A "Fanatic" Iraqi...



The other day, someone said to me "You know something - you really are a fanatic Iraqi"...hoping that he would hurt my feelings.

Tell you what, I walked away feeling 10 inches taller.

Of course I am a fanatical Iraqi. My country has been agonizing for 18 years to the total indifference of the world. My country is totally defaced, turned into a hideous monster. My country is totally destroyed, totally destroyed...

From the sanction years and its utter misery and struggles to the present occupation by a so-called "great democracy". An occupation by the mightiest military power on earth, and again to the total indifference of the world.

Millions dead, millions exiled, millions orphaned, millions widowed, millions maimed for life and you don't want me to become a "fanatic" Iraqi ? Ha!

If need be, I will invent fanaticism all over again. I will re-define it for you - my Iraqi version. I will reconstruct the concept and give you a whole new perspective on what fanaticism is. Sure I am a "fanatic" about Iraq.

Some of you people brush off this occupation and remind yourself and me of Vietnam. Crap, pure crap. Vietnam is nothing compared to this. Vietnam took place in a bi-polar world.

Others liken it to the Israeli occupation. Again, we witnessed in 5 years what the Palestinians witnessed in 60. We are actually competing with the Palestinians as to the amount of dead and refugees this occupation manages to produce. And we are competing with the walls too. Who's got more walls and more ghettos.
But at least the EU and a few NGO's visit occupied Palestine and conduct enquiries into human rights violations...or try to. In Iraq no one visits us.

A "fanatic" - Yes I am. A terrible, horrible "fanatic."

When one is abandoned the way we have been. When one has been forgotten the way we have been. When we have been shelved on the side, so as not to ruffle your sensitivities and your political correctness, yes we become "fanatic" Iraqis.

When for 18 years, we've done nothing but pick up pieces and hang in there, when for 18 years your bombs and your silence has overpowered our cries, yes we become "fanatic" Iraqis.

When our libraries, universities, schools, books...have been burnt to ashes and our kids have forgotten how to read and write, we become "fanatic" Iraqis.

When our brains are murdered one by one - from our academics, to our scientists, to our artists and singers and we learn that you keep our brains in jars as war trophies, we become "fanatic" Iraqis.

When our riches are plundered, our homes in ruins, our museums looted, our ancient tablets trampled on and smashed, our history erased and falsified, we become "fanatic" Iraqis.

When our hospitals are in total shambles, when we knock on doors and can't find work, when we have to beg for an entry visa or a residence permit, when we are shunned, ridiculed, considered a burden, pushed away, humiliated, we become "fanatic" Iraqis.

When we see our elders begging in streets, our women with no food, our men tortured, our daughters turned to prostitutes and our children trafficked and sold, we become "fanatic" Iraqis.

When we can't even visit our loved ones either in cemeteries or in prisons, cemeteries and prisons - so packed, so filled, so anonymous, we become "fanatic" Iraqis.

When our fields have been deserted, a barren land or turned into poppy fields into poppy fields with Iranian seeds. When our rivers are drying up and our trees chopped off, dead. When our sky is reeking with radiation and the air we breath is riddled with uranium, we become "fanatic" Iraqis.

When we see you cheering every single "resistance" in the world, but ours, ours - made of resisting bodies and souls, forged by the fire of your weapons.
When we hear your heated debates and revolutionary hot zeal and feel your ice, cold winds blowing our way, we become "fanatic" Iraqis.

And when you finally hand us, on a golden platter, to the most backward, racist, chauvinist, whore around - remaining a "fanatic" Iraqi, becomes an obligation, a duty, a must.

A "fanatic" Iraq is what I am. You can consider my being a "fanatic" Iraqi -- as my flag, my book, my song and my seal.

A "fanatic" Iraqi is what we've got left when everything else has been forcefully ripped away from us, when everything else has gone and vanished...and no one, absolutely no one, will be able to take that away...from us, from me.


Painting: Iraqi artist, Qais Al-Sindi, 2007.

Comments

KM said…
It IS mush worse that Vietnam. When the United States go it's red, white, black & blue ass throughly kicked, the US went running and never went back.

The Unites States still is spending millions in Korea from a 'war' that was never won. So the United States is stuck there.

Iraq was and is invaded by parasites. Iraq is host to foreign parasites.
ed said…
hello Layla,very well said.And yes i urge you not to let any one take that away from you.With fanatic respect,carry-on,Ed
Anonymous said…
Brilliant, Layla! Thank you and you are truly an inspiration.

'But at least the EU and a few NGO's visit occupied Palestine and conduct enquiries into human rights violations...or try to. In Iraq no one visits us.'

Absolutely accurate with the above comment, Layla. But they are all waiting on the sidelines (in neighbouring countries), vultures, to get into Iraq, for their own profits. And to pretend that they are trying to 'teach' Iraqis 'democracry'.

