A report from AP about how Iraqis are trying to learn what it means to be free after more than thirty years of tyranny under Saddam. Apperently, more than 60 percent of Iraqis were born after Ba’athist party took power and it takes more than absence of Saddam and his henchmen to make sense of the alien concept of freedom.
“No one knows what freedom means. When were born, we opened our eyes to Saddam and everything was forbidden. Our life was all about fear.” Salima al-Majali, 29.
“Freedom means that Saddam is no longer around.” Firas al-Dujaili, a 28-year-old doctor.
“The word freedom is a strange word to us because we don’t believe in it,” Ali al-Daham, 25.
“There is nothing called freedom in Iraq. There’s only terror, prison.” Jasim al-Dujaili, 27 who spent four years of his childhood in jail as part of a collective punishment of his rebellious village.
“I couldn’t teach the students the truth, I was unable to tell them that we were ruled by a dictator. If I did, my neck would be on the line.” Wijda Khalidi, 37, a high school teacher.
“All we have known is war, war and war. Everything was forbidden.” 30-year-old Suad al-Daham, a Shiite Muslim.
“Freedom means to travel, to get the job I want, to study in the college I want.” Ahmed al-Samarai, 28.
This is unbelievably poignant, Gabriel. It reminds me of stories about men who’ve been imprisoned for decades, who, once freed, would approach an ordinary door and wait for a guard to open it. Their “freedom muscles” were completely gone, destroyed by atrophy.
Thank you for posting it.
Probably the most important statement Salam Pax ever made was: Iraq needs a “Democracy for Dummies” book. He’s said that twice!
Is Bastiat in Arabic?
How do we (who have only known only freedom) pass on the sensibility of the free citizen to those who have known only tyranny? I don’t know but the Dominos delivery guy just showed up with some Buffalo wings so I’ve got to go…