Live From Dallas

Today was one of the worst days in Iraq's recent history. More than 60 innocent people lost their lives this morning. How could anyone legitimize these attacks? How could anyone claim the insurgents are helping the Iraqi people?

I'll tell you what will help the Iraqi people:

• Stand united in the face of murderers.


• Rebuild Iraq by Iraqis and with the help of Iraq's friends.


• Forget differences and focus on the shared values among the many Iraqi sectors.


• Build an equal opportunity society.


• Give full rights to the Iraqi women. Nothing scares the religious radicals and the insurgents more than a woman with a strong personality and high achievements.


• Forget the past and look at the bright future. Remember, if these murderers didn't see your freedom, they never would try to kill you. You're free and alive.

Let's hope they arrest the cowards behind the criminals, who brought sadness to the city of Bagouba and the rest of Iraq.


Arabic Word of The Post :

innocent : بريء - / ba-ree' /
innocents : أبرياء - / abree-YA' /

If there's one thing uniting the Iraqi people these days, it's the Iraqi athletes representing Iraq in Athens 2004.

Iraq has few athletes competing in the Olympics this year. What makes their participation different this year? There will be no torture awaiting this team upon their return to Iraq. That was the usual expectation under Uday's rule of the Iraqi Olympic Committee before April 2003.

Iraq's athletic program is getting $10 million from the U.S., part of the $18 billion aid package Congress approved to Iraq. The male Iraqi athletes were sent to train in America, Germany and other countries. That's very good as these guys need to learn more skills. They'll train with peers from these countries.

The team includes only one female athlete. Ladybird got my attention to the female athlete with her "The lone female in Iraq Olympics Squad" post last week. This is where I need your attention.

Thanassis Cambanis, a Boston Globe journalist, met with the female athlete in Baghdad. She reported Ala'a Hikmat's difficulties getting the proper training before the start of the Olympics. Ala'a was to go to Germany for training with the other male sprinter on the Iraqi Olympics team. The Iraqi Olympic Committee claimed it couldn't get her a visa to Germany. I don't buy their claim.

Members of the Iraqi Committee told the reporter that Ala'a was provided with sports shoes and suits. Later, the reporter spent a day with Ala'a. That's when she found out that Ala'a had no proper gear. Here's part of the report:

Her father died five years ago; her mother, a teacher, has raised her son and daughter alone since then.

Her family was forced to move during the fighting because their landlord raised the rent. Even now, bound for the Olympics, she trains in a pair of second-hand counterfeit Nike sneakers she bought for $10, their fabric so worn out it's almost see-through.

Despite those experiences, she doesn't repeat the commonly voiced complaints heard in Baghdad.

"We must have patience, because nothing can be achieved overnight," Hikmat said of the turbulent life she has led since the US invasion. "It's natural when a war takes place that it takes a long time for things to get back to normal."

I contacted the Boston Globe reporter and asked her how to help Ala'a. Here's part of her reply to me:

Unfortunately, there's no simply way to get help to her. Right now she's in Jordan, and will return to Iraq very briefly in early August before flying to Greece. There's no functional postal service in Iraq, and Ala'a has no phone, land-line or mobile. I already have left the country, although I expect to see Ala'a in Athens during the Olympics.

But she encouraged me to contact the officials at the Iraqi Olympic Committee to make sure Ala'a gets the attention of the committee.

Ladybird sent me the web address of the Iraqi Olympic Committee yesterday. The site has a contact form. I encourage you all to write to these people and let them know we care about Ala'a. I only request of you to be "nice" in your message. The officials are already upset with Ala'a telling the reporter of her struggles.

The contact form fields' names are in Arabic. So, here's the translation of these fields' names as they appear on the form:

Name
E-mail
Phone No.
Subject
Message

Thank you in advance for your help. Thank you Ladybird for posting your story.


UPDATE:
Liza found the English version of the form. Thank you so much Britty's mom.


Arabic Word of The Post :

ambassador : سفير - / sa-feer /
ambassadors : سفراء - / soo-feraa' /

Aman Batheja, a Fort Worth Star-Telegram journalist, wrote an article about the growing influence of webloggers. The article was published on the front page of the Star-Telegram today.

The article mostly covered the Dallas-Fort Worth bloggers, where there's more than 500 bloggers. That's a good number.

Aman included me in his article. Here's the part about "Live From Dallas" blog :

Less scandalous but still provocative have been Iraqi bloggers supplying a more nuanced view of the war than the mainstream media. The popularity and poignancy of these blogs, such as Baghdad Burning and Healing Iraq, prompted Fayrouz Hancock to start her blog Live From Dallas (www.fayrouz.blogspot.com) in October.

Hancock, 37, of Dallas uses her perspective as a native of Iraq living in the United States to offer insight into what life in the conflict is like for Iraqis.

With detailed accounts of Iraqi life, and Arabic vocabulary words at the end of every post, Hancock's blog has gained hundreds of fans, mostly Americans, she said.

"It's becoming now like a job for me. I have to blog at least three times a week because people need to know," Hancock said.

Lately, this blog has become a part-time job for me. It may explain why I started my fun blog to have a break from politics and work.

I add my voice to Cindy Chaffin's voice and say, "The Fat Guy's blog should've made the DFW Blogger cut."

TIP:
If you need a login and password to an online article of a newspaper or magazine, there's a link on my sidebar, where you can get this information. But, I'll let you search for it. Have fun.


Arabic Word of The Post:

star : نجمة - / naj-ma /
stars : نجوم - / nej-joom /

With the political debates and arguments heating up during this election year, I couldn't find better than Gregg and Evan Spiridellis' "This Land" animation for a humorous political post.

The animation makes me laugh each time I watch. I doubt there are many of you who haven't seen it yet. Still, you could watch it again. It's fun.


Arabic Word of The Post:

this (masculine) : هذا - / ha-tha /
this (feminine) : هذه - / hathee-hee /

Since I started my blog, I tried to be neutral when it comes to Iraqi ethnic groups and religious sectors. Today, I'm going to talk about the concerns of Iraqi Christians as their situation is not getting better.

