the two main Shia Parties and likely leaders
of the new government: SCRI and DAWA have Terrorist Origins?

According to ex-CIA Agent Bob Baier, who dealt with
DAWA back in the 1980s, they were involved in the bombing of the US Embassies in Beiruit and Kuwait.

And the other main Shia party SCIRI, the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, according to a 1984 Washington Post story, was put together
by the Ayatollah Khomeni, as an agglomeration of four different terrorist groups for the express purpose of gaining control of Iraq.

Vahal: Iraq cannot become a secular democracy if al-Da’awa and SCIRI are the only ruling parties in the next government, however, that is unlikely to happen. As for the terrorist origins, I want your readers to remember that both of these parties sacrificed a lot during the time when they were anti-Saddam forces. You always see me criticize these religious parties and I will continue to do that, but believe me, they, especially al-Da’wa were very significant oppositionists against the tyrannical Ba’ath regime, and thousands of young Shi’a men were executed for having ties to these parties. Again, the thought of a United Iraqi Alliance of which both SCIRI and Da’awa are part, winning enough votes to form a government on their own scares me, but I don’t think it will happen.

MG: So, have the American Citizens given
over $200 Billions of their Tax Dollars to hand
over Iraq to American-Hating, Iran and Islamo-Fascism/terrorist-supporting groups?

Vahal: No, most Iraqis are grateful for the efforts of the men and women of the United States armed forces. That is why it is crucial that the U.S. stays the course in Iraq and ensures that those who are calling for the murder of U.S. soldiers have no say in the New Iraq. As for Iraq being handed over to Iran, that’s an exaggerated claim and Iran’s efforts will ultimately fail because of the differences between the two countries. Let me give you an example, Iran’s president, Ahmadinajad is calling for the removal of Israel, while Iraq’s Prime Minister, Ibrahim al-Ja’afari has just said that he doesn’t rule out normalizing relations with Israel.

MG: What are your Family and Friends back
in Iraq saying about the Election? Are they eager
to participate and planning to vote?

Vahal: Well they’re very excited about the elections and, like most Iraqis, they are eager to see a change in Baghdad politics. This government has miserably failed at providing the Iraqis with security and other public services, so to have a chance to try to change things is absolutely exciting.

MG: There's been a lot of complaints originating from Kurdistan/Northern Iraq about
the stranglehold the two parties -- KDP & PUK
-- have over the political process. Will this
turn the Kurds off from Voting? Could there be a protest vote from them, selecting any lists but the Kurdish one?

Vahal: While there are some in Kurdistan who have expressed their dissatisfaction toward the status quo, the overwhelming majority realize that
a strong presence of Kurdish representatives in Baghdad will help the Kurds in meeting their demands, so like the last election, I anticipate that most Kurds will vote for the Kurdistan Alliance (730) to simply affirm their identity as a separate group from the rest of Iraq, very little has changed in Kurdistan since last January.

MG: Will this be the Last Election the Kurds of Iraq participate in before forming their own Nation?

Vahal: That is a tough question considering the next elections will not be held until 2009. I don’t think the Kurds will opt for independence that quickly and if things in Iraq turn out to be okay, independence may not happen at all.

MG: Dr. Iyad Allawi, head of the Iraqi Nationalist List, #731 and formely the Interim
Prime Minister of Iraq: Do you think the memory
of the Corruption that plagued his administration will hurt his list's chances of obtaining the majority vote?

Vahal: Well I hope that Iraqis have not forgotten about the corruption of that brief term over which Allawi presided. But what you have to remember is that the Ja’afari government wasn’t any better, things didn’t improve and in the case of security, they worsened. Allawi is running on a very clever platform, that of appearing as a tough leader who can take on the terrorists and that will help him get votes, but certainly nowhere near a majority.

MG: Vahal, can Islam and Democracy coexist? Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch thinks that Iraq, "will always be under pressure from the adherents of political Islam, and will have to buy its continued existence via a mixture of force and
concessions." In other words, True Democracy won't occur in Iraq, because there will be external forces acting on and modifying the Political Structure.
Are you more optimistic than Spencer?

Vahal: With all due respect to Mr. Robert Spencer, I would like him to have a look at the lists that are running in the elections, so many of them are led by liberal democrats. Sure we will always have a battle between secular liberals and Islamists, but that battle is being fought by ballots today in Iraq. So I don’t know how to answer your question about “true democracy,” because I don’t know what that means, but it looks like we’re going to have our own democracy where there is respect for the rule of law and human rights. We are striving to build an Iraq that protects minority rights, an Iraq where freedom of religion, _expression, press are rights that cannot be taken away and an Iraq where there is gender equality. But no, it will not be Jeffersonian democracy.

MG: Final Question, Vahal, and Thanks Very Much for a Nice Election T View: Can you tell us
who you voted for or is it a secret?

Vahal: If you don’t mind, I would like to not answer that. However, know that I am a liberal democrat, a secular humanist, I firmly believe in de-Ba’athification and I am committed to efforts at memorializing Saddam’s decades of horror, so if there’s anyone on the ballot with the a similar platform and set of objectives, then I will vote for him or her.

Ritzy Mabrouk, Egypt's Premiere Political Fashionista Blogger

2005-10-26T07:25:00.000-04:00

Ice Fire By MG

She's Suave. She's Sophisticated. She's Sensual. She's a Political News Maven of the Highest Order. Egyptian Blogger Ritzy Mabrouk is a woman of all that and more and showcases her Many Talents in her Blog: Miss Mabrouk of Egypt

It's The In T View: Ritzy Mabrouk, Egypt's Premiere Political Fashionista Blogger

In T View & Artwork By Mister Ghost

MG: Ritzy Mabrouk, how are you? How is life treating you these days?

Ritzy: I am beautiful, thank you. I write this in Ramadan, the month of my holy treats. When the pious are fasting, I connect with higher beings at the spa. That is sort of religious spirituality as well, is it not? I'm not altogether excluded from paradise then. Good, since I plan to spend my eternity with 72 US army virgin troops. I call them refreshers. That said; I presume there is no gender discrimination in heaven.

