Palms and Punishment...

Soon after the occupation many of the palms on the streets were hacked down by [American] troops for security reasons. We watched, horrified, as they were chopped down and dragged away to be laid side by side in mass graves... (105).

The death of a palm tree is taken very seriously. Farmers consider it devastating and take the loss very personally. Each tree is unique, it feels like a member of the family (104).

Historically palm trees have represented the rugged, stoic beauty of Iraq and its people. They are a reminder that no matter how difficult the circumstances, there is hope for life and productivity. The palm trees in the orchards have always stood lofty and resolute --- oblivious of heat, political strife, or war...until today (105).

The faces of the farmers are crushed and amazed at the atrocity...I remember one [farmer] screaming at the camera --- "Is this freedom? Is this democracy?!" And his son, who is about 10, stood there with tears of rage streaming down his cheeks and quietly said, "We want 5 troops dead for each tree they cut down..." A "terrorist," perhaps? Or a terrorized child who had to watch his family's future hacked down in the name of freedom (106).

This struggle is similar to the struggle of the Palestinians whose sacred olive trees are cut down by Israeli settlers. Listen here for more information.

Sheikhs and Tribes

Iraq is not some backward counrty overrun by ignorant land Sheikhs or oil prizes. People have a deep respect for wisdom and "origin." People can trace their families back for hundreds of years and the need to "belong" to a specific family or tribe and have a sheikh doesn't hinder education, modernization, democracy, or culture (90).

I am an example of a modern-day, Iraqi female who is a part of a tribe---I have never met our sheikh---I've never needed too... (91).

For Sale: Iraq

For sale: A fertile, wealthy country with a population of around 25 million...plus around 150,000 foreign troops, and a handful of puppets. Conditions of sale: Should be either an American or British corporation (forget it if you're French)...Please contact one of you numbers of the Governing Council in Baghdad, Iraq for more information (76).

Lately...

When Bush "brought the war to the terrorists," he failed to mention he wouldn't be fighting in some distant mountains or barren deserts: the frontline is our homes...the "collateral damage" are our friends and families (62).

First Day of School...

Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. It was Afghanistan (who are not Arabs) (96).

Iraqi Culture Oppressive to Women?

Before the occupation, around 50% of the college students were females, and over 50% of the working force was composed of women. Not so anymore. We are seeing an increase of fundamentalism in Iraq which is terrifying (17).

No matter *what* anyone heard, females in Iraq were a lot better off than females in other parts of the Arab World (and some parts of the Western world--we had equal salaries!)...We were doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, professors, deans, and architects, programmers, and more (22).

We've Only Just Begun...

My suggestion? Bring in UN peace-keeping forces and pull out the American troops. Let the people decide who they want to represent them. Let the governing council be composed of Iraqis who were suffering the blockade and wars *inside* of Iraq. People are angry and frustrated and the American troops are the ones who are going to have to bear the brunt of that anger simply because the American administration is running the show, and making the mistakes (16).

It always saddens me to see the majority of them are so young. Just as it isn't fair that I have to spend my 24th year suffering this whole situation, it doesn't seem fair that they have to spend their 19th, 20th, etc. suffering it either. In the end we have one thing in common---we are all victims of decisions made by the Bush administration.

On the other hand...they'll be back home in a month, or two or three or six...and we'll be here having to cope with the mess of a homeland we have now. 

Setting the Record Straight

Although I hate the American military presence in Iraq in its current form, I don't eve hate the American troops...or wait, sometimes I do:

- I hated them on April 28 when they shot and killed over a dozen kids and teenagers in Fallojeh---a place west of Baghdad. The American troops had taken over a local school (one of the only) schools and the kids and parents went to stand in front of the school in a peaceful demonstration. Some kids started throwing rocks at the troops, and the troops opened fire on the crowd. That incident was the beginning of bloodshed in Falloojeh (14).

On the other hand...
- I feel terrible seeing the troops standing in this merciless sun---wearing heavy clothes...looking longingly into air-conditioned interiors of our cars. After all, in the end this is Baghdad, we're Iraqi---we've seen this heat before (15).

Introduction

Occupation is a way of life. It means rounding up enough friendly armed men to take the store to buy crayons. It means trying to bury an elderly aunt in a city where the mosques are all overbooked for funerals and the cemeteries are full. It means jumping up in the middle of the night, when the electricity briefly comes on, in order to run the washing machine----or work on her blog (xi).

Riverbend's culture is rooted in one of the older and richest civilizations in the world. Her nation was created by Western colonialism, driven by a desire to control its most valuable natural resource (xii).