Special Reports from INEAS
Reports on:
IRAQ Under a Different Microscope
by Wafaa' Salman
This article covers some of the details of my trip to Iraq
in January/February, 1999, which was published in the winter 1999 issue of INEAS
News.
Before the Trip to Iraq
In 1991, as part of my book's acknowledgment, I wrote: "By the time February
arrived, the pain was too thick to pass away, too deep to shovel, too heavy to carry on,
and therefore, it became part of the system and joyously danced with every single blood
cell. And when pain becomes part of your system, the last thing you want to do is to feel
it. In my case, the busy schedule I already had was not enough, so I had to create more,
and much more, work. I started writing this book in February and completed all ten
chapters in June, during which I enjoyed the feedback, the sustained and sustaining
support of four individuals."
That was my feeling during the Gulf War while writing Standard Arabic for Beginners. Now,
eight years later, I wonder about my blood cells!! Will they stay healthy longer and dance
with pain, or be eaten by cancer, especially considering what I have gone through since
1991. I could produce volumes of anecdotes. However, since this report is intended to
primarily cover my recent trip to Iraq, I shall avoid addressing details that occurred
before 1998, but will focus on what happened in 1998 as that led to my visit to Iraq in
1999. This report will also highlight aspects of the daily lives of Iraqis that have not
been tackled by the media or by reporters and activists returning from Iraq.
In 1998, I worked full-time, for the first time in ten
years, at the Boston Central Artery/Tunnel project as a field engineer. The second
filthiest political environment after the White House. I realized after my project ended,
that had I lingered longer, I would have developed an acute and unique case of depression
or cancer. Naseer Shemma's concert on April 2, 1998, which I organized and had been
working on for a year before April, despite being a great success, added layers of agony,
disappointment with our community, lack of sleep, and physical dehydration and stress. All
this was followed by a devastating car accident on May 6th. This accident was followed by
nine months of physical therapy while I continued to work on the Central Artery/Tunnel
project and while I was giving and organizing many lectures and events. Between April and
June,1998, I organized a lecture series, "Cultural Episodes on the East and
Africa" with the Institute of Near Eastern & African Studies
(INEAS). I was invited to give about twelve lectures throughout the year, many of
which required serious and lengthy research. Around the end of September, my brother came
from London for an eight-day visit and brought with him the fragrance of family, a visit
that teased and made me long for home.
Then came October and INEAS became involved in the International Festival of
Boston for five days, including a stage performance that required several
rehearsals, much time and energy, not to mention the daily work of educating and
entertaining hundreds of students who attended the festival. Two days later, on October
26, I left for Tunisia, the first time since 1987 that I traveled to an Arab country for
only one week. It was extremely tiring, and another teaser that made me long for home. Two
weeks after my trip to Tunisia, my work at the Central Artery/Tunnel project was
completed. I was so tense and exhausted by then, that a long break became mandatory. My
longing to go home reached such an intense level that around the middle of November, I
resisted no more and began working on my British visa and airline reservation to Iraq via
England and Jordan. When the visa was delayed beyond my endurance, I decided on a
different route via Amsterdam, rushing, physically and mentally numb, to meet my loved
ones in IRAQ.
The Air and Bus Road to Iraq
After collecting seven large and two medium suitcases of gifts, used and new clothing,
health products and medicine to take to family members, relatives, friends, the needy and
the poor, I flew with Northwest Airlines to Amsterdam. The flight was very tiring.
American ticket tellers and flight attendants have rusty manners compared with the rest of
the world, and need serious discipline. This made the flight more unpleasant. At Amsterdam
airport, I had to wait for ten hours before taking the KLM flight to Jordan. My arrival
time at 2:30 a.m. in Jordan was very inconvenient. It was a miracle to find, within two
days, the suitable and somewhat reasonable driver with a van to drive me to Iraq with my
kind of luggage and conditions. This time, I did not take the bus (which is referred to as
a "jet") with other passengers. I had the whole van with nine pieces of baggage
to myself, all with non-smoking and other conditions that are unavailable on any bus
service between Arab cities. The trip to Baghdad took thirteen hours. Seeing my father,
now five years older and much thinner, cannot be described in words.
In Glorious Baghdad
It is as if I was injected with a volcanic fluid that has, in one instant, the effect of
an electric shock, a dip in ice, a blow of fire, a vicious push by a hurricane and
an ultimately exciting roller-coaster ride -- a mixture of hope and hopelessness, joy and
sadness, courage and fear, endurance and defeat and of an outstanding survival and death.
It felt like the zero charge in physics, the positive cancels the negative.
The injection's name is IRAQ and the volcanic fluid is Life in
IRAQ.
I arrived on Sunday, January 24, 1999
at 7:15 p.m. at the Qahtan Samarra'i Square where my father was waiting patiently. We
drove home, speaking about everything, except how we longed to be with one another. It was
such an awkward subject to tackle, my having been away from Iraq for five years, that we
completely avoided the topic. Maybe this is one of our (Iraqis) problems, the inability to
express our love and longing for each other even as family members. So, we go in circles
talking about everything and anything except our love and longing for one another.
This is certainly true of Iraqis in general, when dealing with each other. It is easier
for them to express their fear, admiration or love with non-Iraqis than with their own.
This inability to express themselves comfortably and openly is due to political restraints
and social customs.
I analyzed it psychologically: They respect each other so
much that they take each other too seriously. Iraqis' words and behavior matter so much to
them that when they are disliked by someone, they agonize and suffer; and when they long
for or love someone, they fear that they may not deliver their words well and thus cause
discomfort and misunderstanding, so they lose touch with their vocabulary. This is exactly
what happened with me and my father as we were driving to home. The one thing we both
comfortably expressed as we reached our house is that we were hungry. "Let's
eat."
The following day, Monday January 25, my two uncles, my
father's cousin, and our office accountant all came for lunch to see me. It felt
wonderful. Such a change, from being isolated in the US, trapped in the continuous
work-machine, to sitting with my father and four other men having lunch and teasing one
another. I laughed so much I think they noticed it; I was thirsty for laughter. I was even
laughing at things that were not funny to them. From Monday through Friday, I was visited
by nearly all immediate family members and some distant relatives and friends.
On Saturday, January 30th, I began distributing money,
health products and medicine to relatives and people I didn't know. What made my trip so
productive was the fact that I was able to complete many missions and set some others in
motion to be completed later this year, as I am planning to go again in the fall. Giving
money to the needy and helping family members and relatives with what they need, or
initiating small projects to keep them occupied was the most productive and rewarding of
all.
We helped one another wrapping gifts and making
donations to others. We exchanged health tips and advice as well as medicine, as needed.
We taught one another weaving and sewing, shopped for others, put henna on our hair, went
to the tailor, opened bank accounts for minor girls and gave money to women in need. We
accompanied relatives and friends to fun places, theaters and picnics. Four weeks in
Baghdad were filled with a balance of work and pleasure, something I and people, in
general, are not accustomed to in the U.S.
Food, Dates and Palm Trees
Iraqi cuisine is rich in protein and iron,
all because of the large presence of red meat. With the exception of a few recipes,
regular daily dishes are usually based on red meat. Such dependence has been radically
challenged by the embargo, which was imposed in 1990.
A majority of Iraqis cannot afford to buy red meat, but an
alternative source of protein exists in chicken and grains at more affordable prices. Many
are now cooking stews without meat. Fruits and vegetables are available all year round,
something I don't recall witnessing as I was growing up in the '60s, '70s and '80s because
certain fruits and vegetables such as oranges, cucumbers and tomatoes are seasonal and,
therefore, were unavailable all year round. Everything tasted so delicious. Living in the
USA for a long time, the difference is huge. I enjoyed the real taste of carrots,
cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, all the citrus fruits, chicken, eggs and milk. Organic is
the only form of food available in Iraq.
Seafood in Iraq is mainly fish. The country's famous dish, masgoof,
is extremely expensive. Therefore, it is only eaten by some people on special occasions.
Masgoof is simply barbecued fish on wooden or metallic sticks cooked in front of a large
flame and spiced with salt, pepper and tamarind. It is typically eaten with red rice (made
with tomato paste or sauce) or yellow saffron rice, salad and pickles.