MG: How did you come to be known as Ritzy, Ritzy? Is that a common name in Egypt?

Ritzy: Perhaps my friend Suzi is better suited to answer this question. I remember that by the time I made my debut in Paris, my name was already on everybody's lips. Since I defined what was young and beautiful, no one ever thought about asking me directly about my name. It was just taken for granted.

MG: Ritzy, you say in your Blog, well at least you use to, that you were Suzi -- wife of Egyptian Dictator-President Hosni -- Mubarak's best friend. Did you ever go out on a double date with Suzanne and Hosni? Was Hosni a Perfect Gentleman? Or did he show Suzanne his Omar Sharif impression?

Ritzy: Honsey (I still prefer his teen name) and Suzi happened very fast; actually I think they skipped the dating phase. A few weeks after a camping trip with the Young NDP Association, Honsey went to Suzi's father and that was it. I never asked what really happened in that tent that night. And yes, he was always a gentleman, the kind you always wanted to keep in good spirit because you wouldn't think of what would happen otherwise.

MG: And speaking of Hosni, it looks like his son Gamal will succeed him in the future as Egypt's Leader. Is this really a good thing? And how do you break the line of succession without giving rogue elements like the Muslim Brotherhood control of the country?

Ritzy: Breaking the line of succession means the long-beards will control the country. I do not doubt the good character of Gamal. After all, he is a Mubarak. He couldn't have changed that much since I was the object of his first crush. That said, how to run a country is not a mystery. Authoritarianism is not desirable. Democracy will not come easily or tomorrow. We need a strong leader who is absolutely dedicated to democracy.

Gamal could be that person. Most think he is motivated by other things though. Perhaps he will find that making the change is not easy. Dealing with everybody on every level who is seeking only personal advantages will be the main problem for any future leader in this country. Greed has become the norm. Painful, is it not? Unfortunately, we don't have much of a political opposition in Egypt today.

Theoretically, they should be given the chance anyway, just to begin the transition. Because of the Brotherhood and because of propaganda scares, the nation will not give anyone else a shot at this moment. It could change fast though.

MG: Ritzy, what is the Hot Topic in Egypt at the moment?

Ritzy: Am I the only one concerned about the First Lady's hair-do? You shouldn't waste your time on the sayings of the babbling classes. If you do, there are quite a few Egyptian blogs out there. They suck.

MG: And have you ever thought of going into Egyptian Politics?

Ritzy: Horticulture, manicure, blogging – yes. Politics – no. Bloggers should blog, that is our strength and how we can make a difference. Bloggers with a political agenda becomes too concerned with exposing themselves. With an agenda, they cease to be worthy of the readers trust. We ought to remember that when we're proposing ourselves as an alternative to main-stream media. Blogs need integrity more than any other outlet.

MG: Ritzy, you Egyptian Women are known for your Beauty -- Who can forgot The Ravishing Beguilement of Cleopatra after all -- and being the Fashion Plates of the Middle East. What are your Glamour Secrets? Can you share them with us?

Ritzy: Let us admit it, by our standards; Cleo VII was a fat cow. Hatshepsut fancied herself as a man with strong shoulders. Nefertari and Nefertiti lived in decadent times and were probably the trashiest girls heeling around the palace ground in their times. And they all had a problem with facial hair. Today is different. Many Egyptian women are extraordinarily beautiful. Many men too. They really stand out amidst the girls with personal issues of inferiority who are hiding behind veils and scarves. It is a sad state of the nation. They forget about their looks. Their bums are growing larger for every day. They never heard about pedicure. The men are absolutely fantastic. It could be due to healthy living despite the pollution and long working hours. The food is fat but it's not junk. And the oil in the fuul beans are the most precious ingredient you can put in your body. And face it: most people still belong to the farming class with the ideals of hard work and a lot of outdoor activity. It is changing though. Enter the pear shaped Kentucky generation!

MG: Ritzy, I'm fascinated that you're an Egyptian Fashionista, that your scene is the Fashion one. Is it a tough business for an Egyptian Woman to be successful at? Are there constrictures placed on you because Egypt is both a Traditional and Islamic society?

Ritzy: Like every other line of business, if you are good at it you will do well. No, I don't allow other people to set the rules. We're occupying ourselves with elegance. They don't know the meaning of the word. And since I'm more interested in creations than running for money like a common car-salesman, my sisters in this country can dress in flower-decorated robes if they like. Enter the polyester generation! Women should not hide their beauty. That's what fashion is about, highlighting what is already there. Why would you not?

MG: Is Fashion a Catty Businees? Do the other Women talk behind your back? Do they bad mouth the competition? And do you have any Fashion Anecdotes, naughty or nice, that you could share with us?

Ritzy: I suppose the business is not different than the rest of the country or the blogsphere which means that people are not doing anything else than backstabbing each other. But the people I am associating with are not like that. I wouldn't have anything to share in this field.

MG: Ritzy, is it tough being a woman in Egypt? Fayrouz at Iraqi in America mentioned in one of her posts about the behaviour of Iraqi males, which included oogling women, following them, and stalking them - Does this happen in Egypt too? Do you feel right now in present Egyptian Society that you have the same rights as a man?

Ritzy: Fayrouz should learn how to appreciate attention! Some years from now she will look back at the days when men were still turning their heads in the street. Or would she like to live in a place like the UK where men never do that anyway? Egypt is not bad. The lads are frustrated and not always very polite, or so I hear because I am not troubled myself. I think it also has to do with how you carry yourself. In general, women are restricted in this society; the situation is quite awful to be true. It will take a generation to change. Today, most women can only imagine one role and that is the role of the house wife. Personally, I don't feel restricted. I think that bothers a lot of people, but why should I care?

MG: Ritzy, does washing your hair in Nile Water give it an extra sheen?

