Unfortunately I don't understand that much in politics , in fact (fortunately) ,coz I have too many things are worthier to discuss than politics. But since I'm an Iraqi girl from bone to bone and each drop of my blood is pure Iraqi. I must talk a little bit about politics. I hate it actually , there is nothing can initiate a war but politics. Neither the difference in religion nor in culture can make a reason for a war. Only politics and pure money advantages are the cause . I know there are people don't agree with me in this matter. But nothing is going to change my mind in it ; you say wars at this century are started to improve the local situation in a country or bring DEMOCRACY to it . I don't agree . if that was the matter why Africa is still poor and the children there are starving??!! Why Iraq has been chosen to be the blessed choice of the blessed democracy . no , it's not like that it's not as we see by our naked eyes! We need an electron microscope to see more fine details .. why the last war has been made on Iraq?? Why too many countries have participated in this war??? I agree it wasn't a good situation before it , I admit it. I even didn't have the chance to enjoy my childhood as all children in the world ; you know what world I mean. Since my nails were fragile and soft the war of 1991 started.. and then the siege . no electricity no water… no internet no mobiles no nothing!!! . when I was six as I remember we used not to see the face of electricity(public expression) once every 25 hours per 24 hours. I remember when we moved to our house we didn't have a water for daily usage in the neighborhood for 3 years !!! and the mobiles and internet were luxury. In fact we didn't imagine how a mobile can be !!! in 2003 and during the war , I remember the sound of the alarms of the raids filling my ears . even they were damaged and continued sounding even if there wasn't any American plane!!! For my astonishment , the power during the war time was continuous at least it used to go off for 2 or 3 hours a day . and that is a rare thing for the cursed Mosul at that time ( Baghdad , power in it was continuous all the day although Mosul is the third biggest city in Iraq and it has the imaginary inter-exploited dam .!!!. a city with such big dam must have a sustained source of power and pure water!!! For the sake of God. Some places in Iraq don't have a worthy water to drink!!! , in fact all parts of Iraq . and if we don't use filters housed in our homes. We would be dead by cholera or something.
As a normal girl I have dreams , one of them when I was a child is to learn how to play on guitar or piano . again mosul doesn't have centers specialized for such purposes , and another dream gone with the wind.
Q:What does Mosul have ???
A:
1- Mosul university which I love it so much and I dream to make something special to it coz it has a special place in my heart
2- One park before the last war ( Hadikat al shuhada'a) (martyrs park) . I remember before the war by a nearly a week I visited it with my family to see the flowers and gardens' festival organized in it. And I have never seen it till this minute.
3- A big market ( we call it souq ) and how old people call it (Bazzar).
a- Sarich Khan
b- Bab al sari
c- Bad al toob
d- Bab al baidh( gate of eggs ):D and others
e- Al dwasa
^^^^^^^
Ancient places( too public) , and moslawis can't live without them. I rarely visit these places
f- Majmoua'a al thqafia
g- Al zuhur
^^^^^
Modern places usually full of youth and young people, contain internet cafes , clothes shops, electronics shops(which I love to visit) and finally home delivery or however they call it (every day supply) and of course restaurants
4- After war two parks built near our house and I have never visited them till now.
5- Houses. Mosul is full of houses . if you visit the cities of the north of Iraq nowadays you will certainly see the difference . Mosul needs a very careful care to its purity and purgation of pollution . maybe I would be a good municipality administrator :D:D. sometimes my heart 's beats accelerate when I see too many dirties in some parts of Mosul.
6- Schools which need a lot of care and sufficient supply of everything WORTHY for students. Curriculums MUST be improved !
7- Health centers and clinics , when I visit some of them I really feel disgusted. Hospitals need MORE care for the sake of God!!!!
8- Hotels (Nineveh palace , Oprahwi , Mosul hotel and others which are nearly abandoned .