The country is famous for its excellent-quality
dates. The largest crops of dates in the world are grown in Egypt and Iraq. The latter,
until the Gulf War, was the largest exporting source of dates and date syrup for two
decades. Because of the large population in Egypt (more than 75 million), the dates grown
in Egypt are mostly consumed domestically. More varieties of dates are grown in Iraq than
anywhere else in the world. There are 450 kinds of dates in Iraq. The most popular amongst
them are the Khistawi, Barhee, Zahdee, Ashrasee,
Berben, AzraQ, Meerhaj, Maktoom,
Makkawi, Shwaithee and Dairee.
Dates are rich in potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium.
The combination of yogurt and dates has been considered to be one of the healthiest in
Arab pre-Islamic culture and especially during the time of the Prophet Mohammed. The
combination is a meal by itself and preferred by many Muslims to be the first to eat when
breaking the fast during the month of Ramadhan.
The landscape of palm trees is like a wedding procession of
beauty. They survived one of the most vicious bombings in the history of world wars,
standing tall with dignity and endurance providing dates, shade and protection.
Iraqi Art
No other country in the world has the quality and quantity of art and artists (considering
both size and population) as Iraq and yet has such a low profile. Iraqis are very
inexperienced in marketing and promotion. In addition, despite serious commitment and
financial encouragement by the Iraqi government since the 1950s, art in Iraq is not
respected and encouraged by society. All these reasons combined made Iraqi art more or
less unknown worldwide.
Since my childhood, art in general and that of Iraq in
particular has been an important element in my life. Whenever I visit Iraq, I make sure to
attend as many art-related events as I can. During my recent trip (from January
20-February 24), I saw three comedies and attended a (western) classical performance by
the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra. What a treat!. The first comedy that I attended was
performed by unknown actors and actresses who were mostly Kuwaitis, with few Iraqis. The
play, although containing some propaganda, tackled the political situation of some
Kuwaitis who were discriminated against in Kuwait. These Kuwaitis had not been granted
citizenship and had been put in prisons because they were not considered Kuwaitis for
political and ethnic reasons. The play featured some of the most talented Arab actors I
have ever seen, disappointingly unknown! It had a well- written scenario and
dialogue.
The second comedy that I saw was a criticism of the Iraqi
system in general and that of the ministries in particular. Shee Mayishbah Shee
was the title of the play starring Mohammed Hussein Abdel Rahim, a famous
Iraqi actor and comedian who is of Palestinian origin. He did a marvelous job
acting, as usual. What a talent! Unfortunately, overall the play did not have a
well-written story line, but the acting and funny punch lines of Abdel Rahim were superb.
He should pursue stand-up comedy.
The third comedy reminded me of many of the noisy and
commercial Egyptian plays. Although I did not quite like it, I noticed again the talent of
the main actor, Mohammed Imam, and actress Mays Gumar.
She did not just act, but danced as well. Her dancing was even better than her
acting. Ms. Gumar has a black-belt in karate. In this play, there was another Iraqi
gypsy dancer, known in the Iraqi colloquial as Kawaliyya. Her dancing performance in that
play was outstanding, something I had never seen while growing-up (before leaving Iraq in
1980.)
All three plays featured singing and dancing. In the '60s,
'70s and part of '80s, unless they were musical operettas, Iraqi plays did not feature
singing and dancing. This new dimension in the theater can be viewed as away to release
the tension and daily suffering of Iraqi lives. Serious and dramatic stage
performances have no place in the lives of boredom and depressed Iraqis.
I also enjoyed a real treat,
the classical performance of the National Iraqi Symphony Orchestra. The
evening featured three western classical pieces composed by three Iraqi musicians from the
Orchestra, violinist Zaid Othman (b. 1972), violinist Abdallah
Jamal (b.1968) and conductor Mohammed Amin Izzat
(b. 1961). The orchestra, comprised of 40 musicians, performed splendidly. I took ten
photos of the orchestra and of the beautifully decorated stage. All photos will appear in
a more detailed article on Iraqi art, including more information about the orchestra, the
comedies and the lives and careers of four Iraqi female musicians living in Iraq and
Jordan, to appear in the Winter issue (1999) of Al-Wafaa News.
The trip affected me tremendously. When I arrived back in
Boston, although my body was exhausted, my mind was at rest. I have never felt so calm,
peaceful, unhurried and in control before. Finally, I learned to listen to my body's agony
and needs. A Great lesson to learn from an extremely patient society under siege and
calamity.
©
Copyright by Wafaa' Salman, 1999
- top-
Arab Excellence -
A Special Report from London
by Wafaa' Salman
This article was published in the Fall 1999 issue of INEAS
News. This article's interviews were conducted during a visit to
London in June 1999.
(*_*)**(*_*)
In
June 1999, I traveled again to see my brother and mother.
As usual, two weeks of doing little to nothing seemed unbearable even
if it was supposed to be a vacation, so I decided to interview prominent Arab
personalities living in London.
Abdel Bari Atwan, the Palestinian editor of Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper, Ilham Al-Douri,
an Iraqi Psychiatrist and Abdul
Hadi Al-Temimi, the only Iraqi correspondent at the Arabic BBC were my
choice for this report. Three
unique characters and rare examples in what they have accomplished, especially
considering the fact that they made most of their accomplishments outside of
their birthplace.
Born on February 17, 1950, in
a refugee camp called Dair Al-Balah, a little town in the Gaza Strip
(Palestine). Abdel Bari Atwan is
one of eleven children.
His parents were illiterate;
they never went to school. “It
was a very harsh life. Imagine a
father who was suffering from a stomach ulcer, needed to feed all those
children plus two uncles, three aunts and my grandparents.
It was really a miserable way to start.”
Said Atwan. “Then I had
my first education in refugee schools in the Gaza Strip in Dair al-Balah
elementary school. In 1967, I had
to go to Jordan hoping to continue my education.
My family believed that I was a good investment.
But I could not go to school because I found Jordan to be expensive; I
had to work as a laborer in a tomato factory.
I needed to work to support myself and send money to my family.
I then increased my working hours to 12 hours per day."
Following that, one of
Atwan's brothers completed a bachelor's degree in agriculture in Cairo.
He then managed to find a job in Saudi Arabia. He convinced Abdel Bari to go to Cairo and complete his
studies because it was cheaper than Jordan.
"I went to Cairo to finish my secondary schooling.
In 1970, I was accepted at Cairo University in the arts department,
specializing in journalism and completing a B.A.” continued Atwan.
In 1970, Atwan got a B.A. in
journalism. He also completed a
diploma in English/Arabic translation at the American University of Cairo (AUC)
and graduated in August 1974. His
first job as a journalist was working at Al-Balaagh Newspaper in Libya.
Then he left for Saudi Arabia writing for Al-Madina Newspaper
for about three years. In 1978,
he began working for Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper in London and since then
he has been living there. He got
his M.A. in area studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies of
London University in 1983. Due to
his dissatisfaction with the environment and politics at ASharq Al-Awsat,
he left and rejoined the Saudi Al-Madina newspaper by opening an office
in London. He worked for four
years with Al-Madina (till 1984) and was the newspaper’s Bureau chief.
Atwan was offered a job again at Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.
Then he became the managing editor of Al-Majallah magazine. In September 1988, he resigned from Al-Sharq Al-Awsat “without
knowing where I will go. I was
offered a job to be the executive editor of Al-Hayaat and I was also
offered to be the editor of Al-Quds here in London. So I chose Al-Quds.”
Al-Hayaat, which was
owned by the Lebanese James Mrowwwa, is now owned by prince Khalid bin Sultan. Palestinian Walid and Ziad Abu Zuluf were the owners of Al-Quds
newspaper during the critical and crucial times of the Intifadeh (or the
uprising). The owners of the
local Al-Quds newspaper in Jerusalem wanted to internationalize it. They were ambitious and thought there might be a place for
the newspaper in London. So they
came up with a limited budget. “I
knew it was a limited budget, but I was extremely ambitious.
I wanted to produce a liberal newspaper and to challenge these empires,
Al-Hayaat and Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.
I love challenges and to produce unique work.”
Al-Quds newspaper
began production on April 19,1989. The
team of Al-Quds worked sixteen hours a day starting from scratch. Due to its limited budget, Al-Quds did not afford to
hire professional employees, which in turn slowed the process.
"In August 1990 when
Iraq invaded Kuwait, we realized there would be a huge crack, a huge division
in the Arab world. Sadly, Al-Quds
was the only newspaper against the American intervention in Iraq, and as a
result was accused of being funded by Iraq.
“The propaganda machine of the Gulf States, Egypt, and Syria is a
huge one; we are limited in comparison. They
want to smash us.”