I know many of my readers are more concerned to prove it's all shiny and beautiful in Iraq than to admit the problems still ahead of us. You may not like what I'm going to write. Let me say it up front: If you're looking for good news today, this is not the right post to read.

Someone needs to pay attention to the Christian minority in Iraq. Things are getting worse for them and NOBODY is willing to admit it. I'm sure 2004 being an election year is part of the problem and not having female Christian bloggers reporting from inside Iraq is another problem. I know someone in Basra with good English skills. But, I doubt she's willing to blog. Her struggles as a Christian female in Basra are enough for her these days.


THE BAD

According to this report by the Christian Science Monitor, 102 Christians were killed since April 9, 2003. Reasons for killing:

• Selling alcohol.
  
  Most Iraqi liquor stores are owned by Christians. Saddam didn't allow Muslims to open liquor stores. Even though it may seem like he acted as a good Muslim, I think his intentions were bad. He predicted the future. It worked. Bastard.
  
  The new Iraqi government allows Muslims to open liquor stores. Well, that's bad too as they're getting death threats from the Islamic radical groups. Both Christians and Muslims are losing their lives to make a living for their families.
  


• Working with Americans as translators or laundresses.
  
  Most Iraqi Christians speak English well. It may be due to speaking multiple languages at an early age. Chaldean, Assyrian, Syriac or Armenian language is the first language for many of us. Most of us mastered the Arabic language after enrolling in elementary school. So, learning English at school wasn't a problem.
  
  Also we don't have a problem working as translators. We're called traitors because of working for the Americans. It's a well paid job and there is nothing wrong with working as a translator. Unfortunately, this makes Christians who work for the Americans targets to the radical groups.
  


• About 10 percent were killed by coalition troops, casualties of postwar violence.
  
  Well, there isn't much we can do about it. I don't think the American troops mean to shoot Iraqis whether they're Christians or Muslims. Most of these accidents happen when both sides overreact to any suspicious move. Others are dying when being in an area where terrorists decide to bomb. Oh sure, the terrorists are trying to help the Iraqi people. Killing them is not the way to help. How about the terrorists leave the country and return to where they came from.
  


• Many were kidnapped and killed for money, a fate that befalls Muslims, too.
  
  Most Iraqis think the Christian community is rich because they have family members living aboard. That's not true even with rich family members living outside Iraq. These family members are busy building their lives, raising their kids and paying their bills. That's how life is.
  

THE GOOD

Australia has started accepting Iraqi Christian refugees this year. Since, Christians heard the news, they started traveling to Jordan and Syria to apply for immigration to Australia. This would be good if Australia could accept an unlimited number of refugees. However, there is a limited number of asylum seekers the country can accept each year. This year, the Australian government increased the number of visas under different immigration programs. I hope this has nothing to do with the Australian elections, which are coming in a few months. In a way, I don't care much. As long as there is hope, a number of Christian families may find a secure life in Australia, let it be an election move by John Howard.

Now, someone might ask, why aren't we fighting back? See, our bishops and priests are different than yours. Ours planted the teachings of Jesus in our head at an early age. Starting from "If anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit the other one too," and ending with "Love your enemies and bless those who curse you." They're so afraid for our lives as a minority. And, by teaching us to become peaceful, we transformed to sheep who can't do anything because we think complaining is wrong and we should be able to live in harmony with the rest of the country.

That's good, but the only choice left for us is to leave the country. That's bad because the non-Christians think we're chickens and don't care about what's happening in the country. Again, we're called traitors and other names.

Under this link you'll find an interview with Rev. Jean Benjamin Sleiman, Latin-rite (Roman Catholic) archbishop of Baghdad. He's a great guy. You'll understand more of our struggles after reading this interview.


THE BEST

Since the Iraqi census in 1977, Iraqi Christians have been forced to write "Arabs" as their ethnic group. I remember my parents argument with the census officer at the time. We wrote "Chaldean" as our ethnicity group. He told us that's not acceptable anymore and changed it to "Arab." Do you think we were able to do anything about it? No. Some people still think Saddam treated us well. Sure, right.

Starting with the next census, Iraqi Christians, including Chaldean, Assyrian and Syriac minorities will be recognized as "ChaldoAssyrian" ethnic group. This good news did make my day.


I'm sure Iyad Allawi knows of the struggles facing the Christian community. I'm not sure what's on his priority list. I hope helping this community is on the top of his list.

I hope someone reading this post could help. I can talk about it longer. But, what's the point if people aren't interested in listening to what I'm saying. Let's just pretend all is happy and beautiful.


Arabic Word of The Post :

translator (masculine) :  مترجم - / mooter - jim /
translator (feminine) :  مترجمة - / mooter-jeema /

Lindsey Rettke, a 12-year-old student from Mililani, Hawaii wrote an essay titled "My American Soldier." It won first place in the sixth-grade category and second overall out of 8,000 entries in a Weekly Reader contest. Weekly Reader is a newspaper for elementary school students.

She states in her essay:

There I was, a confused and scared 5-year-old girl, clinging to my dad's leg like Velcro. I didn't want to let go because I didn't know when I would see him again. "Why did my dad have to go to Bosnia?" I asked myself. Our country had just celebrated Independence Day and now he had to leave. As he pulled out of the driveway, I saw a tear roll down my mom's cheek. I hugged her and she told me not to worry. What did freedom mean? I didn't know.

I was 9 years old when my family found out my dad had to go to Kuwait. This was supposed to be an exciting time for my family as we prepared to move to Hawaii. Once again, my dad packed all his Army stuff, even my favorites like the color-changing flashlight, and his helmet that gave me a headache if I just wore it for a few minutes. As I gave my dad a hug goodbye, his army-issued pistol dug into my chest. Tears rolled down my cheeks, but once again my mom told me not to worry. Does freedom mean taking away loved ones?

In a few months, my dad is deploying to Afghanistan. Now that I am older and more experienced, I understand what freedom means. Freedom means it is okay to be sad, scared, and lonely at times; but most of all, freedom means being proud of an American soldier, my dad.

