Iraqi Elections an Iraqi writes...

international | politics / elections | other press Friday December 16, 2005 11:50 by iosaf

There comes a stage in the progress of a people through their misery when not even our words may offer proper description or testimony to their suffering or optimism.
I can not underestimate my respect and admiration for the writer known as "Salam Pax". I first read his posts on http://www.almuajaha.com which was the name used by 7 Iraqi students for their collective which proposed in 2003 one week after the US invasion to start "baghdad indymedia".

This was the mission statement :-

"For decades almost all governments in the world, including our own, abused and terribly ignored the basic humanity of the Iraqi people. Al-Muajaha aims to provide an open forum for all Iraqis to freely debate current issues, and in so doing educate themselves and the world."

Noble words written at a time of great danger, and with help from indymedia groups worldwide (notably the Bristol collective) they began their project in 2003 and despite serious reservations amongst some of us as to the timing of an "imc" in iraq, and the conditions in Baghdad to allow "passionate true reporting" they carried on their work for almost a year, though thier appelation as "baghdad imc" was eventually declined.

I remember with sadness how their newswire was swamped by trolls and bait coming mostly from the states. I remember with happiness the emergence of poets and writers, of what one sensed were young Iraqis "just like us" writing on subjects of such normality that they inspired immediate respect. And Salam Pax wrote through it all. By mid 2003 and early 2004 many anti-war organisations had started the difficult task of donating computer equipment to Iraqis, of paying their phone bills. I remember the cost for one hour's internet access then was roughly 30€ payable in american dollars. And Salam Pax wrote through it all. I remember our own Irish activist Caoimhe Butterly was one of those who brought the iraqi's such equipment (though for another collective).

Pax is latin for peace. Salam is arabic for peace.
just as Shalom is hebrew, Paix is french, Paz is spanish, Pau is catalan, Bake is basque, Siochain is Irish &.., Many of us have written out all the words together at some time. Websites come and go. Al Muajaha is no more. There were sadly but not unsurprisingly stories of true suffering, deprivation, intimidation, even death. I lost less than a two hundred words published , which were on reflection probably unimportant. I would have preferred that the team had lived in different times and diferent circumstances. Soon enough ironically for their use of western hardware and It systems, their use of English, their championing of Western rights and equality, the team underwent increased hassle from the US occupation (which moved quicly to stop trade union mobilisations - preferring an iraq divided on religious or ethnic lines to an Iraq embracing freedom on any socialist or class analysis philosophy) {better a mad mullah than a red}

But Salam Pax wrote through it all.

Last night, I read the RTé news report on the Iraqi elections with dismay, the journalist in Donnybrook dublin 4, choosing to describe the elections as coming "after Saddam was ousted".
This morning likewise journalists "the dismal profession" tell us that iraqis now vote after Saddam, after US invasion, after an insurgency.

Years ago now, & it seems so long, after our mobilisations to stop the war, which at end exposed the war as illegal and immoral and most probably delayed the start of war, and ensured at least some levels of consideration for civilians and the rules of military engagement (Which I maintain would not have been observed if we had not protested the whole thing)

Al Muajaha was the first website to be launched in Iraq to report from the ground. It was started by volunteers from the indymedia organisation. And one of the writers who emerged Salam Pax began his career.

He has now chosen by the English "The Guardian" newspaper to "blog" on the elections.
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/2005/12/15/holiday_in_baghdad.html

al anur salam!