Atwan continued by saying
“Actually, I never supported or believed in the Iraqi invasion [of Kuwait]
and I never agreed with the policies of the Iraqi government.
I am against the violation of human rights.
I am against dictatorship wherever it is, but the problem was that I
knew the Americans wanted to destroy Iraq because it managed to build an
advanced military technology which was capable of maintaining a strategic
balance with Israel. The Iraqi
genius scientists managed to produce these missiles and to hit the targets
accurately. This is not allowed
in the Arab world. Also, the
Americans wanted to impose a solution for the Palestinian problem.
So, I had a vision and that is why we were not with the Americans.
Actually, we refused lots of money.
We were offered millions by American allies in the Arab world to change
our position, but I refused.”
Al-Quds built an
excellent reputation among the Arab people.
“We managed to build a huge credibility not just among in the Arab
world, but in the West as well. Whenever
the Western media wants to represent the voice of people, they call me.
I am not looking for a job. I
am not looking for a house or a Mercedes.
I am not looking for luxury. My
life is very simple. I am happy
and I wouldn’t sacrifice this happiness for material. We are struggling financially with lots of debt.”
The owners of Al-Quds Al-Arabi could not afford it, so they
left. Now, it is a publicly
funded newspaper and Atwan has been the general director since 1993.
The Gulf War highly affected
the status of Al-Quds newspaper, negatively on the financial arena and
positively by popular support. “Without
the Gulf War, we wouldn’t have taken such political lines, which made us
well recognized and well respected.”
Atwan indicated that most of
the Arab media were with the international coalition.
Even the Jordanian press, which started in criticism of the coalition,
shifted gears later on, making it
the worst defeat and division to ever occur in the history of the Arab world.
Al-Quds has
succeeded to challenge Al-Hayaat and Al-Sharq Al-Awsat and has
been selling well in Europe and the USA.
It publishes 60,000 newspapers per issue.
In the social arena, Atwan
does not seem to be as productive as he is with Al-Quds newspaper. “My life
was ruined because of Al-Quds Al-Arabi.
I don’t have a proper social life.
I am running from one TV to another, from a debate to another, from
seminars to travel, and so on and so forth.
For example, last year, and for the first time in my life, I took a
two-week vacation. So, I went to
Tunisia. I love the sea because I
was born on the sea. I didn’t
even complete a week. Four days
later, Bin Laden was bombed in Afghanistan.
Suddenly, the hotel was working for me, receiving tons of calls from
CNN, ABC, BBC Sky News and others wanting to interview me about the matter. The next day, I woke up at 4:00 am to catch the first flight
back to London. So I basically
don’t have the luxury to relax.”
Due to Atwan’s courageous
one-on-one interview in November 1996 with Bin Laden in Afghanistan, he was
approached by the media when the bombing of Bin Laden took place.
Atwan secretly met Bin Laden in Afghanistan, where he stayed for a week
and had to wear Afghani dress. There
was no electricity or running water. Atwan
had to drive 12 hours in a muddy road until he reached Bin Laden’s Cave,
which was about 3000 meters above sea level at temperature 15-20 degrees below
zero. “It was the most
frightening trip of my life” said Atwan.
He then continued to state
that "Bin Laden is a phenomenon."
According to Atwan, Bin Laden is one of the few people who were able
break the norms and go to extremes. “I
believe Bin Laden is the product of the American and Israeli humiliation of
Arabs and Muslims. When you see
American troops on Arab soil, when you see corrupted regimes supported by the
US, when you see the only Middle Eastern commodity, which is oil, its prices
fixed by the United States, when Israel expands its settlements and refuses to
implement UN’s Security Council resolutions, of course you will find rebels
like Bin Laden who are willing to sacrifice their lives.
Bin Laden is a genuine person living a very humble life.”
From my visit to the office
of Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper in London, I equally noticed the modesty,
genuine personality and courage of Abdul Bari Atwan.
It is evident in his writings and debates on TV and radio. He is indeed an admirable, respected and most popular editor
of an Arab newspaper.
Abdul Hadi Al-Temimi
was born in 1957 in the Babylon district, Iraq.
His elementary and secondary studies were completed in Al-Musayyab
school. He then moved to Baghdad
in 1972 to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and Languages from
the University of Baghdad, graduating in 1977.
I learned about Al-Temimi
from an email I received from him in early 1999.
When I knew of his credentials and work at the (Arabic) BBC, I decided
to interview him during my visit to London in June 1999.
From 1977 to 79, he worked in
journalism and translation. In 1979, Al-Temimi came to London to obtain a
Master's degree in International Conferences and Translation and a
postgraduate diploma in conference interpreting.
He completed both the degree and diploma in 1982 and returned to Iraq
to work for Al-Qadisiyya newspaper.
In 1985 while in Iraq, Al-Temimi
worked as a correspondent for the (Arabic) BBC.
"In 1986, I was approached by the Moroccan News Agency as their
correspondent in Iraq for one year. From
1987 to 89, I worked as a correspondent for Reuter News Agency's Baghdad
office, I was actually covering the Iran-Iraq war."
In1989, Al-Temimi left Iraq
for London to pursue his Ph.D., which he completed in 1996. "I started as
a producer from that time and I am still working there.
I have produced a variety of programs on politics and the arts."
Al-Temimi comes from a large
family, four brothers and four sisters, ranking first in order.
His brothers' and sisters' careers vary to include medical researching,
translating, engineering and teaching. He
is the only journalist-reporter in the family and the only one outside of
Iraq.
Abdul Hadi worked for about a
year at the BBC Arabic television which ended its broadcast in 1996.
Many of this TV reporters and anchors began working for Al-Jazira
Satellite Channel in Qatar. Dr.
Al-Temimi stayed in London and continued reporting and producing for the
Arabic BBC radio. His reporting
trips include Arab countries, Greece, the United States, Turkey, Spain and
Israel.
About his trip to Israel,
Hadi indicated that it was "very educational."
When asked if he would go to report again in Israel, Abdul Hadi
confidently replied, "Yes, yes before I can go for a visit." He is the first Iraqi reporter to ever set a foot in Israel
since its creation in 1948.
Al-Temimi is perhaps the only
Iraqi reporter who is working at a major radio channel airing outside of the
Arab world and in a country that was very hostile to his home country, Iraq.
Therefore, reporting about the Gulf war was very tough to do. "I was numb all the time" said Dr. Al-Temimi.
" How you would behave in a situation when your country and people
are being bombarded every day, and you have a job that requires you to be
professional on air. It is a
split between two different personalities."
Dr. Al-Temimi suffered racial
discrimination at the Arabic BBC, which he took to court in 1997 and won
the case.
Ilham Al-Douri
was born on December 22 , 1952 in Mosul, North of Iraq.
She completed her schooling
from elementary through college in Mosul. In 1976, she graduated from the Mosul Medical College.
Ilham
has two sisters and one brother. The
elder sister is an English high school teacher; the younger sister has a B.S.
in biology and the younger brother has a B.S. in business.
Following
her graduation, Ms. Al-Douri completed one year internship of medical training
at Mosul University Hospital. Like
all doctors in Iraq, Al-Douri had to serve in rural areas. "I was assigned to Heet in Ramadi" mentioned
Ilham, "I worked there for one and a half years.
It was a very difficult period having worked away from home and my
mother. I was particularly
attached to my mother. Also, the
whole getting used to living in a village was not easy at all."
Ms.
Al-Douri chose internal medicine to be her area of specialty.
In medical school, students learn psychology and psychiatry in the
fifth year. "I was
fascinated by the subject at that time. So
while I was doing internal medicine, I decided to take up psychiatry as my
specialty. I think deep down I
was more artistic than scientific. There
were many doctors in my family. All
my cousins were doctors. My
family really wanted me to be a doctor, but I was more scientifically oriented
than artistically."
In
1979, she applied to the Institute of Psychiatry in London. Her application was accepted and left for training in 1980.
Ms. Al-Douri was accepted at Maudsley Hospital, which is regarded as
the best training place in England. When
two and half years of training at Maudsley were completed, she worked at Guys
Hospital from 1982 to 1985. During
these years, she also obtained a Diploma in Psychological Medicine (DPM)
followed by a Diploma in Psychiatry (DIP)
In 1986, Al-Douri completed an MRC-Psych, which is equivalent to Ph.D.
It
really amazed me, as I was listening to Ilham, how one can study continuously
for twenty-eight years without a break and work for about half that number of
years and still want to accomplish more.