I wrote this post to remind us of the soldiers and their families. These are the poeple paying the big price for our freedom and politcal debates. After reading Lindsey's essay, I have nothing more to say. I only hope her dad comes back home safely.


Arabic Word of The Post :

freedom : حرية - / Hur-ria /
meaning : معنى - / ma'-na /
the : ال - / al /
meaning of freedom : معنى الحرية - / ma'-na al-Hur-ria /

Many soldiers and their family members read this blog. Since it's the weekend, I thought humor will be good -- Thank you Mrs. Neuman for the e-mail.

Want to pretend that your are deployed to Iraq? Here is a list of things you can do right in your own home:

1. Sleep on a cot in the garage.


2. Replace the garage door with a curtain.


3. Six hours after you go to sleep, have your wife or girlfriend whip open the curtain, shine a flashlight in your eyes and mumble, "Sorry, wrong cot."


4. Renovate your bathroom. Hang a green plastic sheet down from the middle of your bathtub and move the showerhead down to chest level. Keep four inches of soapy cold water on the floor. Stop cleaning the toilet and pee everywhere but in the toilet itself. For a more realistic deployed bathroom experience, stop using your bathroom and use a neighbor's. Choose a neighbor who lives at least a quarter mile away.


5. When you take showers, wear flip-flops and keep the lights off.


6. Every time there is a thunderstorm, go sit in a wobbly rocking chair and dump dirt on your head. (OK, for those of you who don't get this one - the idea is to simulate the effects of nearby artillery And the outgoing is even louder then the incoming!)


7. Put lube oil in your humidifier instead of water and set it on "HIGH" for that tactical generator smell.


8. Don't watch TV except for movies in the middle of the night. Have your family vote on which movie to watch and then show a different one.


9. Leave a lawnmower running in your living room 24 hours a day for proper noise level.


10. Have the paperboy give you a haircut.


11. Buy a trash compactor and only use it once a week. Store up garbage in the other side of your bathtub.


12. Wake up every night at midnight and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a saltine cracker.


13. Make up your family menu a week ahead of time without looking in your food cabinets or refrigerator. Then serve some kind of meat in an unidentifiable sauce poured over noodles. Do this for every meal.


14. Set your alarm clock to go off at random times during the night. When it goes off, jump out of bed and get to the shower as fast as you can. Simulate there is no hot water by running out into your yard and breaking out the garden hose.


15. Once a month, take every major appliance completely apart and put it back together again.


16. Use 18 scoops of coffee per pot and allow it to sit for five or six hours before drinking.


17. Invite at least 185 people you don't really like because of their strange hygiene habits to come and visit for a couple of months. Exchange clothes with them.


18. Have a fluorescent lamp installed on the bottom of your coffee table and lie under it to read books.


19. Raise the thresholds and lower the top sills of your front and back doors so that you either trip over the threshold or hit your head on the sill every time you pass through one of them.


20. Keep a roll of toilet paper on your night stand and bring it to the bathroom with you. And bring your gun and a flashlight.


21. Announce to your family that they have mail, have them report to you as you stand outside your open garage door after supper and then say, "Sorry, it's for the other Smith."


22. Wash only 15 items of laundry per week. Roll up the semi-wet clean clothes in a ball. Place them in a cloth sack in the corner of the garage where the cat pees. After a week, unroll them and without ironing or removing the mildew, proudly wear them to professional meetings and family gatherings. Pretend you don't know what you look or smell like. Enthusiastically repeat the process for another week.


23. Go to the worst crime-infested place you can find, go heavily armed, wearing a flak jacket and a Kevlar helmet. Set up shop in a tent in a vacant lot. Announce to the residents that you are there to help them.


24. Eat a single M&M; every Sunday and convince yourself it's for Malaria.


25. Demand each family member be limited to 10 minutes per week for a morale phone call. Enforce this with your teenage daughter.


26. Shoot a few bullet holes in the walls of your home for proper ambiance.


27. Sandbag the floor of your car to protect from mine blasts and fragmentation.


28. While traveling down roads in your car, stop at each overpass and culvert and inspect them for remotely detonated explosives before proceeding.


29. Fire off 50 cherry bombs simultaneously in your driveway at 3:00 a. m. When startled neighbors appear, tell them all is well, you are just registering mortars. Tell them plastic will make an acceptable substitute for their shattered windows.


30. Drink your milk and sodas warm.


31. Spread gravel throughout your house and yard.


32. Make your children clear their Super Soakers in a clearing barrel you placed outside the front door before they come in.


33. Make your family dig a survivability position with overhead cover in the backyard. Complain that the 4x4s are not 8 inches on center and make them rebuild it.


34. When your 5-year-old asks for a stick of gum, have him find the exact stick and flavor he wants on the Internet and print out the web page. Type up a Form 9 and staple the web page to the back. Submit the paperwork to your spouse for processing. After two weeks, give your son the gum.


35. Wait for the coldest/ hottest day of the year and announce to your family that there will be no heat/air conditioning that day so you can perform much needed maintenance on the heater/ air conditioner. Tell them you are doing this so they won't get cold/ hot.


36. Just when you think you're ready to resume a normal life, order yourself to repeat this process for another six months to simulate the next deployment you've been ordered to support.

I hope all our soldiers come back home safely.


Arabic Word of The Post :

soldier : جندي - / joondi /
soldiers : جنود - /jenood /

Are you ready for the weekend? Do you have some extra time to spend in front of the computer? If yes, continue reading this post. If not, keep reading this post. You may get motivated to participate in one of the following activities :

• Message of Encouragement to The Women of Iraq (Via Iraq Net) :
  Women for Women International is asking people to send letters to the Iraqi women. The purpose of this activity is to let the Iraqi women know people care about them and wish them the best for their future. You could click on this link to fill up the form.
  
  I encourage you all to participate in this small exercise. This is the least we can do to the Iraqi women.
  


• What do you dream for your country?
  This was posted on brilliant Najma's blog. She's asking people to write their dream for their country. She requested Arabs, non-Arabs, Muslims and non-Muslims to participate in this project by posting their dream on her comments section. Then, she'll post them on Amro Khalid website, a modern Islamic herald, where the original request was posted on.
  