Ritzy: The tap water has too much bleach, you know what I mean. If anything, it makes the hair dry. And pulling water from the river – not a chance. You know where it is coming from right? Through which part of the world it has passed? I am not worried about industrial pollution but there are other things that shouldn't go in the water. Also, would you know, ever since that mad tart Liz pretended to soak in milk in a very outdated movie, people have been asking us about our relation to donkeys. Keep asking.

MG: And is the Nile all it's cracked up to be or is just a big slow moving puddle of water infested with a lot of crocodiles with big teeth ?

Ritzy: The high dam destroyed the Nile. We needed it, but Egypt will never be the same. We have crocs in Aswan, not many, and they're under control. I'll bring a baby croc for you one day.

MG: Ritzy, you know that some people like to Make Love in Airplanes, and they call it the "Mile High Club." Are there some people in Egypt who like to Make Love on top of the Pyramids and call it the Pyramid High Club?

Ritzy: Yes. I wonder if my name is still on top of that list.

MG: Ritzy, why don't you have a Pet?

Ritzy: They don't share my standards of hygiene. And they expect you to take care of them. I'd like a pet that took care of me. But then they would have to compete with the men. There would be a lot of barking, perhaps some biting.

MG: And why do you have an F.A.Q. for your Blog?

Ritzy: Fame. All the people are asking the same things. Men. All the men are asking the same thing. For that reason, I ought to update my FAQ a.s.a.p. There is even a link to a 'FAQ about FAQs' site there. Excellent. Most people should have a FAQ. Also pronounced FAKK.

MG: Ritzy, you're like the Drudge Report of Egypt with the vast amount of Material you provide in your Blog. Do your fingers ever cramp up from all the typing?

Ritzy: That's a compliment, I never thought about it this way. Writing is not a problem, I type fast. Research takes a lot of time. And technology. I like to have the best solutions, to be more efficient. Turns out I never catch up with the time I spend on trying different applications. A lot of time goes to things like this. And design. I'm working on my new design right now. Thought it would take a day but since I discovered programming isn't that difficult after all, I want to do new things. And when I learn new things, I discover better things. But I enjoy it. A lot.

MG: And how did you become interested in Blogging and how did your Blog: Miss Mabrouk of Egypt come about?

Ritzy: First, I came across a few good blogs and I wanted to do it as well. I started it for fun. It still is. Second, I looked at the blogs available in this field and figured we need to shake things up a little. I hope I will be able to continue as long as I feel I have something to say.

MG: Your fellow Egyptian Blogger, the red-butted (Ritzy put that part in) Sandmonkey mentioned in a post, that his Blog has been censored a couple of times. Have you had any problems with Egyptian Authorities over the content of your Blog? Is there a lot of Media Censorship in Egypt?

Ritzy: All main stream media are censored. Blogs are not. I never heard about any blogger being censored. Technology wise, it would be easy to block access to a blog. But how would they censor it? Send an e-mail to the blogger and ask him to take a page down? Hack his Blogger account? I think the government has the same strategy for bloggers like for the rest of society: you can talk but you cannot act. They know what you're saying and what you're doing and they make sure you know they are on your back. That way, you will restrict yourself. Bloggers should not care. If we want to make a difference, we should accept the risk. I doubt the government is very interested in bloggers. A few people sitting by their computers are rather isolated. We network on the net with people all over the world but it's not like I'm sneaking away to secret political meetings in the evening. The government, I think, is more concerned with the regular people on the streets. But we will see. If there are problems around the corner, we can deal with it then.

MG: Besides your own Blog, what other Blogs do you like to read and recommend?

Ritzy: That's what my blogroll is for. It changes over time but tend to reflect fairly accurate what I am reading at the moment. They are informative in one way or the other. I didn't put the blogs there to show who I want to associate myself with. That's silly. And what I read is no secret; I keep linking to these blogs every week. It takes time though. Following the big media is fairly easy, catching up with the blogsphere is fun but very time consuming. I am not much for personal diaries and such stuff, although I follow a few blogs in secret that I found by accident. It's nice to learn about their lives as well.

Famous Dooce is not one of them but should be mentioned because she is a classic. Riding Sun is informative, he is also sharing his passion with us and since I am fascinated by biking but don't know anything about it, his blog adds value to my life. I am opening up more to blogs by Academics. Judith Klinghoffer should be mentioned because she is knowledgeable about this region and understand the religions. I follow Robert Spencer's Jihad Watch because it is loaded with information and I feel that what is said there need to be balanced by our own experiences. Of the local blogs, Big Pharaoh is outstanding; I wish he would blog more. The same with Baheyya, of course, who is in a division of her own. In the region, the Iraqi Bloggers Central, the Religious Policeman, Sabbah and Saudi Jeans are my favourites. I hope we will see more aggregators coming up, they are needed. Manaala, 'Aqoul and Jordan Planet is a real value.

MG: Ritzy, I'm starving at the moment. Give me the all details of an Egyptian Delicacy that would really fill my belly and doesn't involve odd body parts from Sheep, Goats, or Camels?

Ritzy: Brains aren't considered odd body-parts, are they? Because there's nothing like fried brains in a piece of bread. Really. But I would like to add pigeons to your list. It is a speciality but I don't like it. It's just about picking small pieces of dripping meat from tiny bones. Well, so give me a real chicken instead.

If you're into deserts, you must know everything about already about Um Aly. I can't get it together myself, not even the stir-in-a-cup version, but it's oven baked filling with nuts, raisin, coconut and honey and it is just delicious.

MG: Ritzy, do you like to cook or is it easier to just order out at the Local Egyptian-Chinese restaurant?

Ritzy: I do like to cook but it doesn't happen often nowadays. Or to put it like this; whatever I make in a few minutes in the kitchen to serve myself and whoever is at the table is not really cooking. There are many good take-aways just a phone call away; it's just too convenient to be without. And they're all reliable. I happily order starters, mains and sweets from different places and get it all delivered about the same time. And if I and the girls get bored, we might just order a few Pizza Hut deliveries around. All their packages are nicely wrapped in Jeans. But we always frighten them off. Then we giggle for hours.