Although this is, in general, the norm for most medical doctors, it is
not the norm for women doctors in exile. Getting an MRC-psych was still not sufficient for her
ambitions. From 1987 to 1990, Dr.
Al-Douri obtained an SR (Senior Registrar) training to prepare her for
consulting. "At that
time, there were 200 senior jobs available in the entire country. So it was extremely difficult for a foreigner to obtain an SR
position," said Al-Douri.
She
finished training in 1990 and was successful in finding an SR job in March
1991 at the South End Community Care Services (SECCS) and the National Health
Services Trust. Unprecedented is the fact that she was an Iraqi and found such a job right after the Gulf War.
Since 1991, Dr. Al-Douri consulted in three different hospitals;
Runwell, Rochford and SECCS. She has been also working privately in Priory
hospitals such as Duke's Priory Hospital and Groveland Priory Hospital.
There
were many problems and obstacles in the path of such accomplishments.
Dr. Al-Douri recalls that "psychiatry has close ties to culture
and practicing in a foreign country where you don't know much about its
culture is very difficult because, as I said, psychiatric problems are very
much intermingled by culture. At some point, I wanted to change to general
medicine because it is easier to practice.
It does not require dealing with culture when treating chest
infections, pneumonia, or things like that.
Also, although I was fluent in theoretical English because I come from
a country where English is taught at the elementary level and because my
sister had a degree in and taught English, I found it very difficult when I
came to this country to speak to people in English.
This in addition to the culture differences."
Dr.
Al-Douri also pointed out that the other difficulty was her being a foreigner
especially from the Arab world, "One has to be a hundred times better
than the English candidate to be able to make it to the top.
I never thought that I would really make it to the top, but I regard
myself as very hard working and I don't give up easily.
If I decide to do something, it means that I will achieve it no matter
how many obstacles I find in my path. Also
as a woman to make it to the top has been very difficult."
©
Copyright by Wafaa' Salman, 1999
- top-
* Beirut, Lebanon
*
Lebanese Moslem Artists - Mohammed Jamal, Ahmed Qaboor and Ziad Doueiri
by Wafaa' Al-Natheema
[This essay is
dedicated to all the non-Christians of Lebanon, to the Lebanese
Druze who have been mocked for pronouncing the letter "qaaf"
correctly and for speaking proper Arabic,
to the Moslem guy who had to change his name from Mohammed to Michael to be
trusted by Lebanese women as a skilled hair dresser, and to those who recite
beautifully the Athaan (or call to prayer) in Lebanon and have been mocked,
misunderstood or stereotyped by some Christians.
This article's main goals are to shed light on the Christian monopoly
over the arts in Lebanon, to acknowledge the forgotten Moslem artists and to challenge the notion that the Arab/Islamic worlds
discriminate against Christians and Jews]
Wafaa' Al-Natheema
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Hairy chests
displaying crosses was the most vivid and lasting image I left Lebanon with
when I visited in 1973. It was
the first time I had traveled outside of Iraq as a teenager and an aware
person (at the age of 4, I went to Turkey via train).
In that summer, I traveled with my mother first to Bulgaria and then to
Lebanon. Bulgaria was heavenly.
Lebanon, well, it is a long story.
From Bulgaria, a country with wonderful people and folklore, to a
country that exists in the heart of a rich heritage and great folklore (the
Arab World), yet has very little of either to offer.
Men,
young, middle aged and even a few old ones had their shirts open, exposing
their chests, crosses, nipples and a couple of times even their navels while
flirting with whatever women they could lay their eyes on, including married
women (with children). This
happened in
Bhamdoon and Beirut, two major tourist cities in Lebanon.
At the age of thirteen, I was very confused in Lebanon.
"Is this an Arab country?" I used to ask myself.
I had been with Christians in Iraq, but they didn't behave or dressed
this way!
Another strange
thing that happened to me in Lebanon was vomiting. Every time I was in a car driving from Bhamdoon to Beirut, I
vomited. I had no idea why.
It was so embarrassing to vomit twice in a friend's car, never mind the
other times that I had to leave the car to do so.
But, whenever I was in a car driving from Beirut back to Bhamdoon, I did not
vomit!
People in the
streets were anything but humble, the epitome of commercialism and western
imitation, not to mention often vulgar. "Why
am I here? I wished we had spent all the vacation time in Bulgaria," I
kept saying to myself. In Beirut,
the woman owner of an inn we stayed at ate raw red meat and liver for
breakfast! "This is not a
vacation, I am in a nightmare land,"
I said to myself. This is
not the vacation I had dreamed of. I
liked the green land and clean streets of Bulgaria. Beirut seemed made of
concrete, it was a messy, crowded, polluted, hot and humid city with the
craziest drivers. The sounds of
horns, cars braking or driving crazily were the symphonies that accompanied
the images of hairy chests. If
Lebanon was the "Paris of the Arab World,"
then Paris is not for me.
In this wave of
discomfort, vomiting and disappointment, something wonderful happened.
I saw the most handsome face of Lebanon, that of Mohammed
Jamal. At a restaurant
and after a lengthy, cheap and annoying program making fun of politicians
(typical Lebanese style), he came out to sing; it was as if albadru
(the full moon) shone from behind the curtains.
His voice was so
warm. He had a beautiful tenor
voice with an occasional bass. Besides
his wonderful voice, his attractive appearance, and the well performed
beautiful songs, he was wearing some of the
most artistic and handsome clothes ever worn by a male singer.
Mohammed came out with a black suit, light green shirt with a green
handkerchief placed in his suit's pocket and a subha or
masbaha (rosary) in his hand that matched his green eyes. The subha
and Jamal's singing were so far the only icons I witnessed that had a
connection with the Islamic/Eastern culture apart from
Arabic writing. I left that
performance with a smile and a hope that I might finally enjoy myself in
Lebanon. I saw another
performance by Joseph Azar; but I didn't like his voice, singing,
looks or attire.
Something else
positive came out of this trip. I
visited Brommana, the only place I liked on that entire excursion, which had a
beautiful natural setting, was clean and less humid. At Brommana, we saw a great show by Sabah (a Christian), one
of Lebanon's leading female singers with a powerful voice and one of the
longest performing breaths in the Arab and non-Arab Middle East (and perhaps
the world), another wonderful icon of folklore in this strange, non-folkloric
country.
It annoyed me,
however, to see that Mohammed Jamal
performed in a restaurant and not on a stage like Sabah.
I don't recall seeing him on stage except once on Iraqi TV in 1969/70
when he sang a duet with Taroob (his Turkish/Lebanese ex-wife).
He was not well known and respected in Lebanon.
He was highly admired in Syria and the Gulf States (including Iraq).
The Lebanese media, intentionally or unintentionally, put an end to his
career when in the middle of 1970s they repeatedly played his two worst songs,
Umm Hamada and Allawi. Thereafter
and until the end
of 1970s, he adopted Syria as his home. Most
Muslim Lebanese artists find an art refuge in Syria and in some of the Gulf
States. I saw Mohammed Jamal
perform again live in Syria in 1975.
Unlike in
Lebanon, I enjoyed myself tremendously in Syria and was so happy to see him
perform there again. I bought one
of his cassettes in Syria but regret that I bought only one. Strangely and sadly, I couldn't find his recordings in
Lebanon during my 1973 visit.
Years passed by
and I ended up in the USA. I
arrived in January 1980 with some of my audio collection, including Mohammed
Jamal's songs. I came
to the USA to study civil engineering at Northeastern University not because
there were no engineering schools in Iraq, but for other reasons.
In my leisure times, the arts in general and music in particular were
my number one interest. While at
Northeastern, I registered for two piano classes as part of my general
electives, but didn't take them seriously and then for two years, I
volunteered for the Boston Lyric Opera Company with its office conveniently
situated at Northeastern University. As
a result, I saw many operas for free. Opera
and classical symphonies are part of the music I have loved listening to since
early childhood in addition to Indian, Russian and Arabic music.
In the summer of
1993, I taught a six-week course on the Arab world and Islam at Phillips
Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. In
six weeks, I was able to organize guest lecturers and artists for
presentations on politics in Bosnia and the Middle East, and Saudi Arabian
music. I also
arranged a Palestinian art exhibit and a presentation on the status of the
arts in the occupied territories, as well as organizing an Arabic luncheon
(featuring cuisine from North Africa, Levantine and Iraq) for the entire
school (over 600 students and faculty) and a one-hour Arabic music ensemble
performance, again for the entire school.