  We keep talking about the need to start a dialogue between the Arab and Western worlds. Here's your chance to participate in a good project that serves this purpose.
  


• Dear America :
  The purpose of this website is to collect letters from Iraqis written to the American people and vice versa. I encourage Americans to write their thoughts to the Iraqis. I'm not sure if Iraqis reading this post would like to participate.
  
  I really would like for both sides to post letters, where the other side could see. Many of you have been doing this for months on the comment sections of other Iraqi blogs. This is another chance to let your voice to be heard.
  


• If you're not into writing. Here's something more interesting for you or your kids. Najma's youngest sister, who started her own blog, is running a computer painting contest on her blog.
  
  This is a good idea for you or your children to correspond with an Iraqi child. Well, she's 15. She doesn't spend much time outdoors because of the unstable security situation in Mosul. BUT, she's using her time in a productive way. That's really great compared to many kids who keep complaining they're bored.
  

Hope to see your participation.


Arabic Word of The Post :

letter : رسالة - / ree-SALA /
letters : رسائل - / ruSA -ill /

I'm always asked, "What do you think of Iraq today?" My best answer is, "Ask the people still living in Iraq."

I believe pictures can tell stories much better than words. So, today I leave you with this photo essay from the BBC News. It's interesting that everyone hopes the new government will improve the security situation. Reading the developments in Iraq since the handover of sovereignty to the Iraqis, I've witnessed more optimism among people regarding the security situation.

Women are more skeptical of the new situation. Please, don't criticize them. Instead, try to understand their worries.


UPDATE
I forgot to mention that there are two new Iraqi blogs. Check them here.


Arabic Word of The Post:

photo : صورة - / Soo-ra /
photos : صور - / Soo-wer /

Few weeks ago, my friend D. sent me a photo of her Iraqi friend N., who lives in Colorado. The photo was taken while N. visited Iraq few months ago. It was a photo of her and her Iraqi fiancee who lived in Iraq. I remember e-mailing D. back at the time and saying, "They look like a cute couple."

N. was planning on having her wedding in Iraq before the end of this summer. She bought the wedding dress last week. Yesterday afternoon, D. sent me the following e-mail:

N. Just sent me a message and said that her fiancee got killed last Thursday. He is dead. They buried him last week, and she is so much in pain she did not want to talk to no one. I am sad and went outside and cried so hard. I feel so bad, and hopeless don't know what to do.

I'm not good when it comes to losing someone dear. I only have the following words to offer both N. and D. -- My thanks to the friend who sent me these words last week :

• To realize the value of a sister, ask someone who doesn't have one.


• To realize the value of ten years, ask a newly divorced couple.


• To realize the value of four years, ask a graduate.


• To realize the value of one year, ask a student who has failed a final exam.


• To realize the value of one month, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.


• To realize the value of one week, ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.


• To realize the value of one hour, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.


• To realize the value of one minute, ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane.


• To realize the value of one-second, ask a person who has survived an accident.


• To realize the value of one millisecond, ask the person who has won a Silver medal in the Olympics.


• Time waits for no one. Treasure every moment you have.


• You will treasure it even more when you can share it with someone special.


• To realize the value of a friend, Lose one.

In my previous post, I said the electricity situation needs to be improved. I guess, the security situation needs to be improved more.

Life is shorter than you think. So, enjoy it as much as you can.


Arabic Word of The Post :

electricity : كهرباء - / kehra-baa /
security : أمن - / emn /

Since I wrote about Sara’s burns, I need to talk about heating, cooling and air-conditioning appliances in Iraq.

Iraqi homes don’t have heating or air conditioning systems like the American homes. The new government buildings like the Department of Education, where I worked, had these systems installed by foreign construction companies as they were built.

Iraq has long summers and short winters. Iraqi summers are very hot. Degrees go above 40°C ( 110°'F ) as early as April. July and August are the worst with even higher temperatures. Iraqi winters are very cold in Baghdad. They get warmer as you move south. It doesn’t snow except for the North, which also has a less hot summer than rest of the country. I believe it’s due to the many mountains. Think Colorado and Texas weathers, you’ll get the picture of the difference between the weather between Iraq’s north and south.

Baghdad’s summers are dry. People who could afford high electricity bills would usually have at least two window-unit air-conditioners in their homes. No homes have central air conditioners. Other people manage with air-coolers (swamp coolers), which is not a bad choice when you have at least two in your home. Even though electricity in Iraq is cheap by American standards, it is still expensive for most Iraqis.

Basra’s summers are humid. Humidity goes up to 99 percent during July and August. We call it “sharji” season. You don’t want to live in Basra if you don’t have at least one air-conditioner unit in your home. Air coolers work like water sprinklers during sharji season. When electricity goes down during this season, you could experience HELL in reality. One difference, you’re with your friends and family in hell. So, it’s not so bad.

Baghdad’s winters are very cold compared to Basra’s winters. Without central heating systems in Iraqi homes, the only option is to either use oil-filled heaters or kerosene heaters. Most people would rather use kerosene heaters because it cost less. Remember, oil-filled heaters are electrical. Kerosene is cheap in Iraq. So, families could have more than one heater working at the same time. It also keeps most of the house warm.

Because of the unstable electricity situation in Iraq, people use these kerosene heaters to heat water in bathrooms. Well, it’s the only option when it’s cold and you need a shower. It also keeps our large bathrooms warm. You still need a heater in the bathroom even when electricity is up and the family could boil water with a water boiler.

During summer, you don’t need to heat water for showers. Every house has a water tank. The tank is usually installed on the houses’ flat roof. Because of the hot summer in Iraq, tank water is hot by midday and you can take the best shower without wasting any electricity. BUT, due to the unstable water supply situation in Iraq for many years now. Most houses have water motors to fill these tanks with water when empty. Now, when electricity is down, you’re left with fewer options to fill the tanks.

Home swimming pools are rare in Iraq. Hey, people don’t have enough water for a shower. Do you think they’ll have a swimming pool? We still have few public pools around Baghdad and in hotels. But, most Iraqis don’t know how to swim for lack of swimming pools. Probably that’s the reason. I’m not really sure.

