Iraq at a glance

Tomorrow is a day of feast, the Greater Bairam which lasts for 4 days, so there is a vacation for 4 days, but the governing council gave Thursday as a holiday too so all the governmental institutions will have a vacation until Saturday.
More than 2 millions hajj are now in Mecca in Saudi Arabia to go on pilgrimage.
I want to explain what will they do today and tomorrow there:
All the pilgrims are in Mecca and going to move to Arafah mountain, they must reach there before sunset, they will stay near that mountain till the dawn then they’ll pray the ‘ dawn prayer’ then head to an area called ‘ AlMuzdalafah’, they are going to collect 21 stones and reach to an area called ‘Muna’ to pelt with these stones at 3 places in Muna, i.e seven stones at each place ( they throw them at Satan).
After that they’ll go back to Mecca and start the ‘Tawaf’ or the roving around Al-Ka’aba ( Allah’s house) seven times, then they’ll head to ‘Al-Safa’ and ‘Al- Marwah’ near Al-Ka’aba, they must trot seven times between these two areas.
If that is the first pilgrimage for the person, he must have his hair cut, otherwise, he can shave his beard and mustache only.
Then he offers an immolation ‘corban’ to Allah, so he can offer a sheep or ewe or anything else to deliver their meat to poor people.
After that he’ll take the white clothes off and put on his ordinary clothes then do the Tawaf again around Al-Ka’aba seven times too.
And that’s it.
Then all the pilgrims will return to their homes.
In spite of the exhausting trip and the ‘sevens’ there; they come back with cheerful hearts and wide smiles because they did a great work, visiting Allah’s house.
The psychological relief makes them forget all the fatigue !
However, that was the pilgrimage which occurs every year in this ‘Hijri’ month ‘ Thee AlHijjah’.
Of course I don’t believe in such things, but I like getting information about everything !
So tomorrow is Eid, And everyone says to the other ‘ Inshallah hajji’ which is (a wish for pilgrimage in the future by the will of God.).
..........
bye

( By the mother)..
Thanks for all, I am very honored to know such nice and educated people like you and I’ll do my best to write regularly.
Here are the answers for some questions in the comments section:
** We study British English, I wish that you found my English well without mistakes !
** I was at college, and at the end of the year, I was one of the best ten students in the department of English in the College of Education and that was in 1978. the government at that time had selected us and in addition to other ten students from the College of Arts to travel to England to study a course in English for 2 months at an institute there. But for some circumstances I didn’t travel with them. It was a very strong blow. I was very disappointed. If a person wants to learn a language fairly good he should go to that country, live and communicate with their every-day life.
** now my salary had been raised after the fall of the regime, we are able to live better than previous decades. People are very happy because they are able to buy things they were forced to sell in order to survive.
Thousands of Iraqis are thankful to George Bush because he was the cause of this change of their lives, but they do not want the American troops to stay more than usual, and they want a new government.
** in spite of all the difficulties, Iraqi students finished their school last year and this year they study hard in order to make their dreams come true.
** during and after war actions and after looting, we are quite sure that the criminals who set fire in the buildings after looting them are not Iraqis, but they were employed by some foreign groups who do not want Iraq to heal and start again, some political governments and even the people of such countries envy Iraq and Iraqis for their united country with all its sections.

With best regards,
Mrs. S

## Update on the bomb
When I went back to see what was happening yesterday, I couldn’t talk to someone who witnessed the explosion, the Iraqi police were controlling the area, the people were sad, others were cursing the coward vandals and terrorists.
It is told that the bomb was suspected to be inside a bag which was on the left side of the street, and when a car (OPEL) passed through it, the bomb exploded, then this car destroyed and a couple of other vehicles were blown up, the people said that there were few wounded people taken by the IP cars, till now there is no news saying that there were killed people.. I hope that..

My brother and I were on our way back to home, we reached the street which leads to our sector and saw about 6 Iraqi police cars and the members of the IP were so hasty and distributed all around the area.. one of the police cars was carrying the wounded people.. on the opposite side of the street there was a car which has been destroyed and the family were crying and shouting.. we couldn’t stay for a long time because the IP were warning the people and ordering them to leave the area and be back to their homes.
The glass of the shops and the cars filled the street.. the scene was horrible.. and distressful..
Sorry.. I shall go now to see what is happening .. wait for the news…

Dear friends,
I need your opinions and information concerning this post as it’s very important for me.
Few days ago I bought these books:
( Cambridge Practice Tests for IELTS ) ..
Vanessa Jakeman
Clare McDowell

These books are about the International English Language Testing System ( IELTS).. and I started to study them.
These tests are designed to assess the English language skills for non-English speaking students seeking to study or work in an English speaking country.
And I want to work or study in an English speaking country.
So I decided to study all these books which include reading, writing, speaking and listening courses.
I heard that the tests are taken place in Jordan and Syria but not in Iraq.
And if the student succeeds at the test, he will have the right to work, study and get the residency in any English speaking country.
So, I want you to help me in that by sending information, opinions, links and updates concerning IELTS.. if possible.
Thank you in advance..

