When I came to Iraq, it was with the relatively explicit goal of "helping" in some way. In my mind, the best thing I could do as a non-Iraqi in Iraq would be to bear witness. However, I have always believed that bearing witness should be a part of something else. Since my return from Fallujah, I have been trying to reposition myself to do that "something else", but have thus far been unsuccessful. I also feel that I have gotten as close as I can to understanding the situation, the law of diminishing returns now in full effect unless I have some preternatural breakthrough. The exchange below culminates in one of the most cohesive and compelling pieces of advice about why I should leave.
Tomorrow morning, I will leave for Amman via the land route. This is the final post of the journal.
tarek : )
Hey dude.
My advice is, honestly, to get the hell out of there. This is more proof of my theory that you can't do international solidarity when there isn't a movement to be in solidarity with. The Iraqis have been occupied for a year. It took 15 years of occupation in Palestine before the first intifada, and even then they weren't sure how to handle international solidarity. Today, there is an explicit (fucked up) infrastructure there and things are still fucked up to go there. In Iraq, there is little you can do except be a part of the occupation. Teaching computer classes? Working as a translator? In a place under imperial occupation? Even in Palestine or Latin America one often feels like a collaborator with imperialism when trying to do this work -- because one is. The only antidote is the fact that one is doing it as part of a political movement against imperialism. In Iraq, the anti-imperialists are people we just can't support or join, right now. It could be that in the future there will come a political formation that needs or wants something from us that we can provide. That situation does not exist right now. Right now, the only thing for non-Iraqis to do for Iraqis is try to end their countries' participation in the occupation.
Get outta there!
X
Hey X!!!
I'd like to ask for some counsel.. You've followed the situation so far. In terms of the financial, it looks like there'll be ready resolution, and I'm not too concerned. I can work as a translator at ridiculously profitable rates, or submit a story or two for $150 a piece.. In terms of the personal, to be honest I barely even pay attention to my family any more.. I just kinda make sure that I always respond to questions, but I realize that it's gonna be like this until either they or I die.
Still, the question I'd like your opinion on is whether I should stay or go. It's almost three weeks now that I've been here, and still no real progress with regards to the hospital thing. The prospects for ISM-style solidarity work are pretty much nil. In fact, I can't really see that there's anything useful a foreigner can do except report and that fuzzy "bear witness" thing.
Obviously, though, I wouldn't consider my time so far to be a waste. I just don't know how much deeper I can get in another month. I figure I could stay and do whatever menial job and report on the side. I could also go back to Fallujah and try to be an indie reporter from there, but I seriously doubt my ability to successfully navigate that situation. The Mooj are incredibly pushy.
Anyhow, my arbitrary deadline right now is one week from yesterday (12 July).. I figure if I can't figure out something useful to do, then I'll take off..
What do you think? What was it like in Colombia and such?
Tarek : )
p.s. Oh yeah.. I meant to add that the Chuwadir hospital (in Sadr city) has asked me to teach a computer class with one session a day until I leave.. The class was approved by the Ministry of Health. When I said that I could maybe do something like that, the guy immediately dispatched a messenger to go get approval, which indicates they may really need something like this..
The only question there is: Do they really need a canadian giving computer classes? Sounds obscene..