MG: What's your Favorite Dessert?

Ritzy: Ice cream, no doubt about it. Chocolate marshmallows, for example. Preferably at 3 am.

MG: And what does Love Mean to You?

Ritzy: That is when someone matters more to you than yourself and you know you are very important to that person too. It's when you don't think about yourself any longer, it's when your love does it for you. It can be defined to 90 percent, the rest is a mystery. Finding it is not easy, most of us are happy if we experience it a few times in our life.

MG: Is there was one person in the world you could meet, living or dead, who would it be?

Ritzy: The Prophet Mohammed (insert blessing). To straighten some question marks.

MG: Thanks Very Much for a Nice In T View, Ritzy, and Final Question, Have you ever seen a Ghost?

Ritzy: Thank you, my pleasure, I appreciate your questions. I have Ghosts in my PC. That wouldn't be you making the funny stuff, would it? Careful, I may pull the power cable one day when I'm sure you're just about to reach climax.

Ali - Cast Off From Blogging Heaven, He Found His Truth Elsewhere

2005-09-02T08:06:00.000-04:00

Marine returning a little girl to her mother, Iraq. Dry pastel and charcoal, single canvass size : 3' x 6' - AFD - DC

Iraqi Pediatrician, former Political Candidate, and Blogger Extraordinaire Ali caused Major Shockwaves throughout the Blogosphere when he left the famed Iraq The Model because of Philosophical Differences with the other two brothers. Ali however, soon landed on his feet, in a Big Time Way with his New Blog: Free Iraqi, where he exhibits a deft touch in writing about Iraq, Democracy, the Middle East, Terrorism, and Political Machinations.

And he discusses all that in the In T View: Ali - Cast Off From Blogging Heaven, He Found His Truth Elsewhere

It's The In T View: Ali - Cast Off From Blogging Heaven, He Found His Truth Elsewhere

In T View By MG; Greatly Assisted by DC

MG: Ali, Welcome to the In T View.How are You?

Ali : I'm fine, thanks MG.

MG: Ali, Is there True Evil in the World?
We know that people do Evil Things of course, you Iraqis have experienced that first hand, but is there actually, say a Demonic Presence in theWorld? And do you believe that a Satanor Shaitan actually exists?

Ali : No I don't believe in pure evil and I don't think of Satan as an individual soul although I used to believe in both. I think now that each one of us has an evil side and good one deeply embedded in his/her soul. Being "good" means in my opinion fighting the darkness inside us and encouraging our good aspects. I think it all comes down to weakness/strength and laziness versus the free part of our spirit.

Take for example this war on terror. I really don't like the way some people refer to it as a war between evil and good, although I must admit I used to look at it the same way not so long ago. There are some really crazy people on our enemy's side but they're a tiny minority and the description mad or insane fits them more than evil. On the other hand the majority are just weak minded people who surrendered to their fears and greed and I don't think they're evil or cannot be healed.

MG: Ali, Were you a Hulkamaniac growing up? A Big Professional Wrestling Fan as a youth?

Ali : I'm not sure what exactly do you mean by that. It must be one of these American things that only Americans understand, but if you mean I was aggressive or rowdy then the answer is no, I was more quite and my favorite times were spent playing chess hanging out with friends and reading. I always enjoyed playing soccer and basketball too.

Ali, the Fugitive Years:

MG: ~ Ali, you were a Fugitive from the Iraqi Army for Four Years. What was that like?

Ali : It was scary in two ways. 1st because the chance of being caught was not minimal at all and the punishment was horrible, and 2 nd because I thought that even if I didn't get caught how was I supposed to go on with my carrier and my life! It was almost impossible.

MG: ~ How Difficult was it to hide out from Saddam's Authorities?

Ali : It was very difficult, but you can always pay some people to minimize the danger. Such people can't and really won't care to protect you from all possibilities but they could limit the dangers and that's what I did although it didn't work all the time, as when these people get orders from people higher up it wouldn't matter how much you pay them and they would have to go after you themselves and the best they can do is to warn you in advance (for extra money) and then you'll have to disappear for a while until things calm down and those in charge get busy with other stuff.

MG: ~ When the Baathist Authorities raided the Fadhil Household looking for you, were you like, "What have I done to my parents and brothers?" Were you scared for your family?

Ali : My family was not in a great danger because my 'crime' was not one of those that the regime felt very threatened by but it was a very distressing incident. So yes, I felt very bad about what I have put them through.

MG: ~ Did you think about leaving Iraq?

Ali : Yes I did, shortly after that raid and I even paid money to get a faked passport because doctors were not allowed to leave Iraq and the punishment for any doctor who tried that was from 6 months to 5 years. I was determined to leave and I didn't have any destination on my mind or any real ideas. However I changed my mind at the last moment.

MG: ~ And you eventually joined the Iraqi Military. Was it a thought-provoking experience?

Ali : It was a humiliating experience but also a thought-provoking one. What I learned from that experience is to never compromise when it comes to my beliefs. Still it took me a lot of time to recover and regain my self respect.

MG: What's the Best Movie you've seen in the last six months?

Ali : I liked "Dr. Patch" by Robin Williams. Other than that I don't remember any really good movie and maybe it's because I didn't have the chance to see many movies lately.

Dragonfly by MG

MG: Ali, if you could make an important change or changes to the draft of the New Iraqi Constitution, what would that change or changes
be?

Ali : Remove the two phrases about Islam and make a clear separation between religion and the state. I think that's the main problem that wasn't dealt with in a good way. I would also remove the part about the Ba'ath party banning because I don't think it belongs in such an important document that draws the basic lines for Iraq's future and it would only make the Ba'ath immortal in a way. We have the "De-bathification committee" and I believe that's enough.The rest seems ok to me.