In solidarity.
Anonymous said…
Sorry, typing error - last word: 'democracy'.
Anonymous said…
There isn’t a sufficient word that could describe the oceans of disgust and rage I feel over the horrific crimes that have been and are being committed against the Iraqi people. The Iraqi people are showing the world the power of an indomitable and resilient spirit. It is such a shame that such a beautiful, hospitable people who over the millennia have given the world so much, has now to show it the beauty and strength of an enduring and irrepressible human spirit. I admire the Iraqi resistance and the Iraqi people, I am an American and a Vietnam veteran – I can’t wait until your resistance kicks the last American ass out of your country and all those cretins responsible for these crimes against humanity are held accountable. Stay fanatical, you will prevail!
Anonymous said…
Layla,

"My country is totally destroyed, totally destroyed..."
I can sit here in my cushy chair and tell you that your country is far from destroyed. The US is not marching millions of civilians into the countryside to dig their own mass graves. The US and Iraqis have managed to fend off attacks and rebuild infrastructure, countless schools, water, and sewer projects are underway or completed by now. You have a brand spanking new constitution that puts you in control of your destiny. You have massive oil wealth which will make Iraq the richest most powerful country in the ME, provided you don't screw it up.

"When for 18 years, we've done nothing but pick up pieces and hang in there"
Thanks to Saddam and his beloved WMD

"When our brains are murdered one by one - from our academics, to our scientists, to our artists and singers and"
Thanks to Fanatics

"our museums looted"
Iraqis did that

"we have to beg for an entry visa or a residence permit, when we are shunned, ridiculed, considered a burden, pushed away, humiliated"
You are in charge of local government. Vote them out.

"sky is reeking with radiation and the air we breath is riddled with uranium"
Show me one person who has died from depleted uranium in Iraq. Small in comparison to all the environmental destruction Saddam caused by lighting up the oil wells?

"you finally hand us, on a golden platter, to the most backward, racist, chauvinist, whore around - remaining a "fanatic" Iraqi, becomes an obligation"
You mean Iran? Well, Iran has little love for Iraqis, so you may want to hold onto your weapons if they take over.

A "fanatic" Iraqi is what we've got left when everything else has been forcefully ripped away from us

The goal of a fanatic is to tear down the existing social and political structure so that they can create one they "like better". If your country were overrun by fanatics, you could multiply all the destruction, killing, and drilling by 10. So the situation you hate the most, to see the country you love ripped apart, is what you advocate to cure its ills. Your position is morally indefensible since you have not taken the time to work with the existing system to try and make things better. You take the selfish route and advocate destruction and terror.

Greg from USA
Layla Anwar said…
KM,
"iraq is a host to foreing parasites" TRUE thanks to the Yankee fungal germs!
Layla Anwar said…
Ed,

Hiya, thank you---and fanatically your's too :-)
Layla Anwar said…
Little Deer,

Yes indeed, like vultures waiting to fall on carcass. What are they going to do next, you think ?

Suck on the bones ?

I hate the whole fucking lot!
Layla Anwar said…
WEFU,

Hello, thank you for a great comment.

I need to draw your attention to something important, though - The more the IR kicks the ass of the Americans, the more the Iranians consolidate in Iraq.

You must pray for the IR to have enough strength to kick BOTH ASSES.

Cheers.
Unknown said…
Dear Layla,

in times of despondency always remember his sacrifice for Iraq.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC9xKH95Qw8&feature=related

Glory and eternity to the blessed soul of Iraq's Hero, the Greatest Arab Leader of modern times, Martyr President Saddam Hussein.

You should be very proud to be a fanatic Iraqi.

Long live the Patriotic Resistance!
Long live Iraq!

Fanatically Yours
Anonymous said…
Layla,

You know, I was thinking about adding the Iranian part but didn't. Next time I shall not carelessly omit it, Of course you are right...
Anonymous said…
Hi Layla,

They don't care about the 'carcass'. Any disaster, (e.g., Myanmar, at the moment, as well) is a great opportunity for these vultures to rake in huge salaries by doing 'consultancy' work, etc., because they stupidly believe they know it all and have all the answers as compared with 'lesser humans' in the developing world. Which is why you will rarely see 'locals' involved, perhaps just a few to give it all a decent face. With the Asian Tsunami, humongous amounts of money was poured in, but after all these years, the impact hasn't been felt by the people on the ground. Why? Because it was already taken by the hoardes of 'consultants' and 'specialists' before they'd even descended in the devastated regions.

And so it is with Iraq - if they do manage to get in, (hoping that Iraqi Resistance will never make this possible) it won't make an iota of a difference to Iraqis - any 'allocated' funds will have been siphoned off long before they are used - much like the Oil for Food programme with Iraq (UN). Right?

In solidarity.
Anonymous said…
I forgot to add: the Iraq catastrophe has been deliberately created, for political reasons which we already know about, but also for all this kind of dirty work - money will be publicly pledged, but if you follow closely, this money will find its way back to the point of origin, through 'salaries', through insisting that everything is bought from the country which is giving the 'aid', etc.

And then, you have morons claiming they are 'helping'. Some help!
Anonymous said…
Iraqi women widowed by conflict


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24880085#24846883
Anonymous said…
very well said

Popular posts from this blog

Endless Beginnings...

Diss Information.

Not so Kind...