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November 28, 2008

Iraqi National Anthem

This is the Iraqi national anthem. In schools we were taught this song even under Saddam despite it wasn't the national anthem back then and after 2003 it was used temporarily as the new Iraqi national anthem.

The anthem is called Mawtini (My Homeland), written by a Palestinian poet.

It is the national anthem for Palestine and Algeria and Iraq.

Click Here to listen or to download.

Lyrics

My homeland, My homeland
Glory and beauty, Sublimity and splendor
Are in your hills, Are in your hills
Life and deliverance, Pleasure and hope
Are in your air, Are in your Air
Will I see you? Will I see you?
Safe and comforted, Sound and honored
Will I see you in your eminence?
Reaching to the stars, Reaching to the stars
My homeland, My homeland
My homeland, My homeland
The youth will not tire, 'till your independence
Or they die
We will drink from death
And will not be to our enemies
Like slaves, Like slaves
We do not want, We do not want
An eternal humilation
Nor a miserable life
We do not want
But we will bring back
Our storied glory, Our storied glory
My homeland, My homeland
The sword and the pen
Not the talk nor the quarrel
Are our symbols, Are our symbols
Our glory and our covenant
And a duty to be faithful
Moves us, moves us
Our glory, Our glory
Is an honorable cause
And a waving standard
O, behold you
In your eminence
Victorious over your enemies
Victorious over your enemies
My homeland, My homeland

Posted at 05:35 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

November 27, 2008

A Pact to end U.S. occupation

Today is a historic day. Our parlaiment approved a pact that will put an end of the foreign troops on the Iraqi land. Here are some of the Iraqi reactions on the pact from different parts of the country :

 

Ali Hussein, 59, a merchant from Basra

I am so excited about the approval of this pact by the Iraqi parliament because I see that the Americans won’t be in a picnic and they’ve got some political and economical interests that they won’t give away. From the other side, the Iraqi troops have the ability to keep security and stability in this country, though the Iraqi government is not capable of controlling the political process in Iraq, Some Iraqi politicians are really controlling the Iraqi policy and they forget that they are in their positions because of the Americans, and without them Saddam Hussein would be still be in his black comedy in Iraq.

Ismael al Basri of Basra

I reject this pact totally and the parliament today made a great mistake by approving it. Deals have been done under the parliament building. We know that thousands of people reject this treaty. The American benefits are achieved by this pact and I don’t see any benefits for the Iraqi people. It is a long-term occupation for this oppressed country.

 

Karim Chackayoi, 50, a Baghdad governmental employee

I am for approving this pact because it is the only way to Iraq out of the (United Nations mandate) and bringing back the sovereignty to Iraq. It is the only to have the foreign troops out of the country, and it will give Iraq a path to rebuild the country and the society itself. If we don’t have it, we’ll have a security gap, which will be so dangerous and it will encourage the neighboring countries to interfere in Iraqi affairs.

 

Awadh Abdan, 40, of Basra

In all my prayers, we respect the parliament because it is the official point of view and they are the representatives of the people. We were hoping that the vote will have some delay and to have some more time to discuss it. We are unsatisfied and we’ll have a kind of referendum to approve or not approve this pact.

 

Sabah al Shejiri, 34, a Baghdad taxi driver
I'm not really happy with the approval of the (security agreement). In fact I'm really sad
because we signed on the occupation. I don't believe the (security agreement) will be good for iraq. The political blocs signed it just for their own interests. The agreement has no interest for the future of Iraq.


 

Ammar al Samurrai, 37, an unemployed man in Baghdad
I feel good. We should get rid of the (United Nations mandate). We shouldn't be under that anymore. In fact, we should have a coalition with a real strong country. This is the
best thing we can have. I'm not satisfied with it but I have to accept that this is the best choice.

 

Lamyaa al Kafaji, 38, a Baghdad governmental employee
We Iraqis have no opinion and we cannot effect anything. The United States specified some
points and the United States had an aim and it did it. Now they have the agreement. The government accepted to work with the Americans. So the best apology for the people is to
start the rebuilding of Iraq. The agreement for the (security pact) will be useful. At least the
Americans will try to fix and build some of the destruction they caused.

 

Hassan Salman, 28, of Baghdad

The Sadrists performed a mockery in parliament. I'm for the agreement because it is organizing the withdrawal of American troops. We should sign this agreement because without it there is no withdrawal from Iraq. In addition to that the agreement presents a protection for Iraq's security and economy.

 

Fatima Mahmood, 33, of Baghdad

What happened in parliament is a democratic experience that happens in many countries. I'm with the agreement because it arranges the relations between Iraq and America . Iit is the best solution for the situation in Iraq.