So, if you ask me what improvement people want to see in Iraq, I would say improve the electricity situation. It’s very important as you can see.


Arabic Word of The Post :

summer : صيف - / SAIf /
winter : شتاء - / shee-ta'a /

Scott Chaffin, my fellow Dallas blogger, liked the "Disorder In The Court" post on my break room blog. He thought it was so funny I should publish it on this blog too. Since he had to create a new blog with blogger just to be able to comment, I gladly linked to it above.

I love to spoil my readers and listen to their suggestions.


Arabic Word of The Post:

court : محكمة - / meH-kema /
courts : محاكم - / meHA-kim /

"My War" (Via Ladybird) is a new military blog written by an infantry in the U.S Army. He's stationed in Mosul, where he writes his blog.

Reading his blog reminded me of war movies. One difference, his stories are nonfictional. That's what makes reading his blog very interesting.

Please, welcome him into the blogsphere.

BTW, I put some lights in my break room. It makes it easier to read the posts. Thanks for your complaints. I always work on them. :-)


Arabic Word of The Post:

new - جديد - / ja-deed /
old - قديم - / qa-deem /

Sara Al-Humadi is a 3-year-old Iraqi girl from the city of Hilla. At this early age, she has 3rd-degree burns on her hands, chin, cheeks, nose, forehead and left leg. The burns are the results of a kerosene stove fire. The stove heated water at their house.

With the bad security situation in Iraq, experienced plastic surgeons were not available to treat her scars. Her loving parents tried desperately to get her skin treated for these burns. There wasn't much hope in getting her the proper treatment inside Iraq. That's the bad news.

Here's the good news: Samaritan Purse, a nonprofit organization based in North Carolina, coordinated a trip from the Middle East to Galveston, where Sara is getting treatment at the Shriners' Burn Hospital. Sara is accompanied by her mother and a translator.

Sara will turn 4 on July 29. So, I contacted Carolina Amengual, a reporter at The Daily News in Galveston. I asked her for an address where we could send gifts to Sara. She gladly contacted Cindy Bonsall, the organization's director of children's projects. Cindy told her gifts could be sent to the organization's headquarters and they'll deliver them to Sara. Here's the address:

Samaritan Purse
801 Bamboo Road
Boone, NC 28607

If you decide to send gifts using regular mail, the P.O. Box is preferred:

Samaritan Purse
P.O. Box 3000
Boone, NC 28607

You can call Samaritan's Purse Headquarters on (828) 262-1980 for any questions.

I don't have kids, so I'm not sure what a 4-year-old girl would like to have as a birthday gift. Send me your suggestions. If you're sending gifts, don't forget to mention these gifts are sent specifically for Sara. I really want her to have a good birthday.

Thank you in advance for your help in bringing a smile to Sara's face.


Arabic Word of The Post :

fire : نار - / nar /
water : ماء - / Ma' /

Election 2004 is heating up with today's announcement of Kerry's running mate. Everyone in America is going crazy. So, what do we need? We need a break room from politics.

I know readers are interested in this blog because I talk about politics. But, I sometimes like to take a break from politics. I like to have a good laugh from time to time. So, I decided to open another blog, which I called "Fayrouz Break Room".

The new blog will be a place where I could post the many jokes I recieve from my friends. It will be a no-politics zone. A place to grab a cup of coffee and read a little joke or humorous news.

I'll try to post daily on the new blog. These days, it's much easier to find a joke than any good news. Wait, I have some good news. But, I'll blog about it later today.

See you in my break room.


Arabic Word of The Post :

politic : سياسي - / see-YA-see /
politics : سياسة - / see-YA-SA /

Bubbles is the newest Iraqi female blog. It's written by Zena Amaar. She writes poetically in Arabic. Her posts remind me of Ishtar, who stopped blogging last year. I hope Ishtar is reading this post and doing well. I think the brilliant Najma motivated many smart Iraqi girls to start their own blogs. Well done Najma.

I'm glad more Iraqi homes have access to the Internet. The Internet makes it easier to communicate with the outside world.

I wish the Internet existed during the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war. There were many times when Basrawis had to stay home for weeks because of the daily bombing of the city. I'm talking about continuous bombing, where we had to stay out of schools. We passed time by watching TV and reading books. The only connection we had with the outside world was the phone.
I talked for hours with friends on the phone. There simply was nothing better to do when you're stuck at home for weeks. This may explain why most of my Iraqi friends, who moved out of Iraq, still prefer to call instead of e-mailing me. I would send an e-mail to my Iraqi-Australian friend in Sydney, and the phone rings. Surprise, it's her on the phone. It may also explain why I don't like to talk via the phone anymore.

Please, welcome these wonderful girls into the blogosphere. They're using their spare time in a very productive way. Not to mention they're the future of Iraq.


UPDATE:
More new Iraqi blogs could be found under this link (Via Emigre).


Arabic Word of The Post :

bubble - فقاعة - / foo-'QA-'a /
bubbles - فقاعات - / foo-'Qa-AT /

The Iraqi female bloggers will rule the blogsphere very soon. Here's the newest and happiest Iraqi female blog. It's written by Raghda Zaid, an Iraqi female living in Baghdad. She mostly writes in Arabic. She posted some good jokes in Arabic.

I'm not sure she's willing to write in English. If you encourage her and give her a warm welcome, she may start writing in English.

UPDATE:
Raghda has become the youngest Iraqi blogger. She's 13 years old. Isn't that wonderful?


Arabic Word of The Post:

girl : بنت - / bint /
boy : ولد - / wa-led /

I woke up this morning, checked the news and there's this crazy man on TV. I thought, "He reminds me of someone crazy and depressed. He needs to take Prozac."

Since the capture of Mr. Crazy, I looked forward for his trial. But today, when I watched him on TV then read his idiotic words, I thought to myself, "I really don't want to hear or see him anymore." He's the same arrogant person Iraqis have known for years.

I couldn't watch him for more than five minutes. That's how much I'm disgusted at his appearance and words. He's the same actor we've known for years. Now, I know how people trying to recover from an abusive relationship feel when they meet their abusers in a courtroom.

