Gorilla’s Guides

Yes it’s that time of year when some of the students we sponsor get turned loose for their "praktik". We put them through a course and then let them work "live" on the site.

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عيد مبارك Eid Mubarak

We’ve got some very kind enquiries over the last few days asking if we’re well or has something happened. Well a lot has happened – there was the heatwave, some of us have taken holidays in August and of course the new orphanages and schools as well as our other work and some new projects are taking a lot our time.

And of course it’s Ramadan! — So yes we are still here and will resume blogging in English in September.

It is so nice that people have asked – thank you for caring

Happy Ramadan to all our Muslim readers! With love from Baghdad.

Umm Fatima

O God, forgive our living and our dead, those who are present among us and those who are absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O God, whoever You keep alive, keep him alive in Islam, and whoever You cause to die, cause him to die with faith. O God, forgive him and have mercy on him, keep him safe and sound and forgive him, honour the place where he settles and make his entrance wide; wash him with water and snow and hail, and cleanse him of sin as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. O God, give him a house better than his house and a family better than his family. O God, admit him to Paradise and protect him from the torment of the grave and the torment of Hell-fire; make his grave spacious and fill it with light. O God, do not deprive us of the reward and do not cause us to go astray after this.

Here is the (slightly delayed sorry about that)  list of links to articles and postings in English made on Gorilla’s Guides between March 1st 2010 and March 31st 2010. I hope you find it useful.

• Odierno Salih Zebari
• Destroying Educational Institutions or Using Them for Military Purposes Is a War Crime
• Iraqi children’s growth stunted by war, says study
• Water Ministry Warns This Year’s Drought Will Be The Worst So Far
• Christian Family Home Bombed In Mosul
• Patrick Cockburn: Iraq – violent, divided, but hopeful
• Asharq Al-Awsat’s Interview With Iyad Allawi
• More post-Saddam mass graves discovered in Iraq
• Abeer Mohammed : Iraq’s crumbling, corrupt healthcare
• Mine Action Group : Partnership saves lives
• Impossible Choices for Iraqi Refugees in Lebanon | Human Rights Watch
• Sadr Followers Bask in Poll Success
• Kuwait: ICRC helps Iraqi families visit detained relatives
• Iraq’s power transition not easy amid tight vote racing of rivals
• British military intelligence ‘ran renegade torture unit in Iraq’
• The only thing these sand niggers understand is force and I’m about to introduce them to it
• Nineveh governor wants international probe into attacks against Mosul Christians and minorities
• IRAQ: Controversy over Diyala Province housing project
• Iraq: Humanitarian Needs Persist | Refugees International
• Another Christian Shopkeeper Murdered In Mosul
• The New ‘Forgotten’ War | Dahr Jamail
• Baha Mousa inquiry: Eight or more civilians died in British custody
• Iraq poll results delayed again, amid mounting fraud claims (Roundup)
• Is Iraq returning to its secular roots
• Iraqi amputees to wear Jaipur Foot
• The undoing of Obama’s Cairo speech
• Another Step On America’s Road To War With Iran
• Human Rights Watch: The tough road ahead for Iraq’s election victors
• Election Commission Role Attacked
• IRAQ: Women Miss Saddam
• Everyday Demands Drown Out Sectarianism
• Iraqi provinces to reap $1 per each barrel produced from their oil fields
• Scores of Christian families return to Mosul : Aswat Al Iraq
• Iraqi Christians fleeing religious violence in Mosul receive UN support
• In Which Fatima Gives Some Advice
• Lack of security hampering work, say aid agencies
• IRAQ: IDPs returning to Diyala Province in increasing numbers
• Kirkuk’s Arabs seek to reclaim city
• Polls Now Closed
• Iraqis Charge Batteries For Elections – IslamOnline.net
• Iraq’s Fearful Christian Candidates
• Well Did They Or Didn’t They?
• Red Crosss: Iraq: making the best of a bad situation
• Red Cross: Women and displacement: strength in adversity
• Participation in Iraqi Parliamentary Elections is a Political Resistance, Says Al Sadr
• Iraq: Bishop welcomes greater security ahead of poll
• The curse of Fallujah: Women warned not to have babies because of rise in birth defects since U.S. assault
• Refugees struggle to make ends meet in Lebanon, Syria
• Iraq’s Sunni voters yearn for change
• Iraqi women pursuing more political say
• Candidates Say Lack of Security Harms Their Chances
• Vote-Buying Claims Threaten Poll Credibility
• IRAQ All parties in Iraq set for the vote – Asia News
• February 2010 English Language Articles On Gorilla’s Guides
• IRAQ A divided Iraq goes to the polls amid attacks – Asia News
• Blair warned in 2000 Iraq war was illegal – The Independent
• Iraq’s New Death Squad
• Iraqi Christians attacked ahead of Iraq election
• Over 4,000 Iraqi Christians displaced following recent unrest, UN reports
• IRAQ Iraqi Christians demonstrate, fast against killings and the Nineveh “ghetto” – Asia News

Suheila

Here is the list of links to articles and postings in English made on Gorilla’s Guides between February 1st 2010 and February 28th 2010. I hope you find it useful.