The Palestinian woman whose art work was exhibited gave me an audio
cassette of Ahmed Qaboor and the Moslem Orphans of
Beirut. I became obsessed by it.
I used its songs constantly on radio when I used to co-host a radio
show or host my own world music program.
The cassette included some of the best traditional music of Lebanon.
What interested me about Ahmed's songs was that, for
the first time in the history of Lebanese music, one heard about Ramadhan,
Eidul Fitr, and other Islamic subjects.
Ahmed Qaboor
is a highly gifted composer with a passionate performing style and a warm
voice. I had heard his
nationalistic songs about Palestine earlier and I liked them. His most famous
nationalistic song was Unaadeekom or "I call upon you". The subjects he tackled are same as those of Marcel Khalifa
in that they are nationalistic, symbolic, and poetic with a focus on Lebanese
and Palestinian causes. Unlike Ahmed
Qaboor, Marcel Khalifa (who is a Christian) has gained worldwide fame.
Khalifa began to adopt and imitate western tunes and overtures and
trended away from traditional and more challenging Arabic music, with the
exception of his Oud improvisation, Jadal.
Ahmed still maintains a strong foothold in the world of traditional
Arabic music. His latest musical project was composing the music of a TV
series on Al-Mutanabbi (medieval Iraqi poet) for Syrian television.
Qaboor's work
with the Moslem Orphans of Beirut makes him one of the rare Arab singers and
composers who uses music to make the disadvantaged benefit practically, not just in
words (in songs).
By involving the orphans themselves in the singing, they are kept busy, away
from the negative reality they are immersed in; they have a routine, a pattern
of work, devotion and responsibility,
enjoy themselves and make money too. Despite
scoring an 'A' in this production with beautiful music, lyrics and the voices
of the Moslem Orphans, Qaboor's compositions and lyrics are still
unknown. Again, he is more
popular in Palestine and Syria than in his home, Lebanon.
He has undergone several typical discrimination episodes in Lebanon,
but never speaks about them publicly.
Had such treatment been given to Christian or Jewish artists by
Moslems, they would have been made it public, the whole world would have heard
about them and became the industrial west's political agenda of liberation
against the so-called injustices and human rights violation committed by
Muslims.
I laughed to
myself when in 1994 a Christian Maronite owner of a restaurant in
Massachusetts made a comment that Christian Arab singers would have had no
chance of being famous in the mostly Islamic Arab world had they kept their
Christian sounding names. That
was his example to prove the Islamic Arab world's discrimination against
Christians. I laughed because not
only is it untrue, but the opposite is true.
Everybody in the Arab world knew that the famous Lebanese singers
Fairuz, Wadee' As-Safi, Sabah and Majda Ar-Roumi are Christians despite their
Arab-Moslem names. Not to mention
that these names are very common among ordinary Christians in the Arab world,
not just the celebrities. Of
course he completely ignored the fact that the Lebanese media as well as event
and tour organizers are almost all Christians who only promote Christian
Lebanese artists. This is why
nearly all the famous composers and singers in Lebanon are Christians.
Had his argument about the Arab world's preference (and therefore
Moslems' so-called biases) to seeing artists with Arabic/Islamic sounding
names been true, highly gifted singer, Mohammed Jamal;
and composer as well as singer and director, Ahmed Qaboor, would have
been popular.
Additionally,
mostly Islamic Arab countries have made non-Moslems popular and promoted them
equally if not more than Moslems in some cases:
*
The majority of musicians and composers of the Iraqi National Symphony
Orchestra for two decades were Christians.
The only woman composer to receive a piano specially imported
for her by the Iraqi government in the early 1980s was a Christian (Armenian).
*
Up until 1995, Iraq's only Oud virtuoso to tour Europe (and about to
tour the US) was the late Munir Bashir, a Christian.
He headed Iraq's music industry for two decades.
No musician or
singer would perform outside of Iraq
without his recommendation.
*
Egypt's only artist who had gained worldwide popularity was Omar Sherif,
a Christian (originally Lebanese). Egypt's
only head of United Nations was a Christian.
*
Some Moroccan Jewish singers earned popularity in and outside Morocco
such as singers Bu-Tbool (in the 1970s) and Binhas (in the 1990s).
Both singers were famous in Morocco,
other parts of North Africa and France..
The Muslim Kings of Morocco had and still have Jewish advisors.
*
The most famous Jewish (maqam) female singer in Iraq was Salima Murad,
the wife of the popular singer Nathem (or Nazem) Al-Ghazaly.
She was given the title, "Pasha" to rank her first in
maqam singing. No other Muslim
woman singer was given such a title.
*
For about a century (and due to records and documentation), Jewish
singers and composers were equally participating in Iraqi Maqam performing,
preserving and composing, the most respected and challenging form of singing
in Iraq.
I
can go on and on with other examples to illustrate that the Islamic countries,
at least in the Arab world, were and are not biased as the Christian or Jewish
controlled states of Lebanon,
Israel and certainly the industrial west.
While Lebanon's system is not as intimidating as the industrial west or
Israel, but it certainly has a serious Christian monopoly and discriminates
against non-Christians.
In
1998, I had the privilege of visiting Tunisia for a week and attending the
Qartaj Film Festival. One of the
many wonderful films I saw in that Festival was Ziad
Doueiri's "West Beirut".
It
was so heart warming to see the enthusiasm of Tunisians to the arts in general
and to Ziad Doueiri's film in particular.
At the Festival, "West Beirut" won the best prize for a long
film. The
Tunisian media broadcasted and published positive reviews of his film. Ziad is
perhaps the only Muslim Lebanese artist who has gained popularity beyond
Lebanon, not just in the Arab
world, but also in Europe and the USA. His
movie was shown in various festivals and movie theaters and won him several
prizes. It was the
winner of Prix François Chalais at the
Cannes Film Festival and the winner of FIPRESCI International Critics Awards
at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1998.
I saw "West Beirut" in Tunisia and again a year later in
Boston. I was so pleased to have
been able to interview Ziad live on the Baghdad Cafe radio program (on WZBC)
to promote the screening of his film.
During
my ten-year radio hosting and producing, my mission has always been to
introduce and make popular those unknown and forgotten in the Arab and Islamic
worlds and beyond. Playing
the songs of Mohammed Jamal and Ahmed
Qaboor, as well as interviewing Ziad Doueiri,
were among the best examples to accomplish such a mission.
Both
Ahmed Qaboor (with the Moslem Orphans of Beirut) and Mohammed
Jamal deserve to be heard outside of Lebanon and to tour the rest
of the Arab world and beyond. I
heard that
Mohammed Jamal had retired from singing
and is currently living in North America. Unfortunately, I do not know where
he lives, and wish to contact him, at least for an interview.
I also
contacted Ahmed Qaboor in Lebanon and hope to arrange for his
appearance with the Moslem Orphans of Beirut in the USA.
Qaboor is currently the most promising composer of Lebanon
despite the sad fact that even in Lebanon many don't know him.
It
is disappointing that Lebanon has produced very few Moslem artists, even
sadder is the fact that they get little or no chance of publicity and
popularity in and especially outside of Lebanon.
Most disappointing of all is that not one Moslem woman artist is among them.
The majority in Lebanon are Moslems, but some Christians disagree and
the Lebanese government, which must
be lead by a Maronite Christian, according to Lebanon's French constitution,
has been avoiding taking a census since 1933!
I
hope that Lebanon comes to its senses and begin by taking a census if ridding
itself from the French constitution is too challenging at the present time!
©
Copyright by Wafaa' Al-Natheema, 2002
[Ms.
Al-Natheema has degrees in civil engineering and political science, a
writer, editor and an art critic and researcher.
She is the founder of the Institute of Near Eastern & African
Studies (INEAS), a tax-exempt organization in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Wafaa' organized many cultural events including musical concerts.
This article was sent via the Internet to INEAS's email list,
which has more than 13,000 email addresses worldwide.
It had created a stir. INEAS
received over 550 email responses from people in five continents.
Some of the positive and negative responses were later collected and included
in another article and was sent via email to the entire list. To receive this
follow-up article, please send a request to INEAS@aol.com
and INEAS_1994@yahoo.com
simultaneously.]
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Tunisia
A North African & Arabian Beauty
By Mohammed Awni
Tunisia is a small country jutting into the Mediterranean and almost touching the Southern tip of Italy. It enjoys a slightly cool weather in the winter 'temperature around 16 c' and not exceeding 32 c in the mid. summer (July, August), and some rain in the months of Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan and Feb. Tunisia can be divided into two major areas, the coastline and the Sahara which covers the interior of the country. Its sandy beaches stretch hundreds of miles north and east. While the desert and the unspoiled sand dunes cover most of the Western and Southern borders.
