‘the last fragments of a fading dream’

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When she is able (when there is power, and she is emotionally prepared), a women in Iraq who writes under the pseudonym of “river” posts to her blog, “Baghdad Burning“. She posted today for the first time since the beginning of August and speaks about the exhaustion of the ever increasing violence, fear and desperation that has wracked the populace in Iraq over the last few weeks.

The entire post is worth reading. Here’s her closing thoughts…

[T]hings aren’t better for Americans now than they were in 2001, and they certainly aren’t better for Iraqis.

Three years ago, Iraq wasn’t a threat to America. Today it is. Since March 2003, over 1000 Americans have died inside of Iraq… and the number is rising. In twenty years time, upon looking back, how do Americans think Iraqis are going to remember this occupation?

I constantly wonder, three years after 9/11, do Americans feel safer? When it first happened, there was a sort of collective shock in Iraq. In 2002, there was a sort of pity and understanding- we’ve been through the same. Americans could hardly believe what had happened, but the American government brings this sort of grief upon nations annually… suddenly the war wasn’t thousands of kilometers away, it was home.

How do we feel about it this year? A little bit tired.

We have 9/11’s on a monthly basis. Each and every Iraqi person who dies with a bullet, a missile, a grenade, under torture, accidentally- they all have families and friends and people who care. The number of Iraqis dead since March 2003 is by now at least eight times the number of people who died in the World Trade Center. They had their last words, and their last thoughts as their worlds came down around them, too. I’ve attended more wakes and funerals this last year, than I’ve attended my whole life. The process of mourning and the hollow words of comfort have become much too familiar and automatic.

September 11… he sat there, reading the paper. As he reached out for the cup in front of him for a sip of tea, he could vaguely hear the sound of an airplane overhead. It was a bright, fresh day and there was much he had to do… but the world suddenly went black- a colossal explosion and then crushed bones under the weight of concrete and iron… screams rose up around him… men, women and children… shards of glass sought out tender, unprotected skin … he thought of his family and tried to rise, but something inside of him was broken… there was a rising heat and the pungent smell of burning flesh mingled sickeningly with the smoke and the dust… and suddenly it was blackness.

9/11/01? New York? World Trade Center?

No.

9/11/04. Falloojeh. An Iraqi home.

Pay attention.

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‘the last fragments of a fading dream’

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3 Responses

  1. 1)
    Mrs. Johanna said on 9/16/2004 @ 1:57am PT: [Permalink]

    Poor them. Poor soldiers. Poor country. Poor people with a heart and a conscience. Poor her.

    I agree with every word she uttered in that post. The way she described Lila Lipscomb (sp?) , the way she talks about the importance of the underlying message in 9/11 (and not the misrepresentations). Facts are really important, dont’ get me wrong. But to me, it’s never been all that important that Bush did this, Cheney did that in 1990-whatever…They should really be held accountable for the deaths of innocent people and for making the US even more vulnerable since 9/11.

    How someone can read that and *not* react to it, is seriously beyond me. The more time goes on , the less I understand these "war supporters" and the sadder and angrier I become.

    If you can, I support you posting this elsewhere (hint, hint). And if you guys have a few minutes , check out Mike Moore’s website too. Looks like he might try and air F9/11 on TV before your election.

  2. 2)

    Библиотека Гумер – электронная библиотека для студентов и преподавателей.
    Цель создания библиотеки – создать электронную базу текстов для учащихся и учителей.
    Автор проекта “Библиотека Гумер” – Гумеров Ринат, преподаватель Калининградской библейской школы.
    Библиотека создавалась для нужд студентов и преподавателей школы.
    Затем проект вырос в библиотеку текстов гуманитарных наук.
    Автор, сам недавний студент Московской богословской семинарии ЕХБ, знает какие трудности испытывает российский студент с приобретением книг. Особенно это касается студентов в провинции, стран СНГ. Немногие студенты позволяют себе приобретение книг для своей личной библиотеки.
    Электронные библиотеки занимают все более лидирующее положение в современном образовании.
    Такая библиотека позволяет иметь единую базу данных, объединить информационные ресурсы Интернета и в то же время, как любая частная библиотека – сохранить свою индивидуальность, за что и оценивается читателями.

  3. 3)

    Библиотека Гумер –
    электронная библиотека для студентов и преподавателей.
    Цель создания библиотеки – создать электронную базу текстов для учащихся и учителей.
    Автор проекта “Библиотека Гумер” – Гумеров Ринат, преподаватель Калининградской библейской школы.
    Библиотека создавалась для нужд студентов и преподавателей школы.
    Затем проект вырос в библиотеку текстов гуманитарных наук.

    Автор, сам недавний студент Московской богословской семинарии ЕХБ, знает какие трудности испытывает российский студент с приобретением книг. Особенно это касается студентов в провинции, стран СНГ. Немногие студенты позволяют себе приобретение книг для своей личной библиотеки.

    Электронные библиотеки занимают все более лидирующее положение в современном образовании.
    Такая библиотека позволяет иметь единую базу данных, объединить информационные ресурсы Интернета и в то же время, как любая частная библиотека – сохранить свою индивидуальность, за что и оценивается читателями.

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