MG: What was your experience like with the Iraqi Pro-Democracy Party in the previous Iraqi Election?

Ali : It was a great experience filled with joy, pride and hope that made other difficulties less annoying. It made me feel that that I can be part of the decision making process in my country even if in a very small way, that I and other average Iraqis like me can actually make a difference no matter how small, something I've never experienced before.

MG: Is Politics in your Blood now and will you be running as a Candidate in the next Iraqi Election?

Ali : Politics is in my blood but I'm not going to run for office in the future. I was a candidate in the beginning in the last elections but I withdrew my name after some time. I thought I could serve much better from behind the scene especially that I don't like most politicians and would never get along with them or even learn how to communicate with people in such an environment filled with hierocracy.

MG: Is there a Position or Ministry in the Iraqi Government you would like to be in charge of?

Ali : No.

MG: With all the Terrorism directed at the Iraqi people, do you see a parallel with Israel?

Ali : Yes. There may be other reasons behind terrorism directed towards the Israeli people but there are ones that relates to what's happening in Iraq. It's mainly the fear from democracy among Arab governments and the need to export crisis to outside their border that make them support terrorism in Israel and Iraq.

MG: And how Different would the World be if the Middle East was Democratized?

Ali : Very different. I think it would much more peaceful.

MG: Ali, Do you have any Bad Habits that you can share with us?

Ali : I smoke a lot.

Ali and Spirit Of America

MG: ~ Ali, you view your terminated association with Spirit Of America (SOA)
in a very negative light. Let me play Devil's Advocate here and ask: What Do You Think SOA Did In A Positive Nature as regards Iraq?

Ali : Nothing.

MG: ~ Why don't you think that SOA's
Kerry Dupont -- whom you described as acting with, "strange behavior", "unacceptable behavior," and telling "lies after lies" -- hasn't responded to your negative portrayal of her?

Ali : Because she couldn't. I told the truth and the truth is very powerful as you know.

MG: Ali, What does Love mean to you?

Ali : Life.

MG: Okay Ali, who's Prettier: Iraqi Women or Kurdish Women?

Ali : Kurdish women in Iraq are Iraqi women, and they tend to be prettier than Arab women generally.

Iraqis And Sex:

MG: ~ Ali as a Physician, I think we can converse about this topic, which I'm curious about. I have the impression that Iraq is sort of at the level of 1950s America, when it comes to Sex?

Ali : I don't know what was it like
in America in the 1950s.

MG: ~ Is Islam a Hetero-Sexually Friendly Religion or is it more conducive to
Homo-Erotic impulses with the Strong Degree of Seperation among the Sexes?

Ali : There's a great degree of separation between sexes but I think it's more the Arab traditions rather than Islam.

MG: ~ And since Islam doesn't allow Dating and your high schools are sexually
segregated, is there a lot of Same Sex Experimentation among Teenagers?

Ali : Actually Islam allows dating and it's written in the Quran, but it's stated that it should only be for good reasons, meaning if you want to propose to a woman you can date her and even in private. But of course there's not much dating in Iraq and it's mostly done in secrecy. As for same sex experimentations, we used to hear about some of that in school but I don't think it happens a lot.

MG: Ali, why is Riverbend just so Irresistably Sexy? Do you think it's the Bad
Iraqi Blogging Girl syndrome?

Ali : I don't find her irresistibly sexy. I think she has a very ugly soul and mind.

MG: What Impact has the Internet had in Iraq or what impact do you think it will have?

Ali : The Internet has a great impact in Iraq in letting Iraqis see what's going on in the world since it's still almost impossible to visit most of the world and I believe this effect the Internet has is growing. Our media is still old fashioned and controlled by political groups and therefore the Internet is a much needed other option.

Geo Triptych by MG

MG: Ali, can you share with us the reasons you left Iraq The Model? It's still
a bit unclear why you departed?

Ali : I think I explained that before but I can add that Iraq the model stopped to be a source for the truth as I saw it and was turning into a propaganda tool in the hands of the far right. That was not why we started the blog even if the right in America supports us and the left doesn't, which is not entirely true as many of our readers and supporters, (like Jeffery! {MG says: From Iraqi Bloggers Central}) were Democrats.

MG: Are you still on friendly terms with Omar and Mohammed?

Ali : We chose different paths but we are still brothers.

MG: Were you hurt when they Delinked your Blog?

Ali : Yes, but not shocked.

MG: Besides your own Blog: Free Iraqi, what other Blogs do you read and can
Recommend?

Ali : I used to read many blogs but now I'm too busy with the exam and other stuff. I still take a peek when I get the chance at Dean's world, Harry's place and Andrew Sullivan.

MG: Ali, you and your Brothers, haven't really talked about your Sister, all that much.
Can you tell us a little something about Her? Will she join you and the Brothers in the Blogosphere by starting her own Blog?

Ali : My sister is a very bright woman. She's an Otolaryngologist and married to one too. She and her husband are very hard working doctors. They have the most wonderful kid in the world, my nephew Mohammed.

Ali the PediatricianMG: ~ Ali, you are a Pediatrician. Why did you decide to become a Pediatrician? Was there something else you wanted to do with your life, when growing up?

Ali : - I like children a lot and I like my job as a doctor. The choices I had were limited because most studies were reserved to those who have connections or very high average from college. I hesitated between psychiatry and pediatrics and it was a tough decision for me.

MG: ~ Ali, Can you Describe to us, what it's like to be a Pediatrician in a
Nation undergoing a great deal of turmoil?

Ali : It's hard work and very frustrating most of the times. We still lack many basic supplies, instruments and medications though I don't see any real reason why that is the case. The only logical explanation is that those in the government don't care at all about Iraqi's health and real needs.

MG: ~ Do you treat a lot of Children for Trauma, both Physical and Mental from the aftermath of the War and the Terrorist/Insurgent attacks?

