Interview with Auf Al-Rawi - The Internet Gives Hope to the World

If we did not have the Internet, the world would be falling into tyranny, rather than out of it. As the mega corporations gobble up all of the mainstream media outlets in the United States, the American people only hear the news that serves the corporate interest. (Today very few corporations control all of the newspapers, radio stations and TV stations. Twenty years ago 175 different companies own them.) The Internet, like the weather, is almost impossible to be controlled by governments and corporate interests.

Auf had lived in A'Adhmiya up until a year ago with his wife and two children, but life in Iraq became so dangerous that he had to move his family to Amman. He has been a peace activist his entire life. I heard many new things from Auf. I knew the Multi National Force (MNF) was not subject to the laws of Iraq, but Auf also shared that the members of some militias who supported the invasion all enjoy immunity from the Iraq Government as well. Apparently the members of these militias are subject to no law -- they are considered part of the MNF.

I pressed Auf for his recommendations for going forward. He made another interesting point. Any candidate for an official post should not have two nationalities. Apparently, there are officials in the Maliki Government who claim Iraqi and Iranian, UK or U.S. nationalities. He also suggested there be compensation made to the Iraqis who lost property and family members as a result of our occupation.

One of the most fascinating things that Auf shared with me is how he dealt with the problem of living in A'Adhmiya for the first four years of the occupation with his wife and two sons. He told me "I did not let my sons out of the house. They certainly would have been kidnapped. We had a neighborhood security group that captured someone who was threatening our children - a known kidnapper. We turned him over to the police. This man was sent to the Americans. A week later he was back in the neighborhood threatening us again. So I had no choice. My sons stayed home." Both studied computer, English and music. The younger, Yemen, who is 13 years old, studied music first on the piano, then when his teacher disappeared, the guitar. He became very good at composing his own music and uploading it to the web. His older brother Huthaifa, who is 19, helped him develop his skills. I asked Auf for the address of the website and went straight to it intrigued by how the Internet played a role in keeping his children educated and productive. Click HERE to hear Yemen's music.

The Internet gives hope to the world.

Comments

[hoopoe]

it's much to easy to claim shias and sunnis were on an inevitable collision course in iraq and thereby alleviate ourselves of any twinges of conscience or responsibility. the sanctions, invasion, occupation and continual interference from ALL of the outside parties (and largely at fault are sunni leaders who depend upon the subjugation of shias in their own countries) have been a major force in stoking this sectarian eruption, which previously had been dormant.

and before anyone dumps all of the blame on iran, take a good hard look at saudi arabia, among others. which is why the US and iraq's neighbors ARE obligated to compensate the iraqis whose lives have been destroyed by their meddling, if we're not willing or able to fix what we broke. but, of course isn't likely. and the iraqi government does not seem to be in the position to offer real compensation either.

i have enormous respect for iraqis like the family above who have found a way to nurture hope in the midst of all of this chaos. my best wishes go out to them and to all who are caught up in this tragedy. i hope they continue to find ways to persevere and someday rebuild what they have lost.

[GenericBlogger]

15 centuries of Sunni vs. Shia fighting won't end in the near future. The feuds are beyond those of the Hatfields and McCoys. Saddam Hussein kept order by oppressing the Shias. Now they want revenge and blood, they have scores to settle. If Iraq is to be peaceful, Sunnis and Shias must be separated. Some of that separation already occurred but there is much common ground in the Baghdad area.

The Muslim world consists of approximately 1,000 million Sunnis and 150 million Shias. Those who die in Iraq are replaced by outsiders wanting to continue the fighting. This is similar to the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Both started as civil wars. Battles are won but wars are lost thanks to influx of major outside forces. War signifies failure of diplomacy but ironically, diplomacy ended the Korean and Vietnam wars.

It would be nice if a Desmond Tutu existed in the Middle East who could convince each side to accept amnesty and move on with their lives. Why isn't that put on the table as an option? Maybe because those who misinterpret Islam continue to justify hostilities?

Iran is not the sole cause of the problem but they are a major part at this point and not part of the solution or they don't want to be. Potentially they are the best hope for peace in Iraq. It's unfortunate that our government doesn't want to reach some settlement with Iran.

[hoopoe]

"It would be nice if a Desmond Tutu existed in the Middle East who could convince each side to accept amnesty and move on with their lives. Why isn't that put on the table as an option?"

that's a great question (and an intriguing answer to the problem.) i wonder if it is because of the rewards so many seem to be reaping from this conflict? i wonder if it is because the parties involved both believe they can still 'win' and still have the backing and the will to sustain this indefinitely? after all, the fighting in northern ireland lasted centuries...

[GenericBlogger]

We should not compensate Iraqis for something that would have happened anyways. I am referring to the relocation and loss of property. The Sunnis and Shias hate each other enough to kill each other daily and blow up each other's mosques and neighborhoods. Only they can resolve their differences. Our troops are usually caught in the cross fire and attacked for being there and for being American.

Our military keeping them apart postpones the inevitable. They need to move away from each other and find ways to co-exist in the same country.

Iran should get out of Iraq but it won't, it's a regional power to be reckoned with and our government needs to understand that.

[matahari888]

Dear Sir,
I wish more people see "Iraq For Sale"....so American can open their eyes to what their tax money putting on...for what purpose. Yemen's music is extraordinary, so are you for open our eyes.....May God Bless innocense Iraqi people......
Amen...