Today is a nice day. I won't sit and talk about someone who stole the best years of our lives. I'm glad the new Iraqi generations won't have to live under his tyranny. I'm glad they can look forward to their future. I'm going to enjoy my day in the sunlight.

And you, Mr. Crazy, stay in denial. That way you will soon see your fate. If you wake up from your dream, you may commit suicide. However, I don't want you to hurt yourself. I want the Iraqis to decide your fate. That's the least you could give them since you still call yourself "The President of Iraq."

Have a nice day everyone.


Arabic Word of The Post:

crazy: مجنون - / mej-noon /
craziness: جنون - / jin-noon /

I know, I know. I should be talking about Saddam's court case(s). But, I had to publish the following joke. My Iraqi friend sent it to me from Jordan, where she lives and works.

An Iraqi woman was walking around in Baghdad when she stumbled upon an old empty bottle.

She picked it up and rubbed it, and lo-and-behold a Genie appeared. She talked with him a while then the Genie told her he would grant her ONE wish.

She said she heard from a cousin that she would get three wishes if she ever found a Genie.

The Genie said, "Nope, sorry three-wish genies are a storybook myth. I'm a ONE-WISH Genie. So... what'll it be?"

The woman didn't hesitate. She said, "I want peace in Iraq. See this map, I want these countries to stop fighting with each other, and I want all the Arabs to love Jews and Americans and vice-versa. It will bring about world peace and harmony."

The Genie looked at the map and exclaimed, "Damn Lady, what's wrong with you? PLEASE BE REASONABLE! These countries have been at war for thousands of years. I'm out of shape after being in a bottle for 500 years. I'm good, but NOT THAT GOOD!!! I don't think it can be done." PLEASE make another wish and please I beg you... Be reasonable."

The woman thought for a minute and said, "Well, I've never been able to find the right Iraqi man... You know, one that is considerate and fun, likes to dance and helps with the cooking, housecleaning, and is FAITHFUL. That's what I wish for... a good Iraqi man."

The Genie let out a long sigh, shook his head and said, "Let me see that friggin' map again."

No offence to any Iraqi men. But, the cooking and housecleaning part is very true. To be fair, many Iraqi-Australian guys have improved. They help their wives more than you could imagine. Many of them learned how to cook, prepare and serve drinks for guests, and help with house work -- I wouldn't call it housecleaning. They even help with changing baby diapers when the wife is busy.

Iraqi girls, if you get a marriage proposal from an Iraqi guy living in Australia, you probably need to consider his proposal. Not to mention Australia is a very beautiful country and has a perfect weather.


Arabic Word of The Post:

perfect : مثالي - / mee-thAlee /

Wow, this was a real surprise. I didn't expect an early handover of sovereignty to the new interim Iraqi government. I'm actually so happy for this decision. It was a very smart decision. It reminds me of smart chess moves.

I'm sure the hopeless terrorists from Falluja didn't see this one coming.

I hold high hopes in Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and his courageous team. Yes, you could say every negative thing about them. But, those people wake up every morning to go to work not knowing if they'll be alive be end of the day. Cowards don't do that.

Thank you to everyone who helped Iraq since the collapse of Saddam's regime. Thank you to everyone who encouraged the Iraqi bloggers to write their thoughts even when everyone felt down. No, I'm not going to stop blogging. I'm just thankful to the people who read these amateur Iraqi blogs, which represent the new Iraq and its newborn democracy.

Talking about Iraqi bloggers, check the newest Iraqi blog written by the youngest Iraqi blogger so far. It's titled "A Star From Mosul" (via Life In Baghdad). It's written by a 16-year-old magnet school girl. Please, give her your support and good wishes.


Happy Day Iraq.


Arabic Word of The Post :

sovereignty : سيادة - / see-yada /

This week, Iraq's events were bloody and sad. I couldn't find the energy to post anything about those events. We all expected these things to happen. I expect the worst will happen until the handover of sovereignty to the Iraqi people next week on June 30.

Meanwhile, I read the news of two Assyrian sisters who were killed in Basra four days ago. That really halted my appetite to write anything. I probably should write briefly about Chaldean funerals. It's not a pleasant subject, but you need to know how our funerals work.

I'm not sure which funerals are more complicated -- ours or yours. You could decide for yourself after you finish reading this post.

First, we bury our dead people. We don't have cremation or embalming options. I knew about cremation and embalming from watching the American movies and TV shows. In Iraq, we don't worry about the coffin's quality or how much it costs. We use standard and simple wood coffins. I think that's good. What's the point of being buried in a fancy coffin?

Second, we don't keep the dead in a morgue until letters are sent to people inviting them to the funeral. We're casual about our funerals. The dead are buried the same or next day, unless the family decides to bury the person in another city (like the birth city). This doesn't preclude people from attending the funeral. You'll be amazed of how many people show up at the church for the funeral service.

After the burial of the loved one, the family returns home. People who attended the church service would return with the family. Many relatives, neighbors and friends come and pay their respect to the family on this day. Hopefully, there is enough space to seat all those people. I'm talking scores of people.

First thing, you're served a cup of Turkish coffee without sugar. You may be served tea afterward. But, coffee is a must as a start. Then, there is the food. Usually, friends and relatives help provide breakfast, lunch and dinner for everyone. I'm not talking hamburger sandwiches. I'm talking REAL Iraqi meals like Biryani, Roasted Lamb, Kebba and other delicious meals. Let me tell you, our funerals have the best food.

This usually lasts for three days. Most people who show up on the first day will return on the second and third day too. It's always sad for the family members as they have to sit on the same chair for the whole day while trying to weep and show signs of sadness. If not, people would think the family didn't love the deceased one.

Female family members dress in black during the funeral without any makeup. Most of them continue to wear black and no makeup for one year. It's one of these traditions I never followed, and I have no intention to follow in the future. I'm not fond of black clothes.

The family usually has a smaller-scale church service on the 40th day after the burial. This is usually attended by family members, close relatives and friends. Then there is the 1st anniversary which ends this long circle of sadness.

