What Iraqis need to learn.
Me and my family where on our way to my parents house, to have a barbecue dinner with a friend of the family. All the way there I was watching the others and the way they act. You can say it was chaos. Everyone on the road tried to make his way before the others. I even found a car driving in an opposite direction in one of the busiest streets of Baghdad and no one spoke a word. of course it was not the first time I saw acts like this, but this time I decided to watch the others carefully. The Iraqi people are so careless about each other, maybe the circumstances we had before and now made us act this way. I discussed this issue in my parents house and they agreed with me, the streets are full of garbage because simply people don’t want to wait till the garbage car come the next morning. Near our house there is an empty piece of land and now it is full of garbage. From time to time the people beside that land bring some cleaners to clean this land. Within few months it returns to be a garbage container as soon as people discover it again. Two days ago the neighbors called the local council of our neighborhood asking them to clean that land because it became terrible after one year since last cleaning, they came and saw it but they apologized because they said it was too dirty to be cleaned and they needed several cars to pick up those garbage and they had only one! It is their job isn’t it?
I think we need to change these behaviors before we will be able to build our country. We need to become more responsible about the small things in our life so we can be more responsible in building our future. I read a comment written by a soldier in one of the Iraqis blogs comparing us with “The Simpson’s” ! . I saw the Simpson’s today on TV and I felt terrible if the others see us like that. Of course we are not all like this. Me and my family, my friends, and most of the people I know they criticize these behaviors. Most of the people who refused these acts had traveled out side Iraq or lived in some foreign countries, and also are highly educated people.
I saw many policemen driving in the wrong direction and they are, themselves, not following the rules, so how do you suppose others to follow it?
Another thing I was discussing with my family, if I saw someone suspicious where should I go and tell the authority about him. The answer was no where. Because simply you don’t trust anyone, he might be one of the fighters or the terrorist so you might be killed or hurt, you or anyone of your family. So that’s why many Iraqi people are not giving any information about anyone because simply they don’t trust anyone in their new government. Till now many people had been captured while they were working in the new government and they were loyal to fighters groups or terrorists and they were giving information to their groups.
So what shall we do to change these acts?
PS: I think with those bad circumstances, the American troops should stay in Iraq. Otherwise there will be a civil war and the terrorists could control the situation here completely. but I think the US army could have done many things to avoids these acts before, but now I think they should stay. this is my answer to some comments I had received.
PPS: Have you seen my picture in my profile! If you concentrate enough you can find me there.
I think we need to change these behaviors before we will be able to build our country. We need to become more responsible about the small things in our life so we can be more responsible in building our future. I read a comment written by a soldier in one of the Iraqis blogs comparing us with “The Simpson’s” ! . I saw the Simpson’s today on TV and I felt terrible if the others see us like that. Of course we are not all like this. Me and my family, my friends, and most of the people I know they criticize these behaviors. Most of the people who refused these acts had traveled out side Iraq or lived in some foreign countries, and also are highly educated people.
I saw many policemen driving in the wrong direction and they are, themselves, not following the rules, so how do you suppose others to follow it?
Another thing I was discussing with my family, if I saw someone suspicious where should I go and tell the authority about him. The answer was no where. Because simply you don’t trust anyone, he might be one of the fighters or the terrorist so you might be killed or hurt, you or anyone of your family. So that’s why many Iraqi people are not giving any information about anyone because simply they don’t trust anyone in their new government. Till now many people had been captured while they were working in the new government and they were loyal to fighters groups or terrorists and they were giving information to their groups.
So what shall we do to change these acts?
PS: I think with those bad circumstances, the American troops should stay in Iraq. Otherwise there will be a civil war and the terrorists could control the situation here completely. but I think the US army could have done many things to avoids these acts before, but now I think they should stay. this is my answer to some comments I had received.
PPS: Have you seen my picture in my profile! If you concentrate enough you can find me there.
posted by rose at 1:10 PM
3 Comments:
You mentioned ``if I saw someone suspicious where should I go and tell the authority about him''.
Perhaps the authorities should set up a website through which one can contact them; if they have not already done so.
Where I come from (Canada) they have a program called Crime Stoppers that works fairly well. It's an anonymous phone line where anybody can call to report a crime. The caller doesn't have to leave his/her name or testify in court, but if the caller provides enough evidence that the police can convict someone, they pay a cash reward.
Something like that might work in Iraq.
Shawn.
Rose,
Very good post. You have indeed confirmed what so many of us have wondered which is why Iraqis don't report suspicious behavior. It seems alien to us, but speaks what you have to deal with in reality.
It's going to take time. It's understandable not knowing who to trust after Saddam, wars and all the violence from the different factions. Slowly people will speak up when they realize the dangers they put themselves in if they don't. There is strength in numbers.
Stay well. Enjoy your blog.
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