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.