Ali : Our hospital has a specific unit called "pediatric surgery" and that's were children with trauma are treated by pediatric surgeons and it's a different specialization from mine which deals only with medical cases but it does involve minor surgeries. As for mental, I'd say it affects all children with various degrees but unfortunately there's not much care about this aspect and one reason is that we have a high mortality rate among children, mainly infants and neonates due to infections, malnutrition (due to ignorance more than poverty) and pre-maturity (lack of devices and medications). We need to focus on these as they're seen as more serious and I think they are.

MG: ~ When one of your patients passes away, does it hit you hard? Do you ever question God, why this young child had to die?

Ali : I never question God on that, and it does hit me hard but one bad aspect of being a doctor is that you face death every day and after some time you find yourself not very hurt which is scary and makes me try to think more of it whenever I face it and examine my feelings. One problem is that if you get too attached to one patient you would find it very difficult to deal properly with other patients for quite a time when you lose him or her. I think it affects most doctors but most don't like to talk about it.

MG: ~ And what research in the Field of Pediatrics or General Medicine excites
you the most?

Ali : Psychiatry, and I'm thinking seriously of specializing in pediatrics psychiatry after I finish my study although we don't have this branch yet here.

MG: Ali, if you could meet anyone in History for a Nice Cup of Tea and a Chat,
whom would it be?

Ali : Mohammed, because I want to know if the Islam we have today is really what he preached although I tend to think it's not.

MG: Thanks Very Much for a Nice In T View, Ali, and Final Question: Have You Ever Seen a Ghost?

Ali : I see ghosts from the past all the time but I'm not sacred of them anymore.

Iraq The Model's Mohammed : He's Got The Big Mo Going!

2005-07-17T14:02:00.000-04:00

Dino at Home By AFD/DC - Please Click On The Image To Enlarge It

He's got the "Big Mo Going!"
Iraq The Model's Mohammed is Burning up the Iraqi Blogosphere with his Lucid Insights into Iraq's Affairs, Terrorism, Politics, and the March to Democracy. Together with his Blogging Superstar Brother Omar, the two of them have established Iraq The Model as the Dominant Iraqi
Blog and a Must Read amongst the Millions of Blogs around the planet.

It's The In T View: Iraq The Model's Mohammed : He's
Got The Big Mo Going!

The In T View By MG - Artwork By DC.

MG: So Mohammed, have you gone to the Mountain or has the Mountain come to you?

Mohammed: I think I was always on a date with the mountain and we were never far away from each other.

MG: What's the Status of Gay Rights in Iraq? Will there be a Gay Pride Parade in Baghdad anytime soon?

Mohammed: Actually religion and traditions don't give gays any rights and homosexuality is considered a sin and a perversion that is against nature. However, some Islamic recent fatwas justified sex-change overriding what's considered a controversial issue in many other places. A gay pride parade will take probably
a light-year to happen; I know that light-years are used to measure distances but I couldn't find any other unit to measure the time needed here!

MG: And is the Moslem World ready for a Lesbian Film Festival?

Mohammed: Again, a light-year will pass before this happens!

MG: Mohammed, like many Iraqis these days, you've seen Death Up Close and Personal. Do the Images Haunt your Thoughts for a while? Do you say a silent Prayer, thankful that you're still alive?

Mohammed: I always expected an unnatural death, and I'm really afraid of a natural one; that's the last way I want my life to end in.

MG: Your first name is a pretty common one in the Middle East. Do you ever find yourself in a crowded room responding when someone calls out "Hey Mohammed!" and then thirty people named Mohammed say, "Hi Abdullah?"

Mohammed: This happened quite a lot of times and because one of my friends has the same last name too, our friends decided to call us the "short" and the "tall". I was the short guy of course as the other guy was a basket ball player. It wasn't fair
at all.

MG: Mohammed, What's your Favorite Snack Food, and don't say Pringles, or we end the In T View, right here?

Mohammed: I like nuts, especially almonds but I have to say that I like Pringles too! (MG Says: Noooo, Pringles, the Devil's Snack Food!)

MG: So Mohammed, what's a Real Good Meal to you?

Mohammed: The best meal would be one I make with friends on a picnic. Nothing can be as good as a meal you cook with bunch of close friends.

MG: Have you ever had Fried Clams?

Mohammed: I have no idea what that is but I like "Maskoof" and the most delicious maskoof (fish barbequed in a special way) is Shabbout which is a kind of fish that lives in the Tigris. (MG Says: Mohammed hasn't experienced true culinary delight until he's tried fried clams, and not just those skimpy neck portions, but the full belly and all!)

MG: Mohammed, you're a very good Diarist. I noticed that from reading the excerpts at Iraq the Model of your War Diaries. Have you kept a Diary throughout your life and how did you keep it hidden from other family members?

Mohammed: I have always kept a diary and they were in several notebooks but I had a tradition that after each 'love story' I would give the part of my diaries to the woman I was in love with because she's the owner of that part of time. Except for the war time and the year before that because that time was mine alone. I still keep my drawers locked when I'm out. I have stopped writing diaries after April 15, 2003 but the blog has been a good alternative as I can write anything I like on it.

MG: Mohammed, why are you still single?

Mohammed: Who told you that I'm single? Don't believe everything being said on ITM! There has been always a woman occupying my heart but we in Iraq are used to say "single" to describe anyone who's not married and we don't consider someone in a relationship as "engaged" or "occupied". I do plan to start a family, but right now I don't think there's a woman who can tolerate me with all my crazy busy days.

MG: Mohammed, if you had your choice of spending your last $10 dollars American on either Birth Control or Beer, what would you choose?

Mohammed: Is there any red wine on the menu?

MG: Let's talk about a difficult period in your life, about six or seven years back, when you "refused to serve in Saddam's army" and gave up your job. What were your thoughts at the time? Did your actions endanger the other members of the Fadhil Family? Were you scared? Did you go into hiding? Did you think of Leaving Iraq?