The country is green in the north and east with olive, citrus and other fruit trees in abundance. It was a French colony for a long time. France claimed Tunis in 1878 at the Berlin Congress which divided the Ottoman Empire, and actually invaded the country in 1883 and declared Tunisia as French Protectorate. Independence was gained in 1956 and in 1957 Tunisia became a Republic headed by the late Habib Bourguiba. This long association with France, and knowing the cruel French policies with its colonies had its influences on many facets of life particularly on the language!
Although Tunisia is populated by majority Arabs, and Islam is the dominant Religion (98%), Christian and Jewish minorities do exist. Arabic is the official language but with the French accent, actually it would be easier to get along speaking French rather than Arabic. Other spoken languages are Italian, German and English.
Majority of tourists are Italian and German. English speaking tourists are on the increase.
The country has a long history and was across road for Berbers from the south of the Sahara and Phoenician traders from the east
(from Today's Lebanon) who established the city of Carthage, which was rebuilt by Julius Caeser. It prospered for over 400 years to become the third largest city in the Roman Empire. It was destroyed again by the vandals 'Germanic Tribes' and restored again by the Byzantines. The Arab Army arrived in 647 CE and Islam was introduced. Various Arab clans established dynasties until the Ottomans took over in 1574 CE
Having a holiday in Tunisia is fulfilling in the winter, spring, summer or autumn. For a sun-and-fun-seeking visitor there is every faculty. For cultural tourists there is an immense opportunity to see the history on a large scale. The Roman, Phoenician, Byzantine and Arabic historical sights are everywhere along the coastline. In some distant inland in Bardo Museum in Tunis (the Capital), you will find the largest collection of Mosaic in the world, in 'El Jem' you find the third largest Amphitheater in the world after the ones in Rome and Verona in Italy. It was in this area that both films, the 'Gladiator' and the 'Star Wars,' were shot.
Although the touring company organizes several day tours to various parts and attractions, it is better to do it on your own and spend the time enjoying what you like most. For me, historical sites were of importance, and I managed to see a good deal. In Carthage you can go round the site for hours and could be days before one can see all the accomplishments of those great people. The baths, the monuments, the dwellings and the Amphitheaters are astonishing. The mosaic decorations on the ceilings, walls and even the floor make one wonder of the richness of the people who live and maintain them there.
A Two-day trip by coach took us South and South West deep into the desert passing by El Jem, Sfax, Gabes, Matmata to Douz at the edge of huge salt like 'Chott Djerid' where we spent the night. Before we got to the hotel we had a taste of the desert life. Camel rides, sunset behind the dunes with the ghostly shadows of camels on the far horizon engulfed us all.
Kairauan
Next morning we crossed the salt lake and continued in the Northeastern direction passing by the gorge of Mides and on to Kairauan, which is the oldest city the Arabs established in Tunisia. It is among the holiest cities in the Islamic world (after Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, Karbalaa' and Najaf) The grand Mosque where Sidi Oqba Bin Nafea is buried dates back to 863 CE. The mosque's main prayer hall with its marble pillars, the Mihrab have been decorated with mosaic brought from Baghdad during the Abbaside Dynasty's Caliph Harun Ar-Rashid.
After the Kairauan, we headed back to our hotel at Port El Kantaoui. I was not satisfied with this short visit to Kairauan, so I visited it again on my own and spent a whole day roaming around this wonderful historic place.
Dougga
Dougga is Tunisia's best preserved and spectacular Roman ruins. This site has a dramatic setting on a hillside with wide views of the surrounding beautiful and green countryside. It was built on the original ancient settlement of Thugga, which became the site of the Namidian King Massinissa in the 2nd century BCE. This site is huge and they are still digging; 30% of it is still uncovered. One needs a whole week to be able to see it thoroughly.
I decided to go there next time I am in Tunisia and stay in a hotel near the site.
I have traveled to many parts of the world, but I don't understand how I missed Tunisia. Now I have been there, I would like to go again and again. There is so much to see and enjoy, the people are kind and helpful, the country is clean, and the transportation and food are cheap by any standard. The package holiday makes the visit hassle free, and you have all the time to do the things you would like to do.
It was wonderful to be in Tunisia!
©
Copyright by Mohammed Awni and INEAS, 2005
Mohammed Awni was born in Mosul (IRAQ), finished high school in Baghdad, was
sent to U.K. to qualify in Aeronautical Engineering. He returned to Baghdad and joined the IRAQI Airways. Five years later, he joined
the Kuwaiti Airways and worked in Kuwait for 7 years before returning back to Iraq. With his British wife, he had three
daughters and one son. In the 1980s, he became the director of quality control, and
later Director of Engineering. Due to political pressure, he had to leave to the
U.K. with his family in July 1990.
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Glamorous India
Where Weddings and Temples Blossom
By Nadia Al-Shadhir
When the jet started roaring into the London skies, I did not think what I was about to embark on would enrich and transform my perceptions of the world as much as it did. Over the past few years, I had become so engaged with issues of conflict in the Arab World that nothing would have diverted my attention elsewhere. When the invitation to a wedding in India arrived, I decided to take it up and travel far away to a region I had always dreamt of visiting.
With only two weeks in India, I had to map out my journey carefully so that I could explore as much of its beauty and diversity as possible. My eventual route allowed me to visit four unique places, each of which offering new and exciting experiences. My journey began in
New Delhi, where I got to feel its hustle and bustle and visit its old bazaars. I then
traveled to Agra, where I was astounded by the sheer size and magnificence of the Taj Mahal. Then in Ahmedabad, I fulfilled a life long dream, while Goa, my final destination, was a haven of peace, tranquility and serenity.
I landed in New Delhi after a ten-hour flight. Its streets were filled with men and women dressed in saris and Punjabi outfits. Their colourful clothes decorated the streets and gave it character. I was most surprised by the animals that roamed freely on the roadsides: cows, elephants, buffaloes and camels.
Delhi, as it is called by the locals, is a historic city with countless monuments, battle-scarred forts, abandoned buildings and ancient ruins, each with a tale to tell. The roads are constantly busy and the traffic reminded me of Cairo; the level of pollution so high that at times it was difficult to breathe. My first lesson came from a Delhi taxi driver who revealed to me the three secrets of successfully maneuvering through the streets of the city: “good steering, good horns and good luck!” Not too different from those I learned during my many visits to the Middle East. Delhi’s streets were often buzzing with wedding car convoys rushing past the animals, a task that seemed
impossible without the taxi driver’s advice. Every turning brought with it new scenes: some were of homeless people, hungry children and begging mothers, and others were reminiscent of the rich and famous from Bollywood movies. This city left me with unforgettable images highlighting the stark contrast between the social classes of India. Those images were about to be both blurred and sharpened by what lay ahead as I continued to delve deeper into Indian culture.
My second stop was the city of Agra, a four-hour drive from Delhi. Agra is well known as the seat of the great Mughal Rulers as well as being famous for its handicraft products. Temples and mosques of stunning architecture are everywhere in the city, but none are as spectacular as the world famous Taj Mahal, the ‘Crown Palace’. The Taj is a gigantic monument inspired by love. Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, built it in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died after giving birth to her fourteenth child in 1631. It is said that Shah Jahan was so heartbroken when she died that he locked himself in his private chambers for a month, and when he finally emerged, his hair had turned white.
The love story helped me understand the motivation behind the Taj, but it was the fine detail and splendour of its structure that left me fully appreciating why it is considered one of the wonders of the world. The entrance to the Taj is astounding, not only because it is enormous but also because it is beautifully proportioned in design. The fine detail was produced using the ornate ‘pietra dura’ process, an Italian technique of inlaying furniture with precious stones. The carvings are of floral, calligraphic and geometric designs; as many as 40 tiny pieces of semi-precious stones would have been used in the petals of a single flower. The carvings were so fine that they almost had the texture of lace. The stones for the inlay came from as far away as Baghdad, Russia, China, Afghanistan, Persia and the Punjab
My time in Agra was filled with enlightening experiences, which included a visit to a marble factory, where I was amazed by the patience and skills of the hardworking craftsmen. They toiled endlessly to capture the intriguing and fine details of floral designs engraved into the marble. What was even more shocking was that they produced the meticulously designed marble for a wage of 20 pence a day, a tiny fraction of what it would sell for on the international art markets. I found Agra extremely educational. Its history, art, buildings and myths all combined to deepen my love for India. At my next destination, new perspectives were about to emerge, as I not only got to witness the Indian celebration of love, but also to appreciate the virtues and achievements of one of the greatest leaders in modern history, Gandhi.