1. February 28th Was A Special Day
2. Iraq: Displacement in Mosul Situation Report No. 1 – 28 February 2010
3. February 28th – Is A Special Day
4. Mosul’s Christians Are Being Hunted, Murdered, And Forced To Flee (With Updates)
5. Iraqi lawmakers highlight "political" killings of Christians
6. Iraqi Women Face Hard Time Campaigning – IslamOnline.net – News
7. Sistani Call Likely to Boost Shia Turnout
8. Sadrists reject Iraq oil deals
9. Christians flee Iraq’s Mosul
10. Iraq: Vatican voices concern at Christian attacks
11. Christians feel heavy loss in Iraq war
12. A Small Improvement For Our English Language Readership
13. Christian Father and Two Sons Slaughtered In Front of Wife and Daughters
14. Support Given to Orphans and Poor Families in Basra
15. "Our only crime is that we are Christian"
16. Christian Peacemakers document destruction of Iraqi village life
17. Almost daily targeting of Christians has become a disaster
18. Iraq’s ladies of pleasure in Lebanon…stuck between two evils! : Aswat Al Iraq
19. Iraq: Senior cleric deplores Christian killings in north
20. Slaughter of Iraki Christians Continues
21. STFU
22. Cancer – Deadly Legacy of the Invasion of Iraq
23. Another Christian Grocer Murdered In Mosul (With Updates)
24. 111 Iraqis assassinated so far in 2010 – MRFC
25. Scenes From An Iraki Childhood: This is the street edition
26. Wasit Province initiative to get doctors to return
27. An Embedded Journalist and Self-loathing in Iraq
28. Baghdad Cabbies’ Survival Tips
29. Iraqi women pessimistic regarding elections
30. IRAQ: Streamlining the state food aid system
31. Al-Jumhouri Hospital Bombed
32. It is not only revolutions that eat their own
33. Coups d’états in Iraq
34. Iraqis split over importing police dogs to detect explosives : Aswat Al Iraq
35. Karbala Attacks Death Toll Reaches 42
36. Concerns Over Copycat Uprisings in Kurdistan
37. Election campaign finds leaves many Iraqis cynical
38. Hunters back to activities in Anbar
39. Throngs defy attacks to deck Iraqi holy city in black
40. When Scholars Join the Slaughter
41. Scenes From An Iraki Childhood Bab al-Sham February 1st 2010
42. Attacks ebb but Iraqi doctors face death,extortion

Suheila

As you can see our main page, and most of our postings are in Arabic. We remain committed to providing some coverage in English. We’ve recently received a few mails from readers saying that the bilingual nature of the site can be confusing and asking us to make it easier for our English language readership to find articicles in their language.

So without further ado:

• Clicking the link "English Language Articles" at the top of the screen will take you to multi-page clickable list of all articles written in the English Language category.
• We’ve also made a small improvement to the screen design which we hope will be helpful for our English language readership:

  On the righthand side of the screen there is now a section called "Latest English Language Articles" this contains a clickable list of the last 10 articles in the English language.

  The very large screenshot below should clarify all :-)

• Last but definitely not least the commenting system works exactly the same irrespective of whether you are commenting in Arabic or in English.

Suheila Jamil,
for the Team at Gorilla’s Guides.

On behalf of all the team allow me to welcome you to the first in the series of Gorilla’s Guides’ English language roundups. Although the overwhelming majority of our visitors are from Muslim countries and are interested only in our Arabic language coverage we decided as a matter of principle to try to continue to provide at least some English language postings. As part of this we’ve decided to give a monthly list of links to articles and postings in English. We hope you find it useful.