Mohammed: I told my family and friends that I decided to not serve in the military because God would not like to see me do that service. I wouldn't be part of an army that oppresses people and harms innocents. They thought I wasn't serious about it because being a runaway meant being paralyzed and being chased
by Ba'athists and military police everywhere, let alone losing one's job. At Saddam's time every Iraqi male was asked for military service documents in all kinds of work and in every government office even if that was something like marriage or buying a car or making any kind of business with any government department.

But I made the decision a long time before I had to face the situation on the day when I was called to do the service. Of course my family didn't want to have their home raided in the middle of the night and have to deal with a gang of bad guys
and this had actually happened once when someone from the neighborhood reported my brother Ali to the Ba'athists and they sent the military police to our home but fortunately he wasn't there and my father solved it temporarily by signing a commitment to turn him in when he returns home.

Living in a moment of fear was what we have chosen for our home but the family showed a lot of understanding and I'm thankful for that. I even tried once to flee from Iraq with a forged passport but the guy who was arranging the process got arrested and I lost a lot of money as I paid half of the cost in advance. Yes, I was scared during the 1st year and I was carrying a lot of worries while walking in the street and I limited my movement to a great \extent and I spent long times at home.

Later I gradually learnt how to walk in the street and look confident when I walk through checkpoints by changing the expressions on my face to look fearless (military police target guys who look weak and it really was an "eyes" challenge and bluffing skills were of great importance). didn't disappear and decided that I should resume my "normal" movement but I couldn't get out of Baghdad because it's almost impossible
to get through all the checkpoints without being discovered. Anyway, this era was a good chance for reading many books.

MG: A Giant Monorail all across Baghdad: Yes or No?

Mohammed: No.

MG: What Book that you've read, has had the Most Influence on your Life?

Mohammed: "the ridicule of the human mind" from the brilliant Ali Al-Wardi. That book taught me how tolerate others' opinions and look at the other side of the image and respect pluralism.That book changed many things in me; I was 23, ambitious and reckless but the book helped build a rather moderate personality and give myself some time to think and…rethink.

MG: Mohammed, we don't know too much about Mom and Pop Fadhil. What are they really like? What's special about your parents? And are they proud of their three sons, two of them dentists and the other one a doctor?

Mohammed: I have great parents; my father is a retired officer since 1990 and my mother is a retired teacher since 1990 too. We were raised and still living middle class more or less but my parents were trying hard to provide us with everything we
needed and I remember when we were kids, we always had toys and stuff before our friends did.

They're both 63 now. I'm really grateful for that they encouraged us to read and love reading. My father is fond of his library which he updates continuously and he encouraged me to build my own library. He never told us what to read and gave us full freedom in choosing what we read and this is something pretty rare in a protective oriental society. I also remember that my mother used to bring us stories when
we were kids and she always brought us new stories every other while and here where the family love for reading started; every one of us has his own library. And yes, they're proud of us!

MG: And what about your Grandparents? Are any of them still living?

Mohammed: Unfortunately, none of them is still alive and the only grandparent I got to see was my father's father who I had a special relationship with and I respected him a lot. He was an illiterate farmer but he didn't let that reflect on his children and he insisted that they get their chance to get decent education and actually most of them were able to get college degrees. He died in 1996 and I was very sad then as his death also coincided with other failures I faced on the personal level.

MG: When you were growing up, did your Grandfather sit you down on his knee and say, "Mo, when I was your age, I was racing Camels Bareback with the Bedouins and fighting the Nazis with my Bare Hands?

Mohammed: He didn't fight the Nazis or anyone else; he lived far in his farm but he did hate the Ba'ath party. He had enormous love for palm trees and I inherited that love from him; we have 8 palm trees in our garden and I'm the one taking full
care of them. I hope that one day palm trees fill the Iraqi desert; it's a tough tree that has a special kind of pride; it has very long roots and can reach water no matter how deep it was and it doesn't wait for someone to bring the water. I
remember my grandfather once while he was planting a young palm tree; he felt that I was thinking like "it's going to take at least 10 years before this small tree grows dates and probably he won't be alive by then" and I remember him answering my
unvoiced thought by the old Iraqi saying "they planted, we ate and we shall plant so that they will eat". I learned the lesson well.

MG: And speaking of the Bedouins, when you were on Vaccination Duty, you got to meet them scattered about in the Iraqi Desert. How was that Experience for you?

Mohammed: It was an interesting experience actually, when a Bedouin sees you from far away (they have very sharp eyes by the way) he would pick up his rifle and stand on guard so we stop at a reasonable distance from his place and identify ourselves and once Bedouins realizethat we're doctors they rush to welcome us and offer us water as they know that we must be thirsty from the long ride through the desert. They're generous people and they'd insist to invite you for a meal with them.
They've begun to understand the importance of vaccinations but they're still suspicious about strangers as they are used to live away from towns and their contacts with town people are very rare.

In general they don't have IDs and they don't register themselves on population charts and in some cases one of them would come to the town hall to register his marriage and get IDs for himself, his wife and his six children! And they usually don't do that unless they need such documents urgently. They don't settle in one place for a long time and they move in the western and south western desert with
their cattle following grass and water so we find ourselves running after them from place to another. Anyway, their way of living and their appreciation for freedom are impressive and I think it'd be an adventure to try their way of life for a while.

MG: So, how did you decide to become a Dentist?

Mohammed: I first went to the College of Medicine but the study was too tough for me and I didn't succeed at it so I decided to move to the College of Dentistry as an easier alternative that keeps me in the field of treating people. I frankly didn't like it in the 1st two years but when I treated my 1st patient in 4th year I started to love the career and I still get a great feeling of happiness when I finish treating any patient successfully.

MG: What is it like being a Dentist in a Small Village like Samawa as opposed to a Big City like Baghdad?

