Tell Me a Secret: 03/01/2005 - 04/01/2005

Friday, March 18, 2005

"A War in Words - An Iraqi Family Diary" on CBC Newsworld (channel 26 inToronto) at 8pm Sunday March 20th, is the result of long hours of work, here in Baghdad, in Amman and in Canada.
Its the last and longest peace that CBC did about me, and my family.
I hope you like it:)
Khalid*

Saturday, March 12, 2005

Good morning, afternoon and evening, wherever you are...
Its a beautiful shiny day here in Baghdad, its Saturday morning, and it hardly stopped raining since Thursday morning, or the night before, and till last night, the rain was very beautiful too: it brings hope, and it smells beautiful, and it cleans everything, including the sadness in my heart, I love rain! its one of the romantic things in life. I took two long walks under the rain, and went back totally wet, but happy, still, it would be great if they invent something to auto clean the glasses while raining, this is the only thing I missed during my walks;) Today... The sun is strong and proud, its not hiding behind any clouds, I feel like it can't wait to enter every house and meet everyone to say good morning, with a big smile on the face, what a beautiful silly sun:) Its important, to learn to get happiness, from the small things in life, I had to spend a lot of time with a friend that can't appreciate the beauty of what he sees, if we are in a beautiful garden, he would only notice the broken tree on the side and talk about it, if we see a beautiful house, he only notices the dirty window and talks about it, if we have a great meal, he only notices that all the spoons aren't alike, and that one of them belongs to another set. my friend, suspects everyone, and never trusts anyone, I know people that work with us, that have hearts of gold, that refuse to take money sometimes in return of their work cause they love us, that are willing to offer anything they have if we need it, but yet, he doesn't trust them, and thinks that they want to rob him somehow, one day. I can't help not to feel sorry for him, he is lonely, and will always be, no matter how many people are around him. Never mind! I am just mumbling in a loud voice:) on one of the Iraqi TV channels, a governmental channel, there is a daily show that started recently, where police, interrogates real criminals that were arrested in Iraq, in front of the camera, we don't get to see the police faces, we only hear their voices, while the camera is focused on the criminals' faces, zooming in and out, all the time. those criminals are "terrorists" that the Iraqi police and the un-national guard arrested, and they are the ones that are doing -supposedly- the beheading and the killing of the national guard and police operations, and also the kidnapping and stealing, rape and thefts, and every other thing that you might think of. The police ask them: why do you do that?
For money, sir!
How much are you getting paid?
100$ for an operation, sir!
And what do you do with that money?
We buy alcohols and drugs, sir!
What is your advice for all the terrorists that are still fighting?
I advice them to surrender, sir, and to cooperate with the authorities, sir!

This is exactly what each and every one of them said, since the show started, and till today, showing many of them a day, and then you learn details about some of those criminals: they confess that they kidnapped girls and raped them, then slaughtered them. One of them, has a big beard, and then they tell us he is gay and was caught having sex with another man inside the mosque.
Another one, confessed that his mother is a pimp, and that his friends used to come to his house to "have fun" with his sisters.
And the story goes on..
And while these "confessions" are about to be over, this question should always come:
where does that money come from?
from the Syrian intelligence, sir!
and then the policeman voice, preaches them, telling them how low they are, and what kind of disgusting creatures they are, and how they stained the word "jihad" and how hypocrite they are, pretending to be mojahideen while they are hardly humans, and the policeman would also say: if you were real mojahideen we -police- would have been the first to follow you, you are thieves, rapists and thugs. Can you see dear audience? Those are the mojahideen that you hear about in your country, those are the ones that are fighting, those are the so-called resistance, low scum that worth nothing, real Iraqis should help capture them whenever you see them, they deserve more than just killing, they deserve to be killed a hundred times, if they attack only Americans, if they were honest, we would have been the first to follow them!
end of story, Khalid's turn to speak :)
people in the street talk about this show, and they have different opinions, a lot say that its all a theatre just to discredit resistance and to blame Syria, the Iraqi so called government is waging its tale to the Americans and trying to find more things against Syria to support the issue of their masters, other think that those people are real people and that all what is said is true.
I believe that it might be true, and it might be a theatre, but its obviously a "designed" show for a particular purpose, to discredit resistance and attack Syria, and that all those chosen to be on TV, are actually scum and deserve all punishment for everything they did, they are mercenaries that are paid to kill, and attack national guards and police more than Americans, and beside there acts, they kill civilians and rape women and kidnap people, so they deserve all the punishment that they will get, but:
what about the rest of the resistance, that aren't put on TV? The honest people? The ones that are dedicating their lives to fight the occupation? The ones that volunteer all their money and time, and risk their lives without getting paid? does that mean that, if someone, was fighting the Americans while he isn't gay or a rapist, and wasn't paid by the Syrians, and doesn't kidnap people, and fights the Americans cause he have faith in his cause, if someone fights for moral reasons, and kills so many American solders every day, would he get the full support of the Iraqi government? :*)
Another question: if the police would follow any real mojahideen at once, then why don't they start their own mojahideen squad and fight the Americans, to be a good example for the rest of the Iraqis? :*)
man this is funny! Such a naive propaganda, with bad broadcasting quality and horrible shooting too, I could have done much better work myself, with the small experience I have in the film making world! Man they can't do anything right even the propaganda!
but what is even more funny, is the position that the Iraqi "government" finds itself in:
they want to make a show that effects people, I mean, real people, people in the street, so they cant just say the crap that they always say in the media cause they know that nobody would listen and nobody would watch, so they forgot that Americans are our liberators and all, and the modified their attitude to be acceptable in the street, and to do that, they adopted a totally anti American/occupation attitude, supporting attacking the Americans, in order to incriminate those who attack the national guard basing on that they are fighting the wrong enemy, and that national guard and police are Iraqis! And at the same time, they are honoring mojahideen by saying that jihad is a very honorable value and that those criminals couldn’t be mojahideen (which i agree with), which means that they support the others that they don’t show on TV, who are the real mojahideen!
The Iraqi government, through this show confessed without knowing, that the regular Iraqi person, is anti American and anti occupation, so they tried to look anti American to attract viewers.
And at the same time the government confessed that jihad is a very legitimate and honorable thing, as long as it's done right: by attacking the American soldiers only.
Thank you very much propaganda makers!
You know what else is funny?
A joke, I received by email that I would like to share with you, hope to draw a smile on your face:)
An old Arab lived close to New York City for more than 40 years. He would have loved to plant potatoes in his garden, but he is alone, old and weak. His son is in college in Paris, so the old man sends him an e-mail. He explains the problem:
"Beloved son, I am very sad, because I can't plant potatoes in my garden. I am sure, if only you were here, you would help and dig up the garden for me, I love you, Your Father"
The following day, the old man receives a response e-mail from his son:
"Beloved Father, Please don't touch the garden. It's there that I have hidden 'the THING'.I love you too, Ahmed"
At 4pm the US Army, The Marines, the FBI, the CIA and the Rangers visit the house of the old man, take the whole garden apart, search every inch, but can't find anything. Disappointed they leave the house. A day later, the old man receives another e-mail from his son.
"Beloved Father, I hope the garden is dug up by now and you can plant your potatoes. That's all I could do for you from here. I love you, Ahmed."
hehe:)))
Thank you Katie:)
Have a good day all of you :)
Khalid*
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