Please Meet The True Jihadists

Hi it's me again ! :-)... This post is dedicated to all passionate anti-Islamic WHYSers... I do want all of you guys to meet "me", "my family members", "my close relatives and good friends", "my teachers at college", and "all of good Baghdadi citizens that I know", all of us are really so proud to be "true jihadists" guys, oh yes we are ! Jihad is what our day to-day lives are all about, and I am really so sure that all of you guys are so familiar with the term "jihad" and with what it means in Arabic right ?! Jihad means holy struggling or fighting, and that's exactly what all of us are doing on daily bases... We're just continuing our daily holy struggle inorder to get everything right in a city where almost nothing goes in the right direction, inorder to go on with our daily lives in a way which is as close to normal as possible, inorder to be to pursue our very ordinary dreams and to be able to keep up hope, optimism, love, mercy, goodness, and faith in tomorrow alive inside our hearts despite all of this rage, hatred, madness, misery and grief around us... Yes guys, we're all extraordinary jihadists, and we do have the right to be really proud of ourselves, because despite all of what "has happened" to us, we've managed so far to live day by day according to what our humane consciences and moral codes imply on us to be, because despite all of what "has happened" to us, we've been so far able to smile to each other, think of each other, care about each other, fear for each other, and love each other irrespective of our ethnic, religious, and sectarian backgrounds... Really BRAVO to us !! With my love... Yours forever, Lubna in Baghdad...

It is Eid Al Fitr

Hi again ! :-)... It's been rather a long time since I last wrote on this blog eh ?! Tomorrow is the start of the Eid Al Fitr holiday in Iraq, which will last until Sunday the 5th of October Inshallah... Eid Al Fitr holiday comes straight after the end of Holy Ramadan, the fasting month for practicing Muslims...
Yesterday I went with my older sister to my college... I asked her to take a one-day leave from her work place and come with me because I didn't feel comfortable going out alone, and because my sister is one of the best sisters you can ever have, she agreed immediately to do what I asked from her to do, so we went to my college together, me and her, along with our faithful driver Abu Layal... I am going to tell you guys of what we saw during our exciting journey :
The streets were extremely crowded with cars and people... Iraqi and American security forces filled the streets... There were so many military check points down there where almost every civilian car passing through is being checked out carefully for any possible security threat (like sticker bombs and stuff alike... Sticker bombs are a new trend in ''THEIR'' war against innocent Iraqi civilians, and they're being imported from Iraq's neighbouring countries)... The vast majority of the main streets in Baghdad are being blocked by the Iraqi and American security forces, only very few main streets are open for the movement of civilian cars, and that's caused an extremely intolerable traffic jam that's really annoying...
Now here comes the crucial question : Why did we go to my college yesterday ?! And the answer is : Inorder to buy us new clothes for the Eid and my new academic year ! Yeah, that's true, although I am totally aware how strange it seem, but let me try to explain myself a little bit more :
I live in Al Karradah neighbourhood in Baghdad, which is considered to be one of the classiest and most beautiful districts in the whole Iraqi capital... There're many super-markets and classy shops in Al Karradah which offer you almost everything you can think of... So if you want to go shopping in Baghdad, then surely Al Karradah is the perfect place to go... But Al Karradah has been always unsafe, and has been regularly targeted by terrorist attacks of different scales since the US led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and till yesterday... Also the security situation on the ground in Baghdad and especially in Al Karradah is extremely tense these days in the time period preceding the Eid Al Fitr holiday, so to go out to Al Karradah and buy us new clothes from there is obviously an unwise thing to do... My college (College of Medicine-Baghdad University) lies in Bab Al Muadham district, which has been relatively much safer than Al Karradah during the past few months... A number of small shops lie so close to my college, and I do know their owners very well for four years now, so we took our chances and decided that to buy new clothes for the Eid and my new academic year from those shops is the only safe option available for the moment... We actually bought lots and lots of beautiful and classy stuff, and we eventually paid what's equal to 250 US dollars for all what we bought... Our exciting journey lasted from 7 AM till 2 PM, much of that time has been consumed in the traffic jams... A few hours after we got back home safely, and despite the very tight security measures imposed by the Iraqi and American security forces almost everywhere in the Iraqi capital, unfortunately this happened :
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7640782.stm
So it looks like me and my sis were right this time after all, weren't we ?!
May Allah bless all of our martyrs... And Happy Eid Al Fitr to Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Somalia, Darfur, and to all Muslims everywhere around the world....
With my love... Yours forever, Lubna...