Mohammed: Life in the village is fun and boring at the same time; the human nature out there and the uncomplicated way of life is charming and being a dentist in a small community makes you feel special and that satisfies one's ego! As to social activities, they cannot be compared with the situation in Baghdad. Another thing is that before Internet entered the village I felt much more comfy because being there gave me a chance to stay away from the noise of the city, news and Internet work so it's a time for me alone but after the Internet reached the village things changed and I felt like I lost the privacy I enjoyed in my small island.

MG: Mohammed, are you the Sexiest of the Fadhil Brothers? Do you have the Best Rap with the Iraqi Hotties or even the Non-Iraqi Hotties?

Mohammed: Some women say so but not all of them. I guess women are the same regardless of place and what they like in a man doesn't change from one country to another. And yes, I left a good impression among Iraqi and non-Iraqi women. LOL

MG: Mohammed, a Little Birdy told me that Some Insane Male Liberal Types Pretending to be Women have Targeted Various Iraqi Bloggers with Proposals of Marriage in order to entrap the Iraqi Bloggers and learn if they've been funded by the U.S Government or Organizations, and whether the Iraqi Bloggers are actually based in Iraq. Has this happened to you?

Mohammed: It's sick (if true) and No, it never happened to me.

MG: Mohammed, Omar mentioned that it was your idea to name the Blog: Iraq The Model". Why did you choose that Title as opposed to something like: "Iraq: Who's Your Daddy, Mideast" or "Iraq:
Well, Hey It's A Start" or "Iraq: Three Mercedes For Every Household?"

Mohammed: I believe that Iraq IS a model for other nations, the world is about to witness dramatic changes and despite the tactical/technical mistakes committed by some of the involved parties, we're still building a new model in the Middle East and I don't think it's going to take too long before others start regarding Iraq as a model that's worth following.

I also believe that the sacrifices associated with the Iraqi experiment on the way to the future will make similar future changes in the region require less sacrifices. We're drawing a path for our neighbors which may not look tempting at the moment but with time I'm sure they'll consider taking that path.

MG: Do you have any Blogs you like to read and can Recommend?

Mohammed: I usually read from the blogroll we have on the side bar and I especially enjoy reading the new Iraqi blogs that are written in Arabic; they have posts of very good quality and reading them keeps me in touch with the various parts of my country.

MG: Mohammed, We have to talk a bit about a Terse Subject: "Spirit Of America" (SOA). Whose idea was the Arabic Blogging Tool, and was it necessary?

Mohammed: I think this is a good question because many people are questioning the significance of such a tool. Actually the answer is quite simple; this tool is the only blogging service that has an exclusively Arabic interface and it's basically designed for Arabic users who know no English at all (and they're so many). Actually I've met many Iraqi thinkers and authors who don't know English but their writings in Arabic are excellent and such people are the target of this tool. Moreover, the tool allows users to upload images, audio and video files with extremely simple steps. Anyway, I guess what testifies for this tool is the magnitude of utilization; so far, more than 500 accounts were opened from Iraq and other countries and this number exceeds the total number of Arabic blogs using all other blog services like Blogspot or Typed!

MG: Let's talk about Your Political Candidacy in the recent Iraqi Election with the Iraqi Pro Democracy Party. What was your involvement in the formation of the Pro Democracy Party? What Factors Mitigated Against/Prevented your Party and its Candidates from gaining a seat in the Iraqi Legislature? What was it like campaigning? And is Politics in your Blood now, and will you be Running for Office again?

Mohammed: Our party was formed immediately after the fall of Saddam's regime and like many other new parties, our party was the result of long discussions and thinking that took place long before March 2003. During the 1st elections in Iraq, I was the secretary of the party and our party included a good number of intellectuals (mainly my generation) and they all believe in a free, democratic, secular and federal Iraq where all citizens are equal in rights and duties. We didn't expect much in these elections and our main goal wasparticipation to prove to the world that Iraq
is ready for a serious political process. We had more than a hundred parties and more than 7200 candidates taking part in the elections and that was great. Only 10% of those parties won seats in the assembly and those were parties with long history and good experience and actually some parties proposed an alliance with our party but
we refused these offers and I think that was a mistake.

Now we're considering the idea again and contacts are underway for the next round of elections and we're looking forward to forming an alliance that can really compete with other big parties. Actually I still see our results in the elections as positive
results because we were able to get 1600 votes (same result of the National emocratic party, led by Nasir Chadarchi, a former GC member and a famous political figure) in spite of the rare resources we had for campaigning and the short time we had to
prepare an electoral campaign.In my opinion, it wasn't a fair competition but we're looking forward for the future. We were traveling from one province to another and our volunteers were hanging posters and signs in the streets; it was a crazy time
with tons of e mails and phone calls to the supporters and friends.

It was a very tough mission amid many threats from the terrorists to everyone taking part in the elections but I'm very happy I had that experience.We weren't afraid and we challenged terror and I believe the elections were a victory for Iraq as a whole. I honestly wasn't concerned about our party's results as much as I was concerned about the process as a whole. I cried when I watched the crowds lining up for the ballots and voting for Iraq. It was a very special day in my entire life and no words can really describe what the feelings were.

MG: Mohammed, Do you still visit your Garden each day to have Tea? Is it a Very Relaxing Experience, or are the Damn Mosquitoes always water skiing in your cup?

Mohammed: Yes, I still sit in the garden every afternoon in the shade of my two favorite palms. It's there where most of the ideas are born in my mind and I usually use this time to think about the current day and about tomorrow.

MG: Mohammed, I sense the Iraqis are a Fun Bunch of People who like to Smoke, Drink, Chase Broads, and Drive Fast like the rest of us. Is this perception an accurate one?

Mohammed: It's not far from accurate but I personally hate speeding and my friends call me the "old man" because of the way I hold the steering wheel when I drive!

MG: Thanks Very Much, Mohammed, for a Nice Interview, and Final Question: Have You Ever Seen A Ghost?

Mohammed: Absolutely, and that's how I learned how to walk through walls.