CPTnet
July 23, 2003
IRAQ: Letter from Maureen Jack
[Note: The following letter from CPTer Maureen Jack, of Fife, Scotland, has
been edited for length.]
Monday 14 July
Dear friends
This is Independence Day in Iraq. There was a large march cum parade
through the centre of Baghdad today, which passed by our apartment hotel.
There must have been several thousand people there. There was a real
carnival atmosphere with a truck at the front carrying women and children,
with balloons floating above it, and trumpets and drums playing, just as at
weddings.
We had decided that we would not join the group but would walk on the
pavement alongside the leading group just to be around in case there was
trouble. Initially this was easier said than done as we had first to make
our way across the roadway filled with demonstrators. I picked a spot that
took me behind a large flag held horizontally and in front of a group of
women. My mistake was in not walking under the flag, as I had to dance with
each of the women in turn as I made my way across!
There were no soldiers at all throughout the length of the demonstration .
. . There was absolutely no trouble, though I jumped a bit from time to
time as balloons burst in the heat. Then we got to Firdas Square (the one
where the statue of Saddam was pulled down.) As usual, behind razor wire
and a recently erected wall of bags filled with earth, there was a tank
blocking off the way to the Palestine Hotel.
Before I left on this trip people in St Andrews asked what they could give
me to bring this time. After some thought, I decided that what I would love
to be able to do would be to give people I meet, particularly children,
photographs of themselves. Thanks to the generosity of people in local
churches I was able to buy an instant camera and films.
This afternoon I took the instant camera to the Palestine Hotel, where some
homeless children hang out. Saif [is] a young lad of about nine or ten who
always comes up to us for a hug and kisses and to walk with us for a bit
holding our hands. He looked astonished as I handed him the (initially)
blank film. 'Where photo?' he asked, and I had to stop him trying to pull
the film apart to find the picture inside.
When the picture appeared, he grinned broadly and showed it proudly to all
his friends. He gestured to me that he would like a hole punched in the
photograph and a chain to hang it round his neck; virtually everyone who
comes to the Palestine has a photo ID of that kind. As I left, Saif tucked
the photo into the pocket of his tee shirt before hugging and kissing me.
. . .
We've heard that the American soldiers have pulled out of the centre of
Falluja and so we're off there tomorrow to see how things are.
Hope you're all well and happy (and cool!)
Maureen
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