Gorilla’s Guides

Baghdad-Death (Feature) (English) :: Aswat al Iraq ::

Iraqis say Death forced them to stay indoors
By Monther Hamad Zahi

Abu Mohammed, a taxi driver, was speaking his own mind about Iraqi politics but broke into tears when memories of the tragic death of his children, killed in sectarian violence, stirred his feelings.

“My 14-year-olds, Mohammad and Rafid, had gone one day to visit their (paternal) uncles in one of Baghdad’s areas and vanished there before even reaching their uncles’ homes,” Abu Mohammed bitterly told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

“One hour later, their kidnappers phoned and told us that the ‘Sharia court’ has sentenced Mohammed and Rafid to death, and after five days I found the bodies of my children in the garbage pile in a street where bodies of other guiltless young men were scattered around.”

Falah Aziz, another Baghdadi resident, says a heartless reign of terror is now overshadowing Baghdad and when night falls no sound is heard save that of bullets and bombs.

“One night my 70-year-old father had troubles in his heart and all our efforts to call an ambulance went down the drain. I eventually decided I should venture out to go to hospital but as soon as I started the engine, scores of gunmen swarmed around my car and instructed me to go back inside my home otherwise they’ll shoot everyone down,” said Aziz.

Aziz said he had to stay at home until the sun rose and gunmen left the area. “My father was admitted into the intensive care unit due to his late arrival at the hospital.”

According to Iraqi health ministry figures, bodies received by the forensics in Baghdad are 50-60 per day while unofficial reports indicated that they reach 100 in most cases.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) reports, published early in November 2006, affirmed that violence in the troubled country resulted in the killing of 650,000 Iraqis during the past three years.

The reports were gainsaid by Ali al-Dabbagh, the spokesman for the Iraqi government, while the UN argued that its figures relied on statistics published monthly by Iraq’s health ministry.

Omar, a student at the political science college, Baghdad University, said “we occasionally get leaflets warning us against going regularly to universities otherwise death would be our destiny.”

“In this bleak reality I decided to go on with my studying but I am really concerned about my life now that I live in one of Baghdad’s hot spots,” said Omar.

Walid al-Hamadani, who was forced with his family to leave their home without apparent reason, said he was now living in the camps of displaced people.

“I spend my time thinking of a way to feed my children and get heating oil, which became very scarce.”

Iraqis say Death forced them to stay indoors

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