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To Love Or To Leave ??

Hi... Ah, it's been rather a long time since I last posted on this blog eh ?! :-)... The results of my fourth year final exams have appeared earlier this week, and unfortunately I and two of my closest girlfriends at college couldn't succeed in our final OB exam... That means we'll have to go through a 2nd trial final OB exam in September Inshallah... Remember guys the story that I told you about in March earlier during this year about me and my closest girlfriends cheating death twice during one day ?! For those of you guys who haven't heard about this story before, here's the link to it : dijlarq.blogspot.com/2008/03/cheating-death-twice.html. Since the 3rd of March and till now, we've been through a very fierce battle with both our college and our university inorder to make our college either re-examine us or count for us the final OB exam from ninety degrees (because the OB exam we couldn't have was a midyear exam from thirty degrees !!)... But in the end our beloved college has decided to give us zero from thirty degrees for the midyear OB exam that we couldn have, and because thirty degrees from one hundred degrees were missing, we couldn't pass our final OB exam successfully !! We intend to go on with our battle against both our college and our university till the last day before our 2nd trial OB exam in September Inshallah, in spite of the fact that I don't feel very much hopeful about all of this, after all this is Iraq that we live in, where nothing at all currently goes in the right direction, nothing at all !! Let me ask myself and all of you guys this question : Why do Iraqis always keep complaining about the outside world being so cruel to them and unwilling to help them out while we ordinary Iraqis are unwilling to help each other out, while we ordinary Iraqis are unwilling to show some mercy and kindness to each other ??! With my love... Yours forever, Lubna...

I'm being torn apart by me, and the whole world is just watching

Hi. Remember what I've just told you about my dream that I saw last night ?! Actually I've imagined myself seeing that dream ! :). I needed to imagine myself seeing that dream because I really needed to explain to myself and to you why all those horrific things are happening to my Iraq. The thing that really scares me is that SOME Iraqis do care about wealth, influence, and power more than they care about their Iraq, that SOME Iraqis have forgotten that they're IRAQIS. Just take a look at what is happening in my Iraq these days : The Iraqi government and the Iraqi security forces are launching an assault against Al Mehdi army in Basra and other Iraqi cities including the capital Baghdad on behalf of Badr militia. And the biggest loser in this continueous power struggle is the Iraqi people. In the meantime rockets and morter shells continue to fall around upon the heads of innocent Baghdadi civilians in many Baghdadi districts including my beloved district, Al Karradah. With my love. Yours forever, Lubna.

Was it only a dream ?

Hi. Last night I saw a very weird dream, and I thought I'd share it with all of you guys. I saw myself standing in a large green field, and suddenly I saw a very beautiful guy standing infront of me. He was soooo old, but at the same time soooo beautiful, BUT..... In each of his hands there was a knife, and, and... He was stabbing himself with his own hands !!! I shouted 'What on earth are you doing ?!' He replied 'Please, can you ask them to stop ?!' I said 'Who ?!' He said 'My hands. They just keep stabbing me and I can't stop them !'. I said ' I just don't know how. But if they're that harmful to you and they just wouldn't stop stabbing you then, then... May be we should better CUT them and get rid of them !' He shouted 'No ! No ! You can't do that ! They're MY hands !'. I asked 'How old are you ?!' He smiled and replied 'Oh, I just don't remember, I was around since the beginning of time. For 35 years my hands were chained, and suddenly 5 years ago strange people came and broke away my chains, put knives in my hands and just sat watching my own hands stabbing me over and over again. Why should they care about me at all while my own hands don't ?!' I asked 'How can I save you my love ?!' He smiled again and replied 'May be we should start by reminding my hands that after all they're my hands, and that they belong to me, and that if anything wrong happens to me, then they'll be the biggest losers !'. I shouted 'Yes, but how ?!' And suddenly I just woke up. So it was only a dream, wasn't it ?! With my love. Yours forever, Lubna.