Ahmedabad, located in the State of Gujarat, is considered a national pilgrimage site. The city, graced with splendid monuments, is associated with the Mahatma Gandhi, the ‘father of the nation’ whose birthplace is not too far away. Gandhi’s Ashram, a special complex where during his lifetime people came together to study his teachings, is set in a beautiful location with a small park overlooking the River Sabarmati. Visiting this place of meditation and seeing the beauty of its shady trees populated by hundreds of parakeets, birds and squirrels, was one of the most peaceful moments I have experienced on this journey.
Learning more about Gandhi was one of my journey’s primary objectives, but the main reason for
traveling to India was to attend a friend’s wedding in Ahmedabad. Upon arrival at my hotel, I found my room filled with massive bouquets of flowers with a little card explaining the rituals and timings of the three-day ceremony. This warm reception left me feeling excited about the celebrations that lay ahead. Every morning, I sat down alongside other guests to a traditional Indian breakfast, which included Jelabi, (a sweet), Gathia (savoury crunchy sticks), Paratha (buttered stuffed Indian bread), and various exotic fruits.
Before witnessing the traditional Indian rituals of marriage, I attended the Mehendi henna ceremony, not too different from the henna parties of Arab women. The wedding celebrations start with the Puja ritual, where a link is sought with ‘the Divine’ through songs and prayers. The link is established through an element of nature, (fire or wind) and a sculpture or painting, and is intended to neutralise any evil spirits, which might cause harm to the bride and groom. The Elephant God, known as Lord Ganesh, is considered the remover of obstacles and is always the first deity to be worshipped at any significant event.
The most interesting ritual I observed is the Griha Shanti in which harmony is invoked within the planets for peace in the household. This religious tradition shed some light as to why the date and timing of Hindu weddings are so important. When a child is born, the priest reads his or her future, which is inscribed in the Janmagsher, a report that is specific to the timing of the child’s birth. The priest then matches the groom’s report with that of the bride’s, to ensure compatibility and sets the most auspicious time to have the ceremony. Most fascinating was that the bride and groom did not take part in their wedding celebrations until the third day. The first two days focused on integrating the two families.
The wedding procession, known as the Barat, took about 45 minutes. It involved singing and dancing in the streets to the beats of Indian instruments, similar to an Arabic zaffa. Indian Rupees were brushed across our foreheads signifying a sincere wish for wealth and happiness. The ceremony, accompanied by hymns and offerings, took place before a specially arranged flame. The beautifully dressed bride and groom took seven steps around the sacred flame and with each step, they took a vow to abide by the principles of married life. The three-day celebration then ended when family and friends showered the couple with rice as a form of blessing.
The whole experience was one of the most exciting of my life. I felt I was part of an Indian movie. It was like a dream to meet all these people and learn about their culture and way of life. I had never expected to be a part of such a colourful occasion, one that I have only ever watched on the big screen.
Sadly, my journey was coming to an end, but I was happy that my final stop, Goa, was one that would allow me to relax, reflect and consolidate all that I had seen on my visit to India. Goa is a haven with a rich blend of Indian, Western and Portuguese influences. The scenic beauty of its architectural splendours left me overwhelmed. The streets were sprinkled with fascinating temples, churches and old houses. Most intriguing were the coconut and banyan trees that decorated each street.
I met up with some family friends that I had not seen for over 15 years. It is amazing how even after 15 years, I felt like we had never said goodbye. We spent the first few days by the pool catching up and reminiscing about old times. I also made time to immerse myself into the Goan local communities, which I found both warm and hospitable. I enjoyed watching the sunset, taking part in sporting activities and riding motorbikes and rickshaws with the local people. My haggling techniques, developed in the souks of the Middle East, came in very handy, especially as I spent the final hours of my trip doing some last minute shopping.
On my last day in India, I switched on the TV to watch the news, as I had been out of touch with world events. I was reminded of the conflicts and injustices that dominate our lives. The time I spent in India helped me put those conflicts into perspective. While I acknowledge that my short visit could, at best, have only given me a glimpse into all the complexities and realities of India, I left the country feeling great admiration for its people.
©
Copyright by
Nadia Al-Shadhir and INEAS, 2005
Nadia Al-Shadhir was born and raised in the UK to Iraqi parents. Her
secondary education was at the King Fahad Academy in Acton, London. She then went on to achieve a bachelor’s degree and MSc in Mathematics
and Information Systems from the London School of Economics. For over seven years,
Nadia has been working in the investment banking technology sector. She has been very active with the Arab community in London.
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S. Korea
PEACE Festival
©
Copyright by Wafaa' Al-Natheema,
2005
Rehearsal -- National Police University Orchestra of Seoul on August 26, 2005
accompanied by
an Iraqi soloist on the violin far left and an American cellist in the middle
Rehearsal -- National Police University Orchestra
of Seoul on August 26, 2005
Iraqi
concert performed by Iraqi oboe and violin players accompanied by an
American
cellist on August 26, 2005
The National Police University Orchestra -- Concert on August 27, 2005
Use of the (four) pictures above is
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General Pictures
The Changdeokgung
Palace
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Cars at The Airport
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American Globalization
The USA's TGI Friday's Restaurant
©
Copyright Wafaa' Al-Natheema, 2005
Use of the (five) pictures above is
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South
Korea - An Iraqi Perspective
Iraqis and Palestinians in S. Korea
By Richard Sullivan
On September 11, 2005, the Peace Festival Beyond the
De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) in S. Korea came to an end. At the concluding ceremony, there were 300 musicians of the
Brass Band performing in front of an audience of more than 15,000.
The peace festival was fully funded by the Gyeonggi
Province and this province’s governor, Mr. Hak-Kyu Sohn , initiated the PEACE
theme and the idea of the Festival.
The Festival began in early August with various world
music ensembles from Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe as well as soloists
from the USA, Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan to accompany various
Korean Symphony Orchestras. Not
surprisingly, however, to learn that the North Koreans were not invited, which
put a glitch in the PEACE mission of the Festival.
Our
Institute, INEAS, participated in this Festival by promoting Iraqi and
Palestinian musicians, signing a contract as an agent for the Iraqi musicians
(living in Jordan) to attend the festival and perform in two concerts on
August 26 & 27, and by having our Institute’s founder, Wafaa’ Al-Natheema,
participate in performing songs and poetry.
The
DMZ consists of a very large acreage in which the division between North and
South Korea occurred more than 50 years ago.
The entire area was masterfully built within six months to include a
huge parking lot, cafés, several open-door halls for performances and a
variety of other markets and services.
It has not been decided yet whether to host the PEACE festival on a
regular basis.
Click here to view some of the festival’s pictures.
Wafaa’
Al-Natheema, the founder of INEAS, writes a report following her visit to
South Korea in late August (2005).
(*_*)__(*_*)
S.
Korea
An
Iraqi Perspective
By
Wafaa’ Al-Natheema
It was indeed an interesting coincidence to be in a
shuttle heading to the airport with a Chinese couple, a Japanese man and a
Korean woman. I was
determined to learn some Korean expressions before my arrival in S. Korea, so
having a Korean woman with me in the shuttle allowed me to ask her about some
expressions in her native language. She
was so helpful in transliterating more than ten Korean terms into English (to
enable me to say them) before reaching the airport.
I will not report about the atrocities committed by
the American employees at the airport. Many
know their discrimination and rudeness. I
experienced it first hand. But
my experience at the Korean flight was positive and noteworthy.
The flight attendants deserve a medal for their service, superb PR and
charming presence. The food was excellent and the flight’s entertainment was
very good in that it enabled me not to feel the length of the 14-hour flight.
At one point, I asked a flight attendant how many hours were left
before arrival. When she informed
me that there were only four hours left, I wide opened my eyes and was very
surprised, “That is it?” I said. She smiled and was pleased by my comment and nodded, “It
means you’ve enjoyed yourself.” Indeed
I did.
Around the end of the flight, we watched a Korean comedy
movie about a father’s unwillingness to sell his land and divide it between
his sons and daughter until he witnessed the unification of North and South
Korea. Although it was a comedy,
it reflected seriously on the bitterness and pain experienced by divided
families who were not allowed to see each other for decades. There were very emotional scenes.
