Blogging in Iraq

To hear genuine voices of Iraq, rather than the US network news versions, visit these fascinating  sites of Iraqi bloggers. Friends of Democracy is a Spirit of America-sponsored site that posts English translations of Iraqi blogs originally written in Arabic.

Iraq the Model is written in English. He has a blogroll that will lead you to other Iraqi blogs written in English. While poking around in these sites I found myself surprised again and again. Some of the accounts are candid and thought-provoking as they comment on their budding democracy and the more day-to-day events of their lives.

Diary from Baghdad is written by a woman in Bagdad. She writes of water supplies, roadside bombs and how her Christian neighbors celebrate Christmas.

"Today I went to my parents house and I took my daughter to their neighbor’s house because they have a daughter in her age and she likes to play with her, the neighbors are Christians and they are the best neighbor a person can have. I asked the mother if they will go to church in Christmas as they used to go every year, she said no with sorrow. She is afraid from attacking the churches in Christmas, but she said I know many will go what ever will happen since they will go to the house of God. I really hated myself at this moment and I did not know what to tell her, I told her that not only you are targeted, look what they had done in Najaf and Karbala two days ago, they are trying hard to tear us apart, but I don’t know who are they. I felt so silly that moment.
also today, my father told me that he is afraid from a civil war, he said that those who are doing these things they know exactly what they are doing. I tried to tell him it’s impossible but he said no, they will succeed in making a civil war and then divide Iraq to peaces. I still don’t believe in this, The US will not allow this to happen because it will mean that they have failed in everything they fought for.
Well, this subject is supposed to be on Christmas but I want to clear few things to you, I don’t know how much you know about us. Merry Xmas to you all, and I wish you a nice Xmas always."

These sites will be must-reads for me in the next couple of weeks as the elections in Iraq take place on Sunday, and the results are tabulated for some time afterward.

Comments

[Todd Harvey]

here's a great Iraqi blog:
http://afamilyinbaghdad.blogspot.com/