2003-2008... Iraq, where to-Part 3

Hi. Today marks the fifth anniversary of the US invasion of my Iraq and the overthrowing of Saddam's regime. On a day like this I can't help asking myself this question : Is there really any hope for the future of Iraq ?! The problem is that the answer to this question is far more complicated than yes or no. Nobody can deny that the security situation on the ground in Baghdad right now is much much better than it used to be before. But also nobody either inside or outside Iraq can tell whether this improvement is temporary or perminant. The security situation on the ground in Baghdad is so fluctuating and so unpredictable. There're times when hope seems so close, but there're also other times when hope seems too far away. But as an Iraqi, I do believe that there's always a place for hope, and that this long night will surely come to an end, soon or later it will, Inshallah ! Another question that's often being asked on such a day : Should the American occupation forces stay or leave ?! As for me, I say that they should stay until they clean up the mess they've taken part in creating in my Iraq. And finally on Such a day I want to send tons of love to my Precious American friends : Anita, Ian, and Amy. With my love. Yours forever, Lubna.

2003-2008... Iraq, where to ? Part 2

Hi. Since 2003 and till this moment Iraq has been facing major security challenges. So many innocent Iraqi civilians have either lost their lives or got serious disabilities. Satistics estimate that in Iraq at the moment there's one million widow and five million orphans. Bombed cars, roadside bombs, morter shells,explosive belts and sudden curfews have become an integral part of our daily life routine. The exact number of the Iraqi civilians who have been murdered since 2003 and till now is unknown, but may be the range that most satistics agree on is from 300 000-600 000 people. One of the most important consequences of the deteriorated security situation in Iraq is the massive immigration of Iraqis to the outside (2 million Iraqi immigrants most of them in Jordan, Syria and the UAE). Another problem which may be considered as a part of the first one is the massive brain drain from Iraq. Since 2003 and till now organised gangs have been threatening and targeting Iraqi brains. So many Iraqi doctors, college professors, journalists and artists have either been murdered or had to leave because of the threats they've received. It's pretty obvious that there has been always a systematic plan to empty Iraq from its brains in an attempt to disrupt the cultural structure of the Iraqi society. At the moment the ultimate dream of Iraqis in general and Baghdadis in particular is to survive. Almost every Baghdadi family has lost one or more loved ones during the last 5 years. Our hearts are already bearing so many scars that it's really so hard for us to endure a new scar. After 5 years of the US invasion Iraqis are traumatised, scared, extremely and continueously worried, despaired, disappointed, and so tired of themselves and of everything around them. With my love. Yours forever, Lubna. PS, to Precious Amy in Oregon, USA : Your place will be always in my heart.

2003-2008, Iraq... Where to ? Part 1

Hi. Next Thrusday will mark 5 years since the Coalition forces have invaded my Iraq and overthrown Saddam's regime. May be it's worth stressing on one particular point : Getting rid of Saddam was a good thing. He was an evil dictator and brutal criminal and thank God that we got rid of him. But then what ?! Everything simply just went wrong, and everyone has let Iraq down, including Iraqis themselves. A majority of ordinary Iraqis really wanted Saddam to leave NO MATTER OF WHAT THE ALTERNATIVE IS. But we were wrong. We should've cared so much about what that AlTERNATIVE would be. Iraqis have fallen in the trap of SECTARIAN DEMOCRACY where one gets elected only because he/she belongs to a particular sect. We convinced ourselves that democracy in Iraq can be applied on sectarian bases, and we went to the polls and elected our MPs in 2005 also on sectarian bases. But in fact we were committing the most evil crime against ourselves and our Iraq. And as a result our country was torn apart. The 1st victem was the IRAQI NATIONAL IDENTITY. Iraqis have lost the sense of belonging to their Iraq. God, how cruel we were towards our precious country when we accepted that our fate would be decided in the White House ! With my love. Yours forever, Lubna.

