25 February 2011: Iraq Revolution

It has been over a year since I wrote in this blog and for that I am truly sorry. It is clear to me now that it is long past time for me to "pick up my pen" (in the electronic sense, of course) and do my part to illuminate my fellow Americans on the events happening around the world out of the U.S. media's spotlight.
The world has kept a keen eye on Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Iran, Jordan, and Libya the last month. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of all those who have laid down their lives for freedom within the last month, particularly in Libya. Today Iraq joined the brave men and women across the Middle East to protest peacefully for two fundamental human rights: freedom and representation in government. There has been little media coverage here in the U.S. on Iraq's protests, though CNN , Al-Jazeera, and Human Rights Watch have reported on the unrest there in online articles. I do not believe that this is intentional, but rather that the mass scale of the atrocities in Libya has over-shadowed the protests in several countries within the last week, Iraq now included.

Friday, Iraqis all over their nation came out to protest against their government. Their demands were for corruption to end in the government, for consistent availability of amenities (such as electricity and clean water), for government aid for widows and orphans, for jobs to become available for young people, and for the infrastructure of Iraq to be rebuilt. According to Hayfa Ahmed, an Iraqi refugee in Germany who had to flee in 2006 for her participation in politics and the women's rights movement in Iraq, the Iraqi people view their government as illegitimate because it was set up by the United States and not by the Iraqi people.
In a couple northern cities, such as Mosul, the protesters were reported to have destroyed government buildings and thrown stones at police and soldiers, according to CNN. These protesters, however, were met with live ammunition. In what world are rocks and bullets equivalent? In most other cities, such as Baghdad, the protests were completely peaceful and yet were still greeted with violence and bullets. The above mentioned news organizations have estimated between 2 and 5 people were killed in Baghdad alone. According to my source (who will remain unnamed for his safety), the number is closer to 7 and included a nine-year-old child. Many of the protesters were rounded up and taken into custody as well. According to both my sources, Al-Maliki has shut down all media attempts to cover the protests. Several journalists were taken into custody, beaten, and threatened with execution, according to the Washington Post today. Violence and a media black out? Again, one must ask, if his government was just and a true democracy, what would he have to worry about if the media were to cover the protests? Parallels to the first actions of Middle East dictators are easily made in people's minds.
My unnamed source in Baghdad has shared several YouTube videos of the violence there yesterday. First, a helicopter flew over Tahrir Square in Baghdad (yes, there is one there too) to scare off the protesters. When that did not work, violence ensued.
Video 1: Helicopter over Tahrir Square, Baghdad.

Video 2: Peaceful protesting, gun shots begin.

Video 3: Gun shots and wounded.

The response to this by Americans (and people all over the world) is simple. If we as Americans believe that we went into Iraq to allow them to create a government for themselves where they are represented and heard, then we will stand with them and support them! For these atrocities to occur in a country that is still (technically) occupied by the United States is absolutely unacceptable! Peaceful protests for freedom should be supported by all who value democracy and human rights.