I didn't include many details about our funerals. It's a depressing subject. But, I thought you need to know a bit about it. I hope I didn't bore you.

Tomorrow is another day. I hope it's a better day.


Arabic Word of The Day:

funeral : جنازة - / jannA-za /

Dale Carnegie says in his book "How to Win Friends & Influence People" :

"You can tell people they are wrong by a look or an intonation or a gesture just as eloquently as you can in words -- and if you tell them they are wrong, do you make them want to agree with you? Never! For you have struck a direct blow at their intelligence, judgment, pride and self-respect. That will make them want to strike back. But it will never make them want to change their minds. You may then hurl at them all the logic of Plato or an Immanual Kant, but you will never alter their opinions, for you have hurt their feelings."

We could all learn from these words to improve our daily life, couldn't we?

Lt. Col. Tim Ryan, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment from Fort Hood, Texas, took control of the Abu Ghraib district in March -- just the name "Abu Ghraib" brings all kinds of bad memories to most of us.
When Ryan arrived, the American troops were attacked daily by insurgents. Ryan first thought he could offer money for improvement projects and the situation would get better. Well, it didn't. The insurgents continued their attacks and many American soldiers died.

One day while in a meeting with the district council members, Ryan again offered money for a reconstruction project. An Iraqi guy said to him:

"We don't want your money, we want your respect."

That's what they needed: NOT money but respect. Respect of their culture and tribal leaders.

Ryan chose to listen to the local people. He wanted to know what they really wanted. He went so far as to tell the Abu Ghraib sheiks that both sides had made mistakes. His understanding made everything different. After many friendly -- maybe not so friendly -- discussions they agreed on responsibilities and rights of both sides, which became known as "The White Page Truce." The name came from the Arabic phrase "Let's start a new white page."

Ryan's method was so successful in bringing peace to this district that the Higher Headquarters sent people to study his method. Well done Ryan.

Now, how hard was it?


Arabic Word of The Post:

truce : هدنة - / hud-na /

I think we need some humor instead of talking about politics. So, here's a humorous e-mail I received from an American friend who lives in California. I met her while living in Sydney, Australia. We kept in touch since then. Her e-mails will always make me laugh.

Here's her latest e-mail:

One day, three men were hiking and unexpectedly came upon a large raging, violent river. They needed to get to the other side, but had no idea of how to do so. The first man prayed to God, saying, "Please God, give me the strength to cross this river." Poof! God gave him big arms and strong legs, and he was able to swim across the river in about two hours, after almost drowning a couple of times.

Seeing this, the second man prayed to God, saying, "Please God, give me the strength...and the tools to cross this river." Poof! God gave him a rowboat and he was able to row across the river in about an hour, after almost capsizing the boat a couple of times.

The third man had seen how this worked out for the other two, so he also prayed to God saying, "Please God, give me the strength and the tools... and the intelligence ... to cross this river." And Poof! God turned him into a woman. She looked at the map, hiked upstream a couple of hundred yards, then walked across the bridge.

This should be sent to all the smart women you know,or to a smart guy who needs to remember who keeps him afloat!.

Arabic Word of The Post :

river : نهر - / nehr /
rivers : أنهر - / an-hor /

I can't believe I missed this Iraqi blog. The blog is written by Ahmed Kharrufa. He's an Iraqi who lives, works and posts from Baghdad -- I hope I'm not wrong with these assumptions. He started writing on January 2004. He brings another view of life in Baghdad. It's a blog worth reading.

Another site worth mentioning is From Baghdad To New York, which was mentioned on Ahmed's blog.


Arabic Word of The Post :

from : من - / min /
to : إلى - / eela /

I wished MORE for Paul Johnson's safety after I saw his wife plead for his safety on TV. A few hours later, the news channels reported the beheading of Paul Johnson -- WARNING: the link contains graphic photographs.

I can't imagine what his wife, family and friends are going through today. I wish something could've been done to prevent this new tragedy. I wish Saudi Arabia gets their forces together and crack down on those terrorists once and forever.

It amazing how the Saudi government found and killed those responsible of Paul's death hours after his death. Why didn't the police capture them before they committed their crime? I'm losing my patience with the Saudi government. I think it needs to take tougher actions against these criminals.

I send my condolences to Paul Johnson's wife, family, friends and colleagues. May his spirit flies high above blue skies.


Arabic Word of The Post :

sky : سماء - / samA-a /
skies : سماوات - / samA-wAt /

One advantage of my husband working for The Dallas Morning News is getting access to information before it runs in the newspaper. He notified me last month that Erich Schlegel took photos to run with a story about Iraqi Scouts. Since I was a Girl Scout during elementary, intermediate and high-school, I checked the newspaper every day for the story. I didn't want to miss it. It got published on Monday. So far so good.

The report starts by introducing Mike Bradle, a Texas businessman, who is planning to raise $4 million to rebuild the Iraqi Scouts program. I kept reading with excitement until I get to this part of the report:

"American servicemen and Scout leaders in Baghdad jump-started an Iraqi Scouting council. The U.S. government and American donors are paying for it, and a former CIA operative, William "Chip" Beck, is promoting the program in Iraq."

A former CIA operative is promoting the program in Iraq ? OH NO. Houston, we have a problem. America is sending the wrong message to the Iraqi people.

Don't start throwing stones at me. This would have been your reaction if a former KGB or Mukhabarat operative came to America to start a similar scouting program. No matter how decent the person was, you would have many suspicions. Right?

Additionally, I think he's the wrong leader after he asked The Dallas Morning News to exclude his CIA background from the article. Also, Malek Gabr, deputy secretary general of World Scouting in Geneva, said Beck didn't tell him he was a former CIA agent when they discussed the idea of Iraq's Scouting rebirth in March.

The term "CIA operative" is not favored at all in the Middle East. I'm sure these agents do a great job to protect the security of America and many of them die in the line of duty. But, it's never wise to put oil next to flames.

Now, if this person was a former FBI agent, I would have no problem at all. FBI agents are the good guys in my opinion. I wish I arrived to America while I was young. I would have studied criminal justice. I would've joined the FBI-Special Victims Unit. Could you tell I watch Law and Order? I LOVE this show.