Happy Birthday Iain

Hi. My Precious friend Iain from the BBC's WHYS is celebrating his birthday today. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY precious Iain, and many many many many happy returns Inshallah. To me, Precious Iain is one of the kindest, loveliest, most noble, and most amazing humans that you can ever meet. Also I'd like to say a very big THANK YOU to all my good and precious friends around the world, and a very special THANK YOU to the WHYS's most marvellous team and most amazing listeners. I really don't know what to do without you guys. With my love. Yours forever, Lubna.

Cheating Death, TWICE

Hi. Today I was supposed to have my big obstetrics exam. The majority of the main roads in Baghdad are blocked since yesterday because of the visit of Mr Nijad to Baghdad. Early in the morning today at about 6:45 Am my driver came to my house to pick me up to college, my two girlfriends were in the car (It's extremely unsafe for Baghdadi girls to use the public transport to move around in Baghdad, so I and 3 of my best girlfriends have hired a private driver inorder to pick us to college). As we got closer to the district in which my college lies, a roadside bomb has exploded at a close distance ahead of us. So we all decided to go back home. On our way back home, another roadside bomb has exploded also at a close distance behind us. I saw the other car flying in the air. So in the end we got back home. And We missed our obsestrics exam. And that's a very ordinary day of our ordinary daily Baghdadi life. Our Iraqi government and the International community are asking us to go on with our daily lives in a way which is as close to normal as possible inspite of the hidden death in every street of Baghdad, and this is not acceptable at all. All Iraqis must go on a continueous peaceful generalised strike until all our political leaders, the US occupation forces, and the whole International community get together and do something to end this tragedy. Do you think that Iraqis are alive ?! No my good friends, Iraqis are experiencing SLOW DEATH on daily bases. And this has to stop. Enough is Enough. With my love. Yours forever, Lubna.

A Letter From Alan Johnston To Shihab Al Tamimi

Alan Johnston, the former BBC's Gaza correspondent who has been kidnapped by a militant group in Gaza and stayed in captivity from March the 12th 2007 till July the 4th 2007, has sent me those words for our Precious martyr, the peer of Iraqi journalists Shihab Al Tamimi : " Every death in Iraq is an utter waste- a tragedy for those who loved the victim and a loss to the nation as a whole. But as a journalist I can't help but be particularly aware of the number of my Iraqi colleagues who have been among the casualities. Among those to die most recently was Shihab Al Tamimi. I was not familiar with his work, but I am reliably informed that he was a much respected figure who will be badly missed by his devoted readers. And I have no doubt that he was a man of real courage. Given the appalling number of deaths among his colleagues, he must have been extremely dedicated to going through about his work. One day Iraq will emerge from the horrors through which it is passing at the moment. But its recovery and eventual transformation into a something better will surely be hampered by the loss of Mr Al Tamimi and so many other fine, brave journalists. " . Those are the words of a very brave Scottish man to a very brave Iraqi man. May Allah bless your soul Shihab Al Tamimi. And Alan Johnston, my great Scottish hero, THANKS A MILLON from me and from my Iraq. With my love. Yours forever, Lubna.

A Very Sad Day

Hi. Today the peer of Iraqi journalists Shihab Al Tamimi has gone. He was seriously injured on Friday the 23rd of Feb. when 'THEY' shot him in Al Waziriya district in Baghdad. And today he died at the age of 75 years. So this is another victory for 'THEM'. Today 'THEY' have succeeded in shutting up another free Iraqi voice. Mr Al Tamimi isn't the 1st, and won't be the last. 250 Iraqi journalists were murdered since 2003 and till now. I stand and shout outloud : ENOUGH silence ! I'd say to journalists all over the World : Your Iraqi colleagues are being murdered in Iraq. We want your reactions. We want your condemnations. I'm asking from any journalist who receives this message to write a post for my blog about the assassination of the peer of the Iraqi journalists Shihab Al Tamimi. With my love. Yours forever, Lubna.