## Hello...
The workers are trying to change our neighborhood’s electric converter ( transformer) with a new one !! yes.. at last..
Just wait for me.. until they replace it.
Hey… Omar ..how are you ? if you can send an e mail .. just do it.. I am worried

Zeyad.. where are you now? Are you here or there?!

( by the mother)...
Hi,
I teach English in a distinguished school for girls. This school accepts girls after a difficult test for their knowledge and intelligence, so each girl who scores 60 marks over will be accepted and join the first intermediate class, when they finish 6 years in our school, they join the universities.
Most of them get high marks..over 90%.. and they are distributed in the medicine and engineering colleges.
There are three other distinguished schools in Baghdad, so they are four, two for girls and two for boys. In addition, there is one school for gifted students in Baghdad, I know very little about it, but I heard that they have special classes, special subjects and very efficient teachers.
I teach the 6th year class, they study English, Arabic, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics as well as French and computer.
In English they study the tale of “ the Merchant of Venice” by Shakespeare. Each lesson they prepare one chapter and we discuss it together. In grammar, they have sentences which indicate purpose, cause and effect, contrast, sequences as well as synonyms and derivations of words. Also they have English sounds and their symbols.
The girls like English very much and hope to talk to the American soldiers. Some of them were taken in March last year to make interviews with the ‘ Global Nomads Group’ Iraqi and American youth cultural exchange. Those interviews were displayed by the ABC channel TV. I suppose you saw them. The group who works in the ABC channel TV. Made a number of visits to the girls’ houses and talked with their families and they invited them to dinner and took photos and video films for their visits.
The fifth class study the story of Charles Dickens “ Oliver Twist”, every lesson they study one or two sections of the chapter.
In grammar they have the tenses ( all kinds of tenses), passive voice, direct and indirect speech, how to use determines, prepositions and so on.
The fourth year of the preparatory stage have the story of “Kipps” by H.G Wells, and in grammar they have the patterns of English sentences, tenses of the verb, adverbs and their uses and some connectors.
Preparatory stage have English five times a week, while intermediate have six times.
About the primary schools in Iraq, a student begins his English lessons when he reaches the fifth class. I think it is too late and I hope this will be changed and start giving the students English lessons from their first year of school.
Thank you all, I’ll answer your questions in the previous post soon.

What will happen if the coalition forces leave Iraq now?
Certainly there are many people not only in Iraq but also in other countries don’t realize or believe in the war on terrorism, and they are chattering against the ‘occupation’ and about the ‘usurped rights’ … etc.
And many of those encourage the ‘resistance operations’.
So what do they want? Of course they want to ‘brush aside the occupiers’ .
Let’s analyze that rationally… when someone wants to do something, he must think what will happen after achieving his goal or think in the next step.. so assume the coalition forces will leave our country within few days, then what will happen?
Do you think the peace will be achieved and we’ll live in safe and calm environment?
Of course not, the opposite will happen.
The aim of the breach of peace which is going on in Iraq is so malicious and mean..
All those terrorists are led by organizations which are financed by some countries, those countries or in other words, those dictators are working hard and trying to frustrate the plans of building a prosperous country in the middle east in order to foil the American endeavor in Iraq and let the world watch at that failure, and the important point here is washing the brains of their people and heaping their hearts with hatred toward the ‘occupation’.
I am waiting for the neighboring countries to be liberated also, and this is very important to annihilate the terrorism….. the snake’s head must be cut now.
So, I think if the coalition forces leave Iraq now and even after the elections of the new government; there will be more terrorism and more explosions, Iraq now is a weak country and keeping the forces inside Iraq is very important to protect it.
I don’t know how they call such coward operations as ‘resistance’ or ‘jihad’ ?!
Is killing the pedestrians named as ‘resistance’? Is killing women and children named as ‘jihad’ ? Damn on paradise if it’ll let those terrorists enter !
So, Please… you who don’t think in the next step.. stop shouting the old-used word ‘occupation’ and start using your minds.
We must co-operate with the coalition to strengthen our country and work together to hasten the success, and let the soldiers be back to their parents, their mothers, wives and children.. certainly they yearn for them ..I think the departure of the existing soldiers and dispatch others to be deployed instead of them was a great idea.

