The American Perception of an Iraqi

[Guest trancepriest]

"You know what really bugs me about posting on the internet, chat rooms or message boards? The first reaction (usually from Americans) is "You're lying, you're not Iraqi". Why am I not Iraqi, well because a. I have internet access (Iraqis have no internet), b. I know how to use the internet (Iraqis don't know what computers are) and c. Iraqis don't know how to speak English (I must be a Liberal). All that shouldn't bother me, but it does. I see the troops in the streets and think, "So that's what they thought of us before they occupied us... that may be what they think of us now." How is it that we're seen as another Afghanistan?" from the blog of a 25 year old female Iraqi... http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com

Thanks Techjunkie for mentioning her... but the racist views Americans have of Iraqis is no different than the stares and remarks that I get on campus for simple using a laptop. This country is enmeshed in racism... I mean look at Saleen... Pre World War 2 Italians were low income scroungers in this country and even into the 1950's with the rising tide of organized crime and neighborhood gangs... workers on a level with negros, jews and the Irish. Now look how proudly racist Saleen is. Generational economic succession must be the key differentiator. Clearly evident in Saleens posts is classist reasoning. His entire mindset thinks firmly from a class level point of view. Of course at no point in this nations history did we have a problem with Italian immigrants and their customs. Saleen now is a proud anglo-saxon... he and his family have "arrived". Have you arrived Saleen.. or are you just a crass social climbing...what job do u fockers have?... roommate living... apartment mentioning... social reconnoitering piece of drivel without any social distinction.

[Guest bingo_the_clown]

"You know what really bugs me about posting on the internet, chat rooms or message boards? The first reaction (usually from Americans) is "You're lying, you're not Iraqi". Why am I not Iraqi, well because a. I have internet access (Iraqis have no internet), b. I know how to use the internet (Iraqis don't know what computers are) and c. Iraqis don't know how to speak English (I must be a Liberal). All that shouldn't bother me, but it does. I see the troops in the streets and think, "So that's what they thought of us before they occupied us... that may be what they think of us now." How is it that we're seen as another Afghanistan?" from the blog of a 25 year old female Iraqi... http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com

Thanks Techjunkie for mentioning her... but the racist views Americans have of Iraqis is no different than the stares and remarks that I get on campus for simple using a laptop. This country is enmeshed in racism... I mean look at Saleen... Pre World War 2 Italians were low income scroungers in this country and even into the 1950's with the rising tide of organized crime and neighborhood gangs... workers on a level with negros, jews and the Irish. Now look how proudly racist Saleen is. Generational economic succession must be the key differentiator. Clearly evident in Saleens posts is classist reasoning. His entire mindset thinks firmly from a class level point of view. Of course at no point in this nations history did we have a problem with Italian immigrants and their customs. Saleen now is a proud anglo-saxon... he and his family have "arrived". Have you arrived Saleen.. or are you just a crass social climbing...what job do u fockers have?... roommate living... apartment mentioning... social reconnoitering piece of drivel without any social distinction.

Hear, hear!

But it's not fair to pick on Saleen specifically, this problem is prevalent throughout this country. But he's entitled to his opinion, just like the rest of us, and he's entitled to be unable to successfully counter any solid point presented to him (sorry, sorry... that was just too easy! ) Racist or not, the fact that we're allowed to be individuals, no matter how different our ideas, is part of The Deal.

But seriously, I'm sure that underneath Saleen's gruff ascerbic pseudo-intellectual racist exterior is a 16 year old ballerina in a pink tu-tu just itching to come bursting forth! ;D

[Guest endymion]

I talked to some people in the Keys last night who seriously believe that Iraqis live in caves. Not just that but that they live in caves because they want to. Some kind of bizarre amalgam of watching al Qaeda propaganda videos from Afghanistan on CNN, photos of Palestenian refugee camps, and a vague memory of reading about nomadic bedouin tribes when they were in school.

That reasoning became the primary justification for these people for what we're doing. That Iraqis are savages who depend on us to toss them bits of civilization out of our generosity as people who know better. We're being generous by breaking up their country and selling them into international debt, because that's the way civilization works. We're the only civilized people in the world, we know what is best.

My impression is that most Americans who are for the war in Iraq and for President Bush have that sort of opinion of Iraqis. I think that racism is a fundamental axiom that the entire logic of the occupation of Iraq is built upon. Iraqis know all about us because they have been consuming every little bit of our culture for decades, and that's why they can tell when we are lying. We have no interest in their culture so it's easy for us to delude ourselves into thinking that the war is some kind of giant humanitarian mission for the less fortunate. They sure are less fortunate NOW, but they had a civilization before we bombed them back to the stone age.

Learn about some Iraqis. Learn about the pain and suffering that we are inflicting in the name of September 11. Realize that Riverbend's blog reads like the Diary of Anne Frank. Realize that people all over the world now fear the American flag the way that we feared the swastika. Empathy for each others' point of view would have prevented this situation from getting out of hand in the first place.