Al Hussein Bin Ali-A Tear On The Cheek Of Eternity-Part 1

Hi. Millions and millions of Iraqi Muslim Shiites are heading on their feet towards the Iraqi city of Karbala to visit the Holy Shrine of Al Imam Al Hussein Bin Ali. Those millions are acknowledging Al Arbaeen, the end of forty days of mourning for Al Imam Al Hussein martyrdom which took place 1400 years ago. Al Imam Al Hussein is the grandson of the Prophet of Islam Mohammed. 50 years after the Prophet's death, Yazid, the corrupt and shameless man who deviated from the pathway of true Islam, took power by force, and forced all Muslims to submit to his ruling by the power of sword. Al Imam Al Hussein refused to submit to the ruling of Yazid. People of Iraqi city of Kufa sent 20 thousands letters to Al Imam inviting them to come to their city, and Al Imam responded to their invitation positively. So He, together with 73 of his family members, close friends, servants, and devout believers who later joined the holy caravan. All of those people left Al Madina, the holy city of the Prophet Mohammed (in current Saudi Arabia) and headed towards the Iraqi city of Kufa. But Yazid reacted quickly. He changed the ruler of Kufa, and put the brutal and shameless man, Bin Ziyad in that position. Bin Ziyad, the new ruler of Kufa, by the orders of Yazid, directed an army of 30 thousand soldiers to prevent the caravan of Al Imam from reaching Al Kufa. The huge army trapped the caravan in an area in the desert (now the Iraqi city of Karbala) and Al Imam Al Hussein was given two options by Yazid : either surrender and submit to Yazid's power or fight to death. Al Imam refused to surrender. He asked all his companions to leave him alone and run away in the night. But all his family members, close friends, servants, and devout believers refused to leave him, and they all swore to fight with him till death. The holy caravan was so thirsty. Yazid's army deprived them of water. The summer was so hot and the desert was merciless. People of Kufa who sent 20 thousand letters to invite Al Imam to come to their city, eventually let him down. Bin Ziyad threatened them with sword and seduced them with gold. To be continued. With my love. Yours forever, Lubna. PS, Abdelilah, THANKS A MILLON my good friend.

From Rainy Baghdad

Hi from rainy Baghdad. If you ask any Baghdadi "What's your ultimate dream ?!", then he'll reply to you at once without any hesitation "Al Aman". Al Aman means safety in English. One of the most terrible feelings that most Baghdadis are still experiencing till now despite the relative improvement in the security situation is FEAR. Yes my good friends. If you want me to tell you who the Baghdadi is in one word then I'll answer you "The Baghdadi is a SCARED human being !". When you live in Baghdad, then you must get used to experiencing many feelings that are surely considered- by the standards of people who live in safe places- horrific : When you see a loved one of yours, you must keep in your mind that there's a possibility that this may be the last time you see him/her. When one of your family members gets out of the house, then your heart will keep burning till he/she gets back home again. Everytime you wanna get out of your house, then you must ask yourself "Do I have to do this ?! Do I have to get out of my house ?!". Because everytime you get out of your house, there's a possibility that you may get killed. When you're chained with fear, then you won't be able to work properly, you won't be able to go on with your life properly. When fear controls your life, then you'll be a slave. If we stop being afraid, then I can tell you that we'll be ok ! With my love. Yours forever, Lubna. PS, to my love Anita from the US : THANKS A MILLON sweetie.