There is some bad news about the money transfer and it looks like Ays may not get the money until Feb-2. For additional details go here.

Update* Finally some good news to report. e*Trade has processed the wire request a little earlier than expected (and correctly this time I hope) and sent me the first receipt that the money has gone out. I'll ask them about getting me confirmation from the Jordanian bank as soon as possible.

Hi,
I am happy that my son has succeeded in his communication with you and made friends with people that are nice, educated and honest..
We are looking forward to building our country with the coalition aids and make Iraq one of the most important flourished country in the middle east.
We wish that Iraq will be advanced in every feature of life, but first we have to help people to rebuild themselves, to rebuild the damaged souls of thousands of Iraqis as a result of the three demolished wars because of a tyrant.
I am a teacher of English for over than twenty years… for more than ten years during the ex-regime era my salary was not more than 7 dollars a month ! It was something funny… but most of us kept on our career, some because they couldn’t do any work except teaching, others because they could gain special teaching for students after school for extra money and all of us were expecting that something will happen to change our life and reform all these bad situation.

Iraqi people had had enough of the previous regime.
I’d like to mention and correct your knowledge of Iraqi people, most of the TV channels didn’t present the correct image of the Iraqi citizen. They focused only on those who committed looting and robbery, they were in prison and Saddam had released them all before the war actions began… so don’t think that they represent the Iraqi people.
The Iraqi people are honest, dignified and people of great civilization.
Sorry.. I am too slow when I print… I’ll write another post soon.
I wish the electric power will be improved so that we can get in touch with you.
Bye….

Friends,
Here are some of my answers and opinions for some comments concerning the two posts ( The Truth and Dangerous Days) :
 “Ays,
Thank you for explaining that. Is it a fear of the possible variety of interpretations of sharia law that have upset some people?”. ….Freeperson.

^^ Above the fact that Sharia contains many unacceptable laws and wrong views, some people and even clerics interpret many subjects as they like…

 “Ays,

“If you want to be true and fair, an apology to Al Sistani might be in order. Your last post questioned his integrity and suggested he was only alive because he cooperated with Saddam.
The truth is, Sistani is alive because he didn't seek a political role in Iraq, and therefore wasn't a threat to Saddam. Nevertheless, Sistani spent many years under house arrest.
BTW, he still hasn't sought a political role for himself. He doesn't want to see clerics in the government...period.
Do you respect the GC? Do you want them to pick the interim government? Why has Sistani's call for elections so upset you?”Maury…

^^ I wrote my and many others opinion about Al-Sistani, so there is no need for an apology, that was my opinion, may be I am right, may be not.
And your viewpoint about the political role that AlSistani didn’t seek is wrong, the problem with those clerics according to Saddam policy, was they had dangerous thoughts that may urge a large number of population to be convinced with, and as a result, there would be a disobedience or a revolt, so he was trying to wipe them out.
And yes I respect many members in the GC, and I think there are many efficient personalities can lead the interim government.
The call for the elections upset me, because I see and also my friends, parents, neighbors and all the educated people realize that Iraq and Iraqis are not ready for direct elections right now, such great step must be done in calm and safe circumstances, dear Maury, I think we can see the actuality better than anyone on earth, simply because WE ARE IN IRAQ.

 Tony, about the ‘should’ and ‘must’, I am sorry, I meant ‘MUST’, and yes he offers money for the lady !

 “Sorry folks, but Ays is either uninformed or intentionally misleading you about "temporary marriage." Get it from the horse's mouth at www.sistani.org. Select English, then Islamic Law, then marriage.

You will see that Riverbend is exactly correct in her description. Perhaps Ays is giving the Sunni position, but that's not the question here.”.Realist

^^ Dear Realist,
you should read AlSistani’s book concerning the marriage, not reading a couple of lines at the internet !!
those lines were explaining the meaning of that type of marriage, i.e he did not write that this type is allowed now, when you read important subjects concerning religion, search the full interpretations not only the headlines.

 “Ays, Do you think we should kill him? It seems that there is no acceptable way for us to deal with the problems this man creates…………”.James Gelfand

^^ No, James, don’t say that, we must deal with him using our minds not guns. In addition to that, if AlSistani is killed, the situation will be worse than ever, I hope they are planning a new concordance with him.


