One more bloody day in Iraq and this time in Basra province south Iraq. Medical sources said that at least 53 people including kids, women and security forces were killed and about 140 others were wounded in a suicide attack. The attack took place on Saturday morning while Shiite pilgrims were walking towards a mosque in west Basra province. Security sources confirmed that the suicide bomber could pass the checkpoints with a faked police ID and when he reached a crowded check point, he blew himself up among the crowds. The attack is the second big attack within less than ten days. The first attack was in Nasiryah province in south Iraq where a suicide bomber killed 38 people and wounded over 70 others.

When I saw the pictures of the explosion on TV, when I saw the weeping mothers, the crying children and the people who were running everywhere looking for their relatives, I couldn’t stand the scene and I changed the channel. When my wife tried to ask me about the explosion, I interrupted her and asked her never to ask me about anything. It looks that eight years of work with press and going to dozens of explosions scenes had filled my heart with pain and sorrow and there is no more place for any news pains.  

The attacks come during a very critical and strained political situation. The crisis between the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and his political competitors is increasing. The political parties failed until now in holding a meeting they were talking about for weeks. The shadow of the civil war is growing bigger and the victim will be always Iraqis. Iraqi blood is always the cheapest fuel for this political fight and our politicians proved with no doubt that we are not even on the list of their concerns. their main concerns are power and personal interests. The only thing they do in such incidents in expressing their deep sorrow and condemnation which can't bring back the innocent victims to life or heal the deeps wounds of the hearts of their families.

                In the history of humanity, there are some events changed the life of nations and societies. The battle of Taf where Imam Hussein was killed with his family and supporters more than 1300 years ago is one historical event that so many people including western intellectuals who studied the Islamic history appreciate and consider one of the biggest event in man history because Imam Hussein with only 72 loyal followers faced over 30000 soldiers and they were killed defending human rights and justice.

 Next Saturday will be the Arba’inya visit when Shiite Muslims go to Imam Hussein’s shrine.  Arba’inya means the forty. According to the Islamic historical calendar, the heads of Imam Hussein and his followers were taken to the Amawi Caliph Yazeed in Damascus which was the capital of Islamic nation during that time. After forty days, the heads were brought back and buried with the bodies in Karbala

For generations, Muslims used to commemorate the anniversary of the Arba’inya by walking from everywhere in Iraq and Arab land to the holy shrine in Karbala in spite of many kinds of danger basically death.  Many rulers tried to prevent people from going to Karbala by many ways.  During the Abbasian era which lasted for over a century, the caliphs imposed taxes to prevent people from going to but people paid happily. When they found out that money is not enough to stop people, they ordered to cut one hand from every pilgrim but again, they failed because people gave their hands. At the end the authorities ordered to kill one from every ten pilgrims and one more time, they failed because sacrificed their souls. During the modern history, things didn’t change a lot. In Saddam’s era, Arba’inya visit meant certain death. Even after 2003, the situation stayed the same. The pilgrims are still a target but this time not for the authorities in Iraq but for the Islamic extremists. The only change was the method. Instead of cutting the hand of pilgrims or killing one of ten, the insurgents chose to kill the biggest number of pilgrims by car bombs, suicide bombers and even poisoned food and drinks. Thousands of men, women and even kids were killed by brutal attacks in all the Shiite cities just because they love Imam Hussein. In fact, the attacks targeted even the Shiite people in others countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan.  But did the extremists succeed? One more time, the answer is no.

Two nights ago and while I was watching one of the Shiite channels, I saw pilgrims from all over the world walking to Karbala challenging explosions and death.  The reporter talked to some of them and I found out that there are pilgrims from Kenya, India, Canada, Spain, Germany, Afghanistan, Pakistan, U.S.A and many other foreign countries in addition to others from many Arabic countries especially Gulf countries.  One of the pilgrims said he is an American citizen came from Washington DC. He was carrying a banner on which a portrait of Imam Hussein was drawn with a sentence saying (Labbayk Ya Hussein= At your service Imam Hussein). He said he doesn’t care about death because he learnt what sacrifice means from Imam Hussein. Another pilgrim from Bahrain said dying while walking to Imam Hussein is an honor he wishes to gain. Local officials in Karbala province expect the total number of pilgrims to pass 17 millions. People who live on the way to Karbala province provide all kind of services to pilgrims like food, drinks, places to sleep and even medicine and massage for the pilgrims who come from far distances.

Imam Hussein anniversary is not any more an Iraqi anniversary. It became a universal issue because as so many intellectuals say Imam Hussein sacrificed for humanity all over the world.

LABBAYK YA HUSSEIN

    One more bloody day in Iraq. One more day of wailing and tears. More kids joined the very long list of orphans. More families lost their sponsors and joined the world of poverty. 

    Over sixty innocent people were killed by successive explosions by car bombs and suicide bombers in Baghdad and Nasiriyha a province in south Iraq Thursday morning. The explosions didn't target the (occupation forces) as those who used to claim they fight to liberate Iraq because these forces left the country. Moreover, the explosions didn't target any kind of security forces. They purely targeted civilians. In Baghdad, the explosions targeted daily laborer in Kathemiyah neighborhood in northwest Baghdad and Sadr city in the eastern side of the capital while the suicide bomber in Nasiriyah province targeted Shiite pilgrims who were commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein. The only fault of the killed and wounded people was being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    The explosions are clear reflection of the strained political situation and the continuous fight between the political parties over power which is ongoing for over eight years and doesn't seem to end soon.

    As an Iraqi citizen, I wouldn't really care about our politicians and their fight because I never felt for a moment that any of them represents me or any regular people but the only thing that pushes me to care is the fuel of this fight. Since the political fight ignited between the Iraqi politicians, poor Iraqis were always the fuel that inflames it.  Hundreds of thousands were killed or missed since 2003 and God knows when the bath of blood would stop in my bleeding country. Prayers of mothers, fathers and sons couldn't stop the blood shedding because their political brothers always pray for more blood for political gains since fuel is always available and cheap as they believe.

    It is very well known in any democratic country adopts the parliamentary system that a lawmaker is a representative of all people not only those who voted for him but it looks that this principle is not applied in Iraq and it might need to be approved by our lawmakers first .

    The story began when I went to the parliament with my colleagues Roy and Sahar to interview some lawmakers. An hour later, we met in the office of the committee of security and defense because Sahar and Roy wanted to interview a member of the committee. When the man came, he took my colleagues to his office for the interview while I stayed in the reception of the committee waiting for them.

    While I was waiting, I saw an officer who came to complain about sending him to retirement. He was talking about his achievements in the fight against the insurgents group and how he refused a $ 5 million bribe to release Qaida members. He was asking about the reasons of sending him to retirement although he is not old. While the man was talking, a female lawmaker came carrying some two requests. She asked the secretary of the committee to check them. It was so easy to tell that she is from one of the Northern provinces from her accent. The man told her that he can help her only with one of the requests because there are some certain rules and instructions he can't break. He showed the lawmaker the orders issued by both the committee and the ministry of defense. At the end of their conversation, the lawmaker said "any way, I don’t really care. he is not even from My People. He is from your People". She made her comment and left. We were about six men in the room and we all couldn't believe what we heard. The secretary of the committee said " Do you believe this is the way a lawmaker talks! She should represent all Iraqis and defense their rights."

    Even after eight years of what so called FREEDOM and even after three elections, Iraqis are still loyal to sect and race more than being loyal to Iraq and it seems that we will need more time to change the sick mentality of race and sect and move to the mentality of the country.