No War No Peace

Hi. These days I often get very confused when someone from outside Iraq asks me : "What's the situation like in Baghdad at the moment ?". Is the security situation on the ground in Baghdad getting better ?! Or is it still as bad as it used to be in the past ?! No one inside or outside Iraq can deny that the level of violence in Iraq these days is much much less than it used to be before. That's a fact. But the question that occupies the heads of most Baghdadis is "Will that last ?!". Nobody really knows the answer to that question. The thing that we are all sure of is that 'THEY' are still there, and that 'THEY' are still active and still can operate till now. Today 40 Iraqi civilians were murdered and 60 others were injured as 'THEY' targeted Iraqi Muslim Shiite pilgrims heading on foot towards the Iraqi city of Karbala to visit the Holy Shrine of Al Imam Al Hussein. May be in Iraq the rule is there's no rule. So I guess that I'll answer anyone who asks me how the security situation in Baghdad is "Fluctuating. No war but at the same time no peace !". With my love. Yours forever, Lubna.

Shihab Al Tamimi- Salamat

Hi. Today the head of the union of the Iraqi journalists Shihab Al Tamimi was seriously injured when unknown militants shot him today in Al Waziriya district in an attempt to assassinate him. In Iraq if you were a well known journalist, artist, scientist, professor or any well known person then you should be really extremely worried about the safety of yours and your family. Since 2003 many Iraqi journalists were killed, kidnapped, or seriously injured. Last year the godmother of all Iraqi journalists Ms Amal Al Mudaris was seriously injured when 'THEY' tried to murder her. Now she's in Syria suffering from the high expenses of her medical treatment. Why all this rage against journalists anywhere in the world and especially in Iraq ? May be because SOMEONE doesn't want the truth to be revealed. With my love. Yours forever, Lubna.

A regular Baghdadi day

Hi. One of the chronic problems that poor Baghdadis are facing since 2003 is the lack of electricity. In my house we get 1-2 hours electricity daily from the government, sometimes 3 hours. But we also 'buy' 9 hours electricity daily from the 'generator man'. The 'generator man' is our neighbour. He owns a private generator that generates electricity and we pay him almost 55$ monthly for 9 hours electricity daily. So we spend almost 13 hours daily with no electricity which is a very awful thing, isn't it ?! Especially in the summer when the temperature reaches 50 celsus during the day. I have a dream that one day the government gives us 12 hours electricity instead of 2. Is that too much to be asked ?! With my love. Yours forever, Lubna. PS, Dr.Hisham, Amy, ZK and Ian, THANKS A MILLION to all of you my good friends.

Brains As Targets

Hi. On Sunday the 17th of Feb. 2008 a "security" force broke into the college of dentistry-Baghdad University. They arrested the former dean of the college Prof.Dr.Osama Al Mulla, Prof.Dr.Riyadh Uttman, and 3 college employees and took them all to unknown place. They've also beaten one student. Also on Wednesday the 23rd of Jan. 2008 the dean of the college of dentistry-Baghdad University Prof.Dr.Munthir Murhij was assassinated in Baghdad. Such incidences happen alot allover Iraq and sadly don't get a fair share of media coverage. There's a systematic plan to empty Iraq silently from it's brains. The game goes like this : THEY threaten the BRAIN. The BRAIN leaves Iraq. If the BRAIN refuses to leave, then THEY kill the BRAIN ! And so many BRAINS had to leave Iraq because of the threats they've received. So they had to choose between their lives and staying in their country. Oh my God ! What a harsh choice to be made ! Satistics say that 1000 Iraqi doctors have fled Iraq and 222 Iraqi doctors have been assassinated since 2003. The cultural structure of our society is beings slowly disrupted day by day, and that -in my opinion- is the greatest loss of my Iraq. With my love. Yours forever, Lubna.

Thanks

Hi. I'm Lubna and I live in Baghdad, Iraq. I'm 21 years old and I'm also a fourth year medical student. In this blog I'll be telling you stories about our regular daily Baghdadi life that you will not get the chance to hear about from your media. Just to say a very big THANK YOU to my Precious friend Ian from Arizona, who has created this blog for me. Also I do want to say a very big THANK YOU to all my precious friends who work in the WHYS programme on the BBC World Service. Without their love and support I wouldn't be sitting here and blogging. They gave me the most important thing that anyone could give you : Confidence in myself. Speak to you later. With my love. Yours forever, Lubna.