Anyway, let's not jump to any conclusions. I still wish success for this project, but I think it would be better served by someone with less baggage.

UPDATE:
What I wrote doesn't mean I dislike the CIA. It means Middle Easterners don't like spies, which is the case with any other country including America. Right ?

Folks, see the big picture from the eyes of a Middle-Easterner, and I'm sure you'll get my message right. We can't afford to make more mistakes in Iraq. The Iraqi model can become a good or bad example of establishing democracy in the Middle East. It all depends on how careful America is with every step it takes in Iraq. You may not like my opinion, but you need to think about it.


Arabic Word of The Post :

Girl Scout : مرشدة - / mur-sheeda /
Boy Scout : كشاف - /kesh-shaf /

A big photo of two young girls from Honduras hangs on the wall in front of my computer. At the bottom of the photo is printed "Peace begins with a smile - Mother Theresa." It always reminds me of the power of a smile and laughter.

The smile and shyness of Asma Muhana, a 10-year-old Iraqi girl, stole the hearts of sailors and marines at Alpha Surgical Company serving in Camp Al Asad, Iraq. Asma was born with a hole in the upper chamber of her heart. She also has several heart valve defects. Over time, the defect can severely degrade her heart and possibly lead to death. Luckily, her father worked on Camp Al-Asad and word spread of her ailment. The doctors offered to help. Everyone else at the camp offered their assistance. She underwent surgery at the camp hospital. She's currently awaiting a flight to take her to a U.S. hospital for her heart surgery.

This is the sweetest and most emotional story I've read in a while. Thanks Cynthia for the link.


Arabic Word of The Post :

smile : أبتسامة - / ibtee-sama /
smiles : أبتسامات - / ibtee-samat /

You probably heard of Saddam's campaign in 1994 to amputate army deserters' ears. Iraqi doctors estimate there are around 3,500 Iraqi men who remain with physical, emotional, personal and social scars due to his brutal campaign. Here's the good news, the Iraqi Ministry of Health now offers these men free reconstructive surgery.

It must have been too hard for those men to live in a society were appearance is very important. I'm glad the Ministry of Health is helping these men by restoring their pride and confidence.

The new Iraqi government has a tough job to do. I really hope them the best. Expect them to make some mistakes in their long journey, but wish them the best during the next five or 10 years. I'm not stupid. I don't think everything will be great in Iraq by the end of the year. Give it at least four years before you make any conclusions.


Arabic Word of The Post :

man : رجل - / re-jol /
men : رجال - / ree-jAl /

Baghdad Dweller (via Emigre) is a new Iraqi blog written by Ladybird (I really like her nickname), who lives in the Netherlands. Please, welcome her to the blogsphere.

More power for the Iraqi women bloggers.


Arabic Word of The Post :

live (feminine present tense verb) : تعيش - / ta-eesh /
lived (feminine past tense verb) : عاشت - / Ah-shet /

Dallas has a new sister city as reported by The Dallas Morning News:

First lady Laura Bush announced Wednesday that Dallas is one of three U.S. cities to gain an Iraqi sister city, part of the Partners for Peace Initiative.

Dallas will provide humanitarian aid to Kirkuk in northeastern Iraq in the unofficial partnership. Denver has been paired with Baghdad and Tucson, Ariz., with Sulaymaniyah

The Rocky Mountain News has more details on this story. It looks like Laura Bush surprised many people with this announcement. I was surprised and HAPPY when my husband called me from work to tell me the news. I also wish Basrah was one of the sponsored cities. Oh well, it may have a better chance next year.

Whether you're a Democrat, Republican or independent, you've got to admire Laura Bush for different reasons:

1. She's the reading advocate.


2. When the Harry Potter movies and books became a religious issue, she read the books and encouraged everyone to read them too. She went further and decorated a special section of The White House with Harry Potter themes last Christmas. Almost everyone got the message afterward.


3. Listening to her comments about stem cell research this week, made me think there may be some hope that one day we could resolve the ethical and religious issue with this subject. I'm not predicting anything, I'm only hoping. Yes, I fully understand the religious issue -- remember I'm a practicing Catholic. But I don't think God would punish anybody trying to help sick people, whose progress condition relies on advanced research in this field.

Anyway, back to our sister city subject. I must admit I'm happy. Kirkuk is similar to Dallas. It has a blend of different ethnic and religious groups. I wish this sisterhood the best, and it's time for me to go to sleep.


Arabic Word of The Post :

city : مدينة - / me-deenA /
cities : مدن - / mo-dun /

A new Chaldean Community Cultural Center will open in Michigan December, 2004.

Martin Manna, spokesman for the Chaldean Iraqi-American Association of Michigan, spoke about the center and said,

"This was the cradle of civilization, where the wheel was invented, where astronomy and mathematics began. The first schools, the first library, the first law. This gives us a chance to tell our story."

The association, which has 1,000 member families, is spending $23 million to build this center. It is the first of its kind in Michigan and America.

The report also states:

"Association officials are collecting pieces of Chaldean art by working with scholars and historians from around the world and members of the Chaldean community who may have pieces packed away in their homes. Part of the center's mission is to acquire, exhibit and serve as a permanent home for the artwork."

The center will run classrooms, where people can learn to read, write and speak Aramaic. Pretty cool.

I'm sitting here and thinking of my identity. I'm an Iraqi-Chaldean-Australian-Future American. I guess, I can't ask for a better universal identity.


Arabic Word of The Post :

center : مركز - / merkez /
centers : مراكز - / meRA-kiz /

Emigre couldn't wait until Election Iraq 2005 and is running an online poll to choose the new Iraqi government. It's there for fun. BUT, She found that people who visited her blog during the last two days didn't participate in this anonymous poll. This matter worries me since most of her readers are Americans.

Folks, we have a presidential election in few months. Some of you will cast your vote using the e-voting system. So, this is a good chance to practice your ability to vote electronically.

It's fun, go check her blog for details.


Arabic Word of The Day :

election : أنتخاب - / intee-KHAb /
elections : أنتخابات - / intee-KHA-bat /