### about the money transfer, there is nothing new, I’ll go to the bank tomorrow and check it.

Hi friends, I’ve got a new blogger, in fact a bloggeress !!! yes, she is my mother, today she told me that she likes the blog idea and wanted to write and discuss many things with all the kind and nice readers, she is very enthusiastic, I told her ok I’ll manage a new blog for you, she told me: ‘ No, I’ll try to post weekly, I want to write at your site and at the end of each post I’ll write my name so as the readers know who is the writer’.
A new female blogger is a good idea..ha?
What do you think? Shall I convince her to write in a separated blog or using my blog to be the ‘dentist and his mother blog’ !? …

## Many readers asked me about the money transfer, today I went to the Credit Bank of Iraq, the official told me that they didn’t receive the money yet, I asked her about the time that I can have the money, she told me to come on Tue. Or Wed. , because the money transfer passes through two stages to reach Iraq so it took about a week to be received in Baghdad.
Today, the people disapproved the coward suicide attack on the former Republican Palace, yes.. these attacks are coward and mean.


## There was something funny happened in the village,
in the morning I was standing by the door of the health center watching at the pupils walking to reach their school…. When they saw me.. they continued gazing at me with beautiful smiles.. then one of them waved at me exclaiming in English ‘ Hi Mister, Hiiiii…..’ !!
Another kid started to shout at his friends ‘ Come on…. He is a British… come on’ !!!!
Then they changed their road and started to pass in front of me !! and whispering with each other !!
They thought that I am a British !!

I told my boss about the kids’ happiness when they saw me and thought I am a British, then I asked her about the relation between the British soldiers and the residents of the village, she said:
“ They are very kind and cooperative, the children made a friendship with them ! they were waiting for the British everyday, The people here are poor and kind-hearted, they were suffering so much under Saddam, there are many youth who were imprisoned, executed or died during Iraq-Iran war, we are waiting for the progress here, I hope it will be done soon”.

### It seems that some Iraqis have destructive genes in their bodies !!
Yesterday, a worker who was trying to repair the dud electric converter of our neighborhood, when he finished his work and the converter returned to work normally, he said: “ this converter is useless and if you continue to call us when it stops working, our boss will send us again to repair it only and will not agree to change it for you, those engineers are cranky ! they don’t care to the converters’ state, the important thing for them is to see the converters WORKING and no matter whether they work properly or not”.
“ what can we do? Surely there are no new converters to be replaced.”.
he replied :
“ no.. they have new ones ..listen.. I will give you an idea: one of the neighborhood’s residents must go out at night and destroy the converter using a gun or something like that, then when you call us to repair it, the engineer will certainly be embarrassed and will agree to change it at once.”
When I heard that I laughed.. but he said “ don’t laugh.. I am talking seriously…I swear ”.
Then I realized that he was really talking seriously !
I decided to inform the engineer about that terrorist ! but I felt sympathetic when I looked at the worker again, the engineer might fire him and certainly he had children and a wife waiting for his salary, also, some people don’t realize what they are talking about.
So, I forgot it at once.
Huh.. What a great idea !!!! destroying my neighborhood’s converter…. !! nonsense….

Aaaahhh …Al-Sistani…I am sure you want us to be in a trouble.
What did you mean when you said that you’ve decided to make a government? Is this ‘Al-Sistani government’ accepted by ALL the Iraqi people? Who has told you that the Kurds and Sunnis agree with you?
I don’t like that person.. he should not put his nose in everything, he is even not an Iraqi!
And not all the Shiites agree with him..yes.. there are some Shiites groups who never follow him and do not agree with Al-Sistani to be their religious advisor, they says that he has no researches concerning Islamic knowledge, i.e they suspect in his knowledge.
Many others suspect in his relation with Saddam, how did he come to Iraq? Why Saddam left him and did not kill him like Muhammed Baqir Al-Sadr, Muhammed Sadiq Al-Sadr and may be Muhammed Baqir Al-Hakim?
There is another thing ... Where was Al-Sistani when Saddam was the president who killed his people and millions were suffering? Everyone was acknowledged about the mass graves, executions, oppressive decisions, unfair sentences and many other crimes.. all of that , according to Islam should be stopped, so if Al-Sistani wants to apply all his Islamic rules and can not bear the (Wrong), why didn’t he talk a word at Saddam’s face? Why? Why didn’t he say: this is tyranny and must be ended?
Also, Islam claims: if someone faced a tyrant and that tyrant executed him, Allah will consider him a martyr and will be awarded in paradise! and this martyrdom is a great thing , every Islamic leader wishes to be a martyr to get the paradise!
So if Al-Sistani is really..deeply believer; why didn’t he sacrifice for Muslims like others?
Talking about all of those Islamic leaders, I think..or I am sure that they are all imposters, and they don’t care to everything but themselves.
Frankly talking.. I am afraid from what will happen in the coming 6 months, before and after the elections of the Iraqi government and the way of elections, because if Mr.Sistani feels that this is unfair; he will certainly announce his f***ing word ‘Al-Jihad’ and we ( Iraqis and Americans) will face another war.. different war, which will be very dangerous.
When I said that not all the Iraqis follow Al-Sistani, I did not mean that he has no followers.. no.. he has hundreds of thousands of idiots ..sorry.. followers ! every follower don’t know his a** from his elbow, the followers will carry out Al-Sistani’s words at once, they think that they will be awarded be ‘Al-Jannah’ or the paradise when they will do that. ( this is the same religious base which is now applied by the foolish suicides in Palestine).
So all of those followers will be brainwashed by just a double click from Al-Sistani’s finger !
I am afraid from all of that.. I hope the American government will deal with him carefully and smartly, because any mistake will not be forgiven by that Islamic leader.

