Young Iraqis embrace culture, Shun policy

[jillianjiggs]

B A G H D A D, Iraq, Nov. 26 — Though they fear the prospect of war and express cynicism toward American policies, young Iraqis indulge in various aspects of American culture, showing the same admiration as their American counterparts.

Heba al Sudani, a 21-year-old Iraqi woman who lives in Baghdad, awakens in a bedroom plastered with American culture, as pictures of Britney Spears, Bon Jovi, and even McDonald's and Burger King placemats garnish her walls.
Sudani is one of few Iraqis who has a clear memory of a life similar to the American dream — a life with opportunity and a chance to acquire economic success. Fifteen years ago her father was Iraq's ambassador to Zambia, and before he died, they lived in a home in Zambia with a pool and a tennis court — they even had their own driver.

However, after Sudani's father died, she and her family moved back to Baghdad — one week before the Gulf War began.

After living through the Gulf War, and now with the prospect of facing another war with the United States, Sudani says one of her American idols is not George Bush

"He gave the green light to Israel, and whatever they were doing, and I think that's the main reason for this hating of America, and its political policies and all this stuff. I don't know him personally, but I think he's not good enough for America, to rule America. There are a lot of people instead of him who are much better," said Sudani.

Although freedom of speech has its limits at Baghdad University, and student interactions with outsiders are monitored, the students' cynicism of American policies toward Iraq seems genuine.

"Every time America has a national crisis, there's a problem with elections, or impeachment, or Monica Lewinsky or something, they always have to sort of turn it on us, so the limelight won't be on them, it'll be on us. They should sort out themselves," said Mariam Maher, a student at Baghdad University.

Maher wears a hajab, but she also has an affinity for American culture. She speaks impeccable English, and enjoys listening to Garage music.


‘War May Still Be Possible’

As U.N. arms inspectors begin to search Iraq for chemical, biological and nuclear weapons — the only measure that might help Iraqis avoid war — many young Iraqis are still not sure they are closer to living in peace.

"We do think war may be still possible. They just came here, I think, for an excuse to find something wrong. They can still have an excuse to bomb Iraq," said Maher.

Young Iraqis long for peace, and they don't believe it is necessary for the inspectors to search the country.

"We just want to live our life normally, we don't have fights with anybody, we just want to live in a peaceful world. Is that too hard for them?" asked Hamsa Hosni Jaser Mohammed. Mohammed also enjoys Western culture — she's a Celine Dion fan.

As angry as they are about the possibility of war, young Iraqis do not blame Americans, but they do fault the American government.

"I have nothing against American or British people. They are good. And we are very proud, extremely proud of them because of their demonstrations. They refuse what's going to happen about Iraq, about the attack, but in my view in this war, the governments are bad," said Louis Khoushaba Yako, a student. Yako is also a Celine Dion fan, and he enjoys American movies such as Gone With the Wind and American Beauty.


Little Opportunity for Young Iraqis

A prominent difference between young Iraqis and their American counterparts is the constrained sense of opportunity they have in Iraq. The Iraqi economy is simply too depressed because of sanctions, and the past seems far brighter than the future.

"We don't have any future. In fact, my generation is finished," said Wamidh Omar Nadhmi, a professor at Baghdad University. "When I think of my generation — I was sent to England, and my father was paying for me. Now I cannot dream of sending my children, not to speak of America or England, or Russia or France. Not even to Beirut for one month."

For young people like Sudani, the only hope of regaining a life of luxury is that sanctions will be lifted, but she's not holding her breath.

"We don't have such chemical weapons, biological weapons. If we do have them, we might have used them before. But we don't and that, you know, has to be clear to the others that Iraq is clear from these kind of weapons."

However, Sudani said it doesn't matter whether or not others realize Iraq is clear of all types of weapons, because the outcome will be the same in either case.

"I'll tell you whether they prove it or not, Iraq is going to be bombed. And that's the real fact," she said.

[RedLine99]

I guess "regime change" just never reaches the campuses there

[86Dude]

Some of the pro-american (for lack of a more appropriate word)opinions expressed in this column are an excellent example of one of the reasons why we are going into Iraq first. This war isn't so much a war on terror, but a war on culture...radical Islamic culture. What better place to start this war than in secular Iraq? All the crap about WMD's, however true, really only serves as an excuse to get us in there. We really can't tell the world the real truth, for it is not politically correct or expedient to do so, at least not yet. Islam as it exists in the U.S. for example is not a problem simply because it does not exist as a political force. Where it does exist as political force we find theocracy, terrorism, slavery, torture, mutilation, murder, we could go on and on, pick a state. Sucks for them but, most importantly, they have made it quite obvious that they intend to kill us indiscriminately

Iraq is a necessary and an obvious first step in this culture war in a military sense. And it will not end there, but in Saudi Arabia, the epicenter of all that is wrong with Islamic culture. If it becomes necessary to kill every last one of these barbarians then so be it, we have more than enough money and power to unleash untold amounts of death. However, it would be a lot easier, a whole lot nicer if the less radical among Islam's most talented thinkers tried to reform from within, just the sort of people one might stumble upon in a Sadham free Iraq. This is not to say that Sadham is by any means a radical Muslim, but such reform cannot place its roots in a dictatorship devoid of free speech and self determination. If the moderate muslims among us do not succeed in reform, if we do not help them succeed then the U.S. military shall, leaving wrath of God style destruction in it's wake. No sane human being wants that to see that happen. Peaceful Islam stands to lose EVERYTING if it does not act or if we stand by and willingly let the disease spread. And IF it spreads there will eventually be no more peaceful Islam, no radical Islam, no Islam whatsoever.