Nur Hussein Ghazali

• Arabs, Turkmen want UN, EU election observers in Kirkuk
• Red Cross: Iraq: redoubling efforts to boost medical care for civilians
• Halabja’s Unfinished Business
• Kurdish War of Words
• Blasts Cast Doubt Over Election Security Plan
• Nawal Fenwick: I believed nothing could be worse than Saddam’s regime. I was wrong
• Red Crescent provides services to Shiite pilgrims in Karbala : Aswat Al Iraq
• Arab, Turkmen blocs reject deployment of Peshmerga in Kirkuk : Aswat Al Iraq
• Few Clues to Grisly NGO Killings
• Border Breaches Reveal Iraq’s Rifts and Iran’s Reach
• Blair’s Blemish
• Debaathication vs. reconciliation? The decision to ban Saleh al-Mutlaq from standing in the Iraqi election
• Mine Action Group teaches gun safety and awareness to thousands
• Iraq Events of 2009 | Human Rights Watch
• Iraq official warned against anti-bomb device buy
• IRAQ: Sectarian tension ahead of polls threatens “humanitarian crisis” – analysts
• Grave containing 11 corpses found in Falluja
• David Kelly post mortem to be kept secret for 70 years as doctors accuse Lord Hutton of concealing vital information
• Iraq war was illegal, top lawyer will tell Chilcot inquiry
• Sheikh al-Qaradawi denounces attacks on Christians
• Red Star Over Iraq
• Iraq littered with high levels of nuclear and dioxin contamination, study finds
• Christian clergy in Ninewa calls on followers to be patient
• Intelligence policeman killed by gunmen in Mosul
• Mud, Sweat and Tears on Iranian Frontier
• Mosul: targeted execution of Christians continues in media and government silence
• GZG Defense Ministry Parades Al-Qaeda Prisoners Admitting killing Christians
• Christian Vegetable Seller Murdered In Mosul By Death Squad
• Christian shot dead by gunmen in Mosul
• Iraq cabinet approves draft law to protect doctors | Reuters
• Sunni candidates ban threatens Iraq election
• Iraq to hold first full census since ‘87 in October | Reuters
• What does it take to become a bomb disposal specialist?
• Louis Sako: Synod of Middle East Churches: mission and a return to dialogue
• Three bombs in Najaf Coincide With Al-Sadr’s visit to city (Updated)
• Bloody Wednesday Bombers Sentenced to Death
• Iraq war was illegal, Dutch panel rules
• Pour Encourager Les Autres
• Can Campbell spin the dossier away? | Chris Ames
• Alastair Campbell had Iraq dossier changed to fit US claims
• UK troops ‘executed Iraqi grandmother’
• Christian Students Bombed
• Obama Presidency…Iraqis Disappointed
• Squatters moved out of nearly two thirds of returnees’ homes
• Al-Najafi: "Not an inch of land" To Illegal Peshmerga Occupation
• Alexander Cockburn: Obama’s broken promise has invited terrorism
• Motlak says decision to exclude him from elections indicates “there is no state” : Aswat Al Iraq
• Cancer – The Deadly Legacy of the Invasion of Iraq
• Iraqis welcome WFP role in state food aid system
• MP calls for more IDP funding
• Fear Grips Anbar After Bombings
• Tony Blair’s £1m-a-year paymaster seeks giant Iraqi oil deal
• Munir Chalabi: Ba’ath Is Coming Back
• They kept pumping bullets into us
• Christian man kidnapped in Mosul centre
• Even by the standards of the savage violence in Iraq at the time, the massacre brought a sense of profound shock
• NGOs say ready for more responsibility
• Christians in Baghdad spend New Year’s Eve indoors : Aswat Al Iraq
• Secret Army squad ‘abused Iraqis’ – The Independent

In common with our brothers and sisters in Islam throughout the world we are celebrating this auspicious occasion. We send our especial love to our fellow Irakis driven from their homes by the violence unleashed by the invaders. We pray that next year with the help of God you will celebrate here with us.

With love,

Mohammed Ibn Laith,

Nur Hussein Ghazali,

Ali Ibn Hussayn,

Haleema Al-Azzawi,

Hussein Al-Bayati,

Maryam,

Um Thalit,

Suheila Jamil,

Fatima, Fatima, and Fatima :-) ,

Saba Ali,

And all the rest of us here at Guides.

عبر المواطنون عن أملهم في أن يكون عيد الاضحى المبارك بداية لصفحة جديدة من تاريخ العراق، متمنين ان يعم الامن والاستقرار جميع المناطق. الساحات العامة والمتنزهات في العاصمة بغداد فتحت أبوابها أمام المواطنين وبدأت بإستقبال اعداد كبيرة من العوائل وسط اجراءات أمنية مشددة.
وفي محافظة اربيل استقبل المواطنون عيد الاضحى المبارك بتبادل التهاني والتبريكات بهذه المناسبة العزيزة متمنين ان يعم الامن والاستقرار جميع محافظات البلاد.
اما محافظة كربلاء فشهدت توافد الاف الزائرين من محافظات مختلفة وعدد من البلدان العربية وغير العربية لاحياء زيارة عرفة وسط إجراءات أمنية مشددة.
هذا ونشرت شرطة المحافظة اربعمئة سيطرة تفتيش ودورية في مناطق مختلفة من كربلاء ضمن الخطة المتبعة خلال عيد الأضحى، داعية المواطنين إلى التعاون مع الأجهزة الأمنية والإبلاغ عن كل ما يثير الشكوك. واكّد قائد شرطة كربلاء اللواء الركن علي الغريري في حديث الى السومرية نيوز أن هذه الإجراءات تسهل تعامل قيادة الشرطة مع الحالات الطارئة ، موضحا أن العدد الكبير للزائرين الذين يحيون عيد الأضحى قد يغري الإرهابيين الذين يهدفون إلى إشاعة القلق وأعمال العنف في المدينة ، مبيناً في الوقت نفسه أن هذا الأمر يتطلب جهوداً مشتركة من قوى الأمن والمواطنين لحفظ أمن المحافظة.
وللعيد طقوسه المتميزة التي ترتبط بموروث أجتماعي وديني ولعل أبرز هذه الطقوس تقديم الاضحية وصناعة المعجنات الكليجة، كما ان العيد لا يمر من دون حصول الاطفال على العيدية والذهاب الى المنتزهات ومدن الالعاب.