[Dean's World] Dave Schuler: The Carnival of the Liberated

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Dave Schuler:
The Carnival of the Liberated
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1151417826.shtml


   Welcome to the Carnival of the Liberated, a sampler of some of the
   best posts of the week from Iraqi and Afghani bloggers. This week
   we've got the Maliki reconciliation plan, freedom of the press in
   Afghanistan, life in Baghdad, the state-of-the-blog in Iraq, and much,
   much more.

   [1]Afghan Warrior is concerned for the freedom of the press there.

   I really, really try to avoid editorializing much in the Carnival of
   the Liberated. Honestly I do. But [2]this post from Faiza of A Family
   in Baghdad was so...I have no words. Here's her email correspondence
   with someone in the United States:

     Dear Debbie
     I discovered in my last visit to America, it is not a free country
     any more. this government is controling everything , and keeping
     the people either ignorant or scared to do anything against their
     policy in Iraq. they are in crisis, but the change is coming...
     good people in America, will make the change on ground small
     actions will accumulated to move the mountain
     all my best
     faiza

   to which her correspondent replied:

     Dear Faiza,

     Most everyday I am emailing a Congressman or Senator or signing
     petition for the US to pull out of Iraq. I was involved in a silent
     vigil last October here in Prescott, AZ.

     Arizona is a Republican State. Most people are afraid to get
     involved in any rally here in fear of losing their jobs. One
     teacher who taught at the college was found out she was attending
     the rally and she was told to leave and go back home to Spain.
     Another man said he lost his job when he attended the last rally
     and his employer fired him. Jobs are hard to come by anymore.

     Faiza, you are a brilliant woman. I admire you so very much. You
     see through all of the bull our US government does and says. You
     are very very wise.

     I am trying to form a protest rally in our area. Don't let anyone
     tell you that the US is a free country because I am ready to
     dispute that. It is not a free country in many ways.

     Thank you for listening to me..I had to vent.

     Oh, Faiza you and your lovely family and the people of Iraq are in
     my prayers and on my mind all of the time.

     Blessings to you all,
     Debbie

   I seem to recall some pretty large demonstrations a month or so ago.
   Remember the "immigrants' rights" demonstrations? And yet there were
   no reports of mass layoffs or purges. What a bunch of hooey! There
   aren't mass protests against the war in Iraq because, mostly, people
   here don't really give a damn one way or another. And the unemployment
   rate is under 5% as millions of immigrants, legal and illegal,
   continue to come here and find jobs. I wasn't going to link to this
   today but this has got my Irish up. Want to read some firsthand
   reports of the good old days that Ba'athist bozos like Faiza are so
   nostalgic for? Check out [3]24 Steps to Liberty's translations from
   the Iraq Memory Foundation's testimonies of life under Saddam. Murder,
   rape, torture, the imprisonment and torture of children. Longing for
   peace is one thing but nostalgia for atrocity is just too much.

   Abu Khaleel of [4]A Glimpse of Iraq, no fan of United States himself,
   posts his translation of the powerful post from an Arabic language
   blogger living in the "Sadr City" neighborhood of Baghdad. This is a
   must read!

   [5]Baghdad Connect comments on the murder of one of Saddam's defense
   lawyers.

   Ladybird of [6]Roads to Iraq pronounces Maliki's reconciliation plan
   DOA. Mohammed of [7]Iraq the Model is not enthusiastic about the plan.
   He gives us an update on the progress the [8]plan is making here.
   [9]Treasure of Baghdad has a long, thoughtful post on the plan in Iraq
   and is more favorably disposed to it, thinking the Maliki government
   is on the right track.

   Ali of [10]Free Iraqi re-surfaces after a several month hiatus to
   bring us up-to-date on how he's doing and comment on the death of
   Zarqawi.

   Zeyad of [11]Healing Iraq meets some Jordanian bloggers and contrasts
   the state-of-the-blog in Iraq and Jordan.

   Ishtar of [12]Iraqi Screen posts a quiet, understated description of
   what I suspect life in Baghdad is like today.

   Dave Schuler posts regularly to his own weblog, [13]The Glittering
   Eye. The Carnival was originally conceived by Ryan Boots.

References

   1. http://afghanwarrior.blogspot.com/2006/06/restricting-media-activities-in.html
   2. http://afamilyinbaghdad.blogspot.com/2006_06_18_afamilyinbaghdad_archive.html#115095925003321635
   3. http://twentyfourstepstoliberty.blogspot.com/
   4. http://glimpseofiraq.blogspot.com/2006/06/shalash-al-iraqi.html
   5. http://baghdad-connect.blogspot.com/2006/06/lords-of-flies.html
   6. http://www.roadstoiraq.com/2006/06/26/malikis-reconciliation-initiative-born-dead/
   7. http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/2006/06/who-should-recognize-whom.html
   8. http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/2006/06/seven-militant-groups-accpet-al.html
   9. http://baghdadtreasure.blogspot.com/2006/06/amnesty-and-reconciliation.html
  10. http://afreeiraqi.blogspot.com/2006/06/hi-friends-im-sorry-for-not-posting.html
  11. http://healingiraq.blogspot.com/archives/2006_06_01_healingiraq_archive.html#115126669325895148
  12. http://iraqiscreen.blogspot.com/2006/06/these-days.html
  13. http://www.theglitteringeye.com/