Although those might make you feel hopeless that the things will change for better in Iraq but I believe there is a generation will make a difference in Iraq , who knows?! what is the time for the evolution of this generation !!!
I've never been to Mosul (i've been to a town near it for a party few months ago..), and now reading this really makes me want to visit.
ReplyDeleteYou have put up with a lot, and i remember my childhood from those ages. it wasn't really a childhood at all.
Great article, and best wishes,
your friend.
Bush increased US aid to Africa from $500 million a year to $10,000 million a year.
ReplyDeleteOn why Iraq was chosen . . . hmmm. I guess you could say that Iraq has been in a civil war since 1980 with Iran supporting the anti Saddam resistance. America and 13 other countries also supported the Iraqi resistance from 1991 on.
Saddam however made a mistake when he tried to kill Papa Bush and Laura in 1993. When W Bush got his chance in 2003, Bush took out Saddam. Unfortunately Bush knew little about Iraq and was completely confused about what to do after he took Saddam out.
The Bush policy was confused until the end of 2006, when Rumsfeld was fired. Then the new strategy was to:
1) train and equip the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police
2) protect the Iraqi population and "ONLY" allow American troops draw down from an area when there were sufficient quality Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police to protect them.
3) Push the Iraqi government on reconstruction and reconciliation with Sunni Arabs
Now violence in Iraq (outside of Mosul) is the lowest since 1980. But Iraq has new problems. Net oil revenues is down 80%. Oil prices have fallen from $149/barrel to $35/barrel. Iraq only has $26 billion in annual revenue but is spending $67 billion this year (down from $72 billion last year and the $78.4 billion that was planned for this year before the large first round of spending cuts.)
Think about your household if you were spending 2.50 dinars for every 1.00 dinars in earnings you had coming in. You would have a massive problem. This is the devastating problem that Iraq confronts today. The Iraqi government is cutting the programed size, training, equipment and capabilities of the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police. They will need to cut the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police much further. Iraq will need to cut spending on health care, education, water, electricity, food rations and other very important social spending. This is very sad but necessary.
Iraqis need to start discussing what spending programs they want the Iraqi government to cut.
Hopefully oil prices recover, but the Iraqi people can't count on that.
First of all, Mubarak for your sister, I wish her and her fiance a happy life.
ReplyDeleteyou have many good plans girl for your city.
it is not that difficult to be official in the govenment someday, you can do it believe me.
as for the generation, do not wait for it because we are already the generation you talked about. it is our time to achieve our goals and rebuild the country, not by money, or stealing the money of people just like other officials do, but by acting in a good way and to be strong to face all the sectarian troubles.
I also don't like to talk about politics because whenever I do so, I get so upset.
ReplyDeleteAlmost all political discussion are futile and fruitless because each party has its own ideologies and everyone has his own thoughts and don't care or pay attention to the others prespective.
I have decided to stay away from and avoid political discussions and issues despite the fact that it effects directly our life.
I am sorry you have had to pass through all this...and pray that all this would be ended soon.
Miss Violet,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment and I'm glad you like my layout :). I hope you'll visit my blog often.
I've been to your blog a few times now and I must say I've enjoyed reading about your life and thoughts :).
Daily I pray that the situation in Iraq improves because every Iraqi family has suffered in one way or another(some more than others) by all the wars our country has suffered through:(. I often ask the same question: why Iraq?
Keep the wonderful posts coming and best wishes to you too.
ma3a'salaamah
So nice post about the city Miss.
ReplyDeleteplease take care
Dear Violet,
ReplyDeleteOur Strength came from our study, experience, memories and other life test, and your questions about why is Iraq are quite right because the simple view some times came in correct place, what you saw, exam and live through your childhood is the basic element to make you go through create your new future to achieve your and other good dreams and life and became a Mayor, Governor or Member of the Representatives Council this not dreams but already goals you could make them true.
Iraqi Spirit, nice comment. Our strength comes from ourselves . . . from that which Allah imbibes all of us with.
ReplyDelete