Ahmed Hassan, 24, of Baghdad

I am for approving the pact because we have the withdrawal guarantees. I think it is so good to have it at this time because we have discussions, negotiations, some debate. If we have delays, maybe the new president will object to any kind of a pact, and maybe he will withdraw his troops without a timetable and it will have bad effects on Iraq. But I don’t understand why we have this agreement among the Iraqi blocs, if we have this pact between Iraq and America, why do we have Iraqis debating among each other? Iraq achieved many things that many countries did not achieve. For example, the security companies don’t have the immunity they had in the past. I know that the mail is one of the difficult things that America was against, but America  knows everything. Their hands are everywhere in Iraq.

Ghasan Mohammed, Dihok, 26

I am with this agreement, especially that this agreement will block the way of those who call themselves a resistance to the occupiers because we will have this agreement and the troops won’t stay in Iraq. We’ll have the same situation as many Arab states do, as they have bases for the Americans. 

 

Bassim Mohammed Sharif, Najaf, 32

Signing the agreement is better than not signing it because it will free us and we’ll get rid of (the United Nations mandate), and it will let the American troops be out of Iraq. We’ll achieve the sovereignty, which was put away from Iraqis. This is a happy thing, even though it will have some negative things in this agreement, like the immunity for the American troops. If we have it, it will be better than if we don’t.

 

 Compiled by McClatchy special correspondents Laith Hammoudi, Jenan Hussein and Hussein Kadhim in Baghdad and Ali al Basri in Basra.

 

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Posted at 05:09 PM | | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

November 15, 2008

My beloved city ... Baghdad

Today is Baghdad Day anniversary. Some members of Iraqi government headed by the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Kamil al Maliki attended the calibration which was held in Zawraa Park in downtown Baghdad . Baghdad established 762 A.D. by Caliph Abu Ja'far Al Mansur. It was called first Zawraa city in the past. Zawraa means garden because Baghdad used to be pretty city like the magic garden that princess Sharazad used to tell her king Sharyar about in her nightly stories of one thousand and one nights. Baghdad is the city of Sindibad and Allaadin.. During its history, Baghdad passed through difficult periods like Magool and Tatars invasions. But Baghdad always rises up again like the shining sun. “Afflictions can not ever defeat Baghdad ” PM Maliki said in his speech today. May God forever protect you our beloved city. May the clouds of pain and suffering go with the wind of patience and fight of all the honest Iraqis.

Congratulations my beloved Baghdad in your day.

Posted at 03:37 PM | | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

November 12, 2008

The Explosive Detecting Device of the Iraqi Forces

          Once again, I ll give a n example of corruption; the big monster that destroy Iraq. I know I talked about this subject many times but this time its a kind of corruption that causes casualties. Its the corruption of the explosive detecting devices that the Iraqi security forces use. While passing through many checkpoint; I found out that these devices are useless and can not detect any kind of explosions.

          The first time I found out this fact was few days ago. I was with my friend in his car coming to work. When our car passed through the checkpoint, the Iraqi soldier walked beside the car carrying the detecting device. The antenna of the device moved towards our car which means that we have explosives. The soldier ordered us to park aside. My friend did exactly what the soldier wanted. Another soldier came towards us and told my friend to open the trunk and he searched it. he didn't find anything. while searching our car, a soldier came riding his motorbike and carrying his AK 47 gun. he passed through the checkpoint. I was looking at him when I saw that the device didn't detect anything although the gun was loaded. I thought it is only the device was broken.

          The second incident was in Abo Nowas street in downtown Baghdad. Another kind of the detecting devices is used in one of the check point. Again, the devices detected something in our car. We stopped and the policeman checked it but he found nothing. he came towards us and asked "anyone of wear perfume?" I said quickly "yes I do" then the man said "ok you can go."  I was like OMG. What kind of detecting devices our forces have".

           One of my colleagues told me that a high rank officer in the ministry of interior affairs told him that the devices used by our security forces can detect nothing and its only a part of some business made by some officials in the ministry to earn some money.

          I don't know what to say about this kind of corruption. It costs lives of innocent people. I don't know when its the time to start the real battle against corruption! I pray it would start so soon because we need to start this important battle.      

Posted at 07:16 AM | | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

November 05, 2008

Obama

I am so happy today. I feel hope in the wind.

Obama is the elect president of the U.S of A.

Am I happy for Iraq? I don't know. I don't know what will happen and I'm afraid.

Will he pull out the troops?

Will he care enough to reach a good compromise – fair to the Iraqi people?

Or will he have to go overboard in some issues just to prove that he's American?

Can he withstand the pressures?

But in spite of all my fears, I am so happy for America - You have come such a long way. You had the strength, the will to elect this man of change. And with all my heart I hope he puts America on the path to recovery.

To see America again on the pedestal of freedom and democracy, a benign force that heals instead of hurts, unites instead of divides – soon inshalla.

I wish to congratulate you all.

But to my dear dear friend L – a very special salute indeed.

Posted at 09:31 AM | | Comments (27) | TrackBack (0)

ABOUT THIS BLOG

"Inside Iraq" is a blog updated by Iraqi journalists who have worked for McClatchy Newspapers. They are based in Baghdad. These are firsthand accounts of their experiences. Their complete names are withheld for security purposes.

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