[Guest endymion]

Here is an Iraqi explaining his point of view pretty directly. A lot of people in the US are simply writing them off guys like Majid as savages to justify our actions. They can do that because people who DO have shreds of human decency left in them are too lazy to investigate and learn about the people who we attacked with our war machine.

This guy Majid is on the verge of turning into an insurgent and killing some Americans because we have given him reasons to hate us. He's telling us why and I'm astounded that so few of us care to listen. If you don't follow any of these links to any of these Iraqi blogs then please at least read this:

Sunday, May 02, 2004

...

Now, it's year 2004, and we live in a country that has been "liberated", but surprisingly, it's still missing its freedom of expression, freedom of publish, freedom of criticism… we live in a country that has a ministry for human right, but no rights for humans. We barely are able to live.

We are barely able to be.

So when Bush shows up and blabs about how he was sent from the God to free Iraq, then blabs about Iraq's WMD, then kills more than 2000 civilians with no word of sorry. Then he goes handing over the west bank to Sharon with pleasure, and then you see a comparing between how wonderful and deep and touching stories of US brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the happiness of Iraqis were, and how margined and unimportant and shallow stories of Iraqi civilians deaths were. you SHOULD expect mad Iraqis after that; because they are just a weak society, that was trained for decades to start wars, to live in wars, while all what they wanted was just like what any other peaceful society has asked for; peace.

They got sick of life now, they had high hopes in life after Saddam, but US invasion has made things worse, made the life under Saddam like precious memories, and made Iraqis lose their hopes to live until they see a peaceful Iraq.

So… *ding*, Iraqis stopped giving a shit about it.

Why would we care? What do we have to lose now? Or let me put that again…

What do we have now?

Dead relatives, burnt city, destroyed monuments, blocked roads, useless government, injustice invader, expensive markets… and now tortured prisons.

What pushes me now? What is the motive to go on with my life? Why don't I just join my other schoolmates who dropped out the school and joined the armed resistance?

Wasn't it me who always dreamt of studying at MIT? Weren't it us [students] who were told that we are the future and that this country is depending on us?

Why did I lose my dreams? Why did my friends dropped out their schools? Who made me turn my ideology from "I'm a 17-year-old guy and I can do much" to "I'm a 17-year-old guy and when am I going to die?"

They did.

They destroyed my life, my girlfriend's, and my people's… whether they wanted it or not, whether they were mean enough or stupid enough.

No one cares no more.

I started to feel happy reading the headlines now, more of US Soldiers are dead, let them all burn in hell. Let's all jump on those burnt hum-vees. YIIIIHAAAAA.

Barbarism can be also subjective.

They destroyed lives of everyone I loved… and mine as well.

Didn't these soldiers say that this is kinda pay back to what happened in 9/11?

Did those civilians who died were involved with what happened in 9/11? Actually, many of them haven't even heard of that tragedy.

Anyway, being a Muslim, I should always treat the bad with good, its better for both of the parties.

But now, heh… I don't care, when Bush spits on my face next time, I won't clean my face and say I'll forgive you… no, I will fuck him. And fuck anyone who won't like it.

Well, I received lots of messages lately warning me and telling me to warn my people not to get angry, because that is a trap made by the US administration. And we would lose much if we attacked and became violent.

But wait a second; what do we have to lose again?

You'd better be aware, stupid US army, US moronic politicians; I am a 17-year-old VERY... VERY mad teenager, periods.

****

Song of the day… the month… the year and lifetime.

I Can't Remember Anything

Can't Tell If this Is True or Dream

Deep down Inside I Feel to Scream

This Terrible Silence Stops Me

Now That the War Is Through with Me

I'm waking up I Can Not See

That There Is Not Much Left of Me

Nothing Is Real but Pain Now

Hold My Breath as I Wish for Death

Oh Please God, wake me

Back in the Womb its Much Too Real

In Pumps Life That I must Feel

But Can't Look Forward to Reveal

Look to the Time When I'll Live

Fed Through the Tube That Sticks in Me

Just like a Wartime Novelty

Tied to Machines That Make Me Be

Cut this Life off from Me

Hold My Breath as I Wish for Death

Oh Please God, wake Me

Now the World Is Gone I'm Just One

Oh God, help Me Hold My Breath as I Wish for Death

Oh Please God Help Me

Darkness

Imprisoning Me

All That I See

Absolute Horror

I Cannot Live

I Cannot Die

Trapped in Myself

Body My Holding Cell

Landmine

Has Taken My Sight

Taken My Speech

Taken My Hearing

Taken My Arms

Taken My Legs

Taken My Soul

Left Me with Life in Hell

*Metallica - and Justice for all (1988?).

- posted by MajiTriX @ 9:36 PM