I was so eager to meet with North Koreans at the PEACE
Festival. I was eager to
interview them and report on their stories and those of S. Koreans, but was
very disappointed to learn that North Koreans were not invited!
Artists from around the world were invited to the PEACE festival except
their own, the northerners.
The three cities that I visited in S. Korea were
beautiful, but I felt as if I were in some of the European cities.
The western/American culture is very vivid.
Had it not been for the Korean faces, language and food, one would feel
like he/she is in some parts of the USA.
One distinct difference, however, between the Korean and American
cities is that the Korean cities are clean.
The city streets’ and especially the subway’s cleanliness put to
shame those in the USA.
Politically, however, South Korea seems to have headed in
the direction of the USA. Its
reluctance to unite with North Korea, its capitalism being felt all around,
its adoption of American culture and its pathetic involvement in the war on
IRAQ are all a reminder of these unfortunate policies. Hundreds of South Korean soldiers have been deployed in IRAQ
with no plans to leave. Two of
the volunteers who helped us while in S. Korea tried to convince me, the way
they have been brainwashed by the government and media, that the S. Korean
soldiers are in IRAQ to rebuild and help the sick!
I told them that if the Koreans wanted to help rebuild IRAQ, why
didn’t they send engineers? If
the intention was to help the sick, they should have sent doctors, not
soldiers in uniforms carrying guns ready to kill and be killed.
When silence was their only reply, I too didn’t dwell on it!
Also they were very helpful and nice, so ending the subject right there
was appropriate. However I decided to
mention the presence of the Korean soldiers in IRAQ in my short speech before my
performance at the PEACE festival.
Two of the volunteers helped me write a
one-and-a-half-minute speech in Korean that I transliterated into English.
Indeed the audience understood my very broken Korean and applauded too.
In my short speech before I performed songs and poetry, I urged for the
Korean soldiers to leave IRAQ and return home.
It is very disappointing that Asian countries such as S. Korea and
Japan have been involved in this shameful war on IRAQ!
Both my speech and performance took about fifteen minutes. I
sang in Arabic and English and read poetry in English. The
audience received the translation of my poetry on a handout.
An activist from a peace organization, who attended my performance,
informed me later that she read my poem (about the USA and its lust for wars) in
front of the Yongsan Garrison Gate on August 29 at a press conference
hosted by SPARK and other NGOs.
The subject of the press conference and the protest was the killing of Myong-Ja Kim, who was run over by an American truck on June 10.
At the August 29 press conference, Koreans urged the
United States Forces in Korea (USFK) to yield the right of jurisdiction in the
Myong-Ja Kim case. Although I was
in S. Korea on that date, I was unaware of this press conference.
Otherwise I would have attended and reported it as well.
As I was reading about the story of Kim (emailed to me by this woman
activist that I met) after my arrival in Boston, Rachel Corrie, who was
run over by an Israeli tank in Palestine, flashed in my mind.
The two Iraqi soloists, whom our Institute* promoted and
recommended to participate in the festival, gave an Iraqi music concert on August 26 and joined the National Police University Orchestra on August 27 to perform two pieces by Bach and Beethoven. Following my performance and the two concerts, I was able to
do two days of sight seeing. Twice,
I visited the Insadong, the popular and traditional market in Seoul.
I took a tour at Changdeokgung Palace, which was constructed in
1405 as a secondary palace of the Joseon Dynasty.
After the Japanese invasion in 1592, during which the palace was burnt,
the Koreans rebuilt it to serve as the main palace for about 270 years.
I also took a night bus tour of Seoul.
It is a city of many wonderful bridges overlooking the beautiful Han
River.
Korean food is like Japanese food—very delicious and
healthy. I was so pleased with
the quality and variety of food in S. Korea.
Even European-style food and pastries were superb.
Restaurants in Korea are very reasonable.
However, the American junk food was copious in an alarming scale.
Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and even Dunkin Donuts made their
vivid presence everywhere I went. The TGI Friday’s Restaurant near our hotel was showing off its presence by having a huge model airplane on top of the restaurant’s roof, a view that
can only be seen by people living in higher buildings or on airplanes.
Shopping for anything in S. Korea, whether clothes, shoes, furniture, home
appliances or cars, is excellent. Name
it, you will find it there in excellent quality and competitive prices.
I was craving to see the countryside in S. Korea.
Every time I asked to see a village, they looked at me as if I was a
strange person or making an unusual request.
To justify the lack of villages (if this is true), two Koreans told me
that the Japanese burnt most of Korea’s villages.
My mind was instantly visited by a couple of thoughts and questions:
Why were some king palaces rebuilt, but not the villages?
Knowing Korea is an agricultural country, where do they plant their
crops, in the factories? JJ
Of course, I was being sarcastic.
I may do some investigation on whether S. Korea indeed has no more
villages!
The Jogyesa Buddhist Temple was one of the interesting
places I visited in Seoul. The
beautiful hymns, the monks’ drumming, the breeze, the candlelights and the
birds flying freely and roaming within and without the temple made it all a
spiritually intoxicating experience.
I was so humbled by the help of a woman who worked at the temple and
who knew English. She gave me a
tour and explained some of the Buddhist rituals.
Bowing in front of the statute of Buddha is not meant to worship the
statute; but it is for prostration. She
said, “Christians accuse us of worshiping idols.” I smiled at that comment because in western churches,
Christians also kneel before a statute that symbolizes Jesus, so what is the
difference? Kneeling is OK, but
bowing is not? It was alarming to
learn that in S. Korea, the majority of the population has become Christian.
This conversion was due to the preaching of Christian missionaries from
the industrial and colonial west (mostly from the USA, the same country that
divided Korea). This is one
of the main reasons why Koreans have lost so many aspects of their roots and
culture and began to have conflicts within the family structure.
Regarding this matter, the Buddhist woman, whom I met at the temple,
wrote, “We do not need the bread in missionaries’ hands anymore.
Christian missionaries degraded Buddhism. The important thing is that
we found our tradition (Buddhism) to be far better than that of the west.
This was possible in part due to the economic progress in S. Korea,
which allowed temples to offer classes and teach Buddha’s wisdom.”
As if it were not enough for the USA to divide Korea,
later even the allied S. Korea was made to be in conflict from within.
Knowing that conversion to Christianity became the phenomenon among the
younger generation, conflicts with parents were inevitable.
Intermarriages between Christians and Buddhists have been rare.
Additionally, many among those who converted to Christianity somehow
feel and behave as if they are a better class, and have the tendency to
imitate the American/western way of life much more than the Buddhists.
Due to the recent economic boom in S. Korea, the conversion to
Christianity has nearly stopped in the last two years or so.
It seems that one of the main reasons for adopting Christianity was
economic. The West’s Christian missionaries financially supported
many of the Koreans. This
reminded me of how some Christian missionaries behaved during the Tsunami
tragedy (in December 2004), having food in one hand and the Bible in the
other, trying to convert Hindus and Buddhists to Christianity.
Luckily western Christian missionaries have not been successful in
converting Moslems to Christianity. Instead,
Christian Europe and the USA (along with extremist and Zionist Jews) have been
slaughtering Moslems or funding the slaughter of Moslems in Europe and Asia as
a part of an ethnic/religious cleansing campaign, not to mention accusing them
of every explosion that takes place in the world (without evidence) including
and especially the 9/11 attacks!!
It is one thing for people to learn about Christianity
and voluntarily convert, and completely another for Christian missionaries to
come to foreign lands from countries with globalization mentality and
capitalistic yearning, trying to convert the indigenous people and cause them
to lose their roots and culture, not to mention create conflicts from within.
After I left the Buddhist temple, I enjoyed spending some
time in the nearby shops that sell religious products and souvenirs.
At one shop, a monk passed by me and asked where I came from.
When I replied that I was from the USA, he gave me an unforgettable
gloomy look and cursed Bush. Then
I told him “I am an Iraqi living in the USA”.
He still gave me the disgusted look and said George Bush is very bad! I agreed with him. I
don’t think he realized how pleased and hopeful I was to hear his comments.
Until I saw him, I was feeling some disappointment that S. Koreans have
lost their tradition (with the exception of food and holiday celebrations) and
have been bowing to the American/western politics (as in the war on Iraq), and
mimicking their way of life. I
am thankful to the circumstances that brought me together with the monk.
He gave me some hope.
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* The
Institute of Near Eastern & African Studies (INEAS)
©
Copyright Wafaa' Al-Natheema, 2005
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