Hi all,
I am in Basrah now, we came from the village( Omar and I ) to the center an hour ago to get an access to the internet, we will travel back to Baghdad at the weekend.
Yesterday the sky was raining cats and dogs! many houses were destroyed because of the winds and the rain, their houses are in bad conditions, I am very sad today for the stories I heard from the poor people, they are trying to rebuild their houses with mud.
I will post later from Baghdad, cause we shall be back to the village now.
bye

## First of all I want to thank Mr. Tom Villars for his appreciated efforts in trying to send the money to me, I hope everything will be fine in the coming days.

## I picked my pen and started to write about the conversation between me and my father.
Today, my father and I were talking about the scholarships in the past, so I wanted to discuss this subject with you.
In 1970s and 1980s there were many scholarships that were gotten by Iraqis to study abroad the different fields including medical and scientific fields and others ( of course many of the Iraqis who got it were the ex-regime relatives and few of them were indeed deserve it, I do not want to go through the past concerning Saddam and his thugs, I’ll write a little about it and let’s talk about today and the future).
The scholarships were forgotten after Saddam’s idiot adventures that led us to the hard circumstances that we were living in and no one can even imagine how was our life especially in the past 13 years.
During the last 13 years, Iraqi’s were far away from the technologies and the progress that happened in the world, we were completely isolated from all the communication domains except the radio, because if Saddam could cut getting the news through the radio he wouldn’t hesitate to do that !!
We couldn’t travel, we couldn’t hear and watch what was happening, all of that were forbidden by the ex-regime.

My father is a little pessimistic about the future of Iraq, when I told him that the scholarships will be available soon, he said that will not happen and Iraq will not live in peace for years, he said that the Americans should accelerate their work and let the Iraqis have their own government.
These words are always the cause that ends the conversation between me and my father, cause I don’t agree with his sayings and his hasty pessimistic words.
Anyhow, now I am talking about the scholarships, this is really the time that all the countries should show their efforts in helping and facilitating things for Iraqis to get the scholarships and offer the easiest ways to apply.
Iraq have great doctors, engineers, teachers …..etc. all of them have high qualifications, abilities and willing to improve themselves, they can compete the others to be the best in studying and getting the higher marks.
I hope that will take place as soon as possible.

## We will travel to Basrah tomorrow morning, see you there !

Dear friends,
I sent an account no. Of a bank in Iraq called ' the credit bank', this bank has an account in another bank in Jordan/Amman, I sent it to my friend Mr.Tom Villars, the kind and great man who helped me in improving my blog and now he is helping me in getting the money collected from the paypal to be spent in paying the internet fees and trying to buy a camera, or other useful things to improve my blog.
BUT,
Mr. Tom Villars now is facing a trouble ( I am sorry dear Tom, all of that because of me ),
he has posted the following on the Iraqi Blogger Technical Support the site who has been built by Mr.Tom to inform the people about the paypal and the donations which will be collected by him and then sent to me.
" Update: A Mr. Wong from the US Treasury department spoke to me today about the wire transfer. He asked a couple questions about what the money was to be used for and besides telling him it was to help Iraqi bloggers, I asked him to read AYS's website. Right now he has the wire on hold, but said things should be cleared up by tomorrow (Tuesday Jan-06). Was a little surprised a $750 transfer tripped a threshold somewhere in the bowls of the US government that caused them to actively investigate what was going on. Have to give them a point for actually being on the ball and hopefully they don't earn a bunch of demerits for delaying the money transfer more than necessary. I'll keep everyone updated as developments happen."
So, if anyone can help Mr. Tom Villars in that, just send him an e mail.
I'll be very thankful for all the people who will help.

Update* The money transfer has been approved. More details can be found here.

# posted by ays @ 9:34 AM |