A Precursor to Freedom

Iraqis marked the anniversary of the fall of Baghdad to American military forces by mass demonstrations. They were apparently protesting the presence of the American occupying forces, rather than celebrating the ouster of Saddam. Although Iraqis were seemingly exercising a right that we enjoy in our own democracy, freedom of speech and assembly, it could be considered highly suspect since it was actually organized, perhaps even coerced by Muqtada al-Sadr. Who can really know the hearts and minds of people who live in chronic fear?

The date of April 9th – in recent years, has been commemorated by video clips of the public denigration of a statute of a certain, defunct and dead dictator- has actually served only to reflect on the poor judgment given to making a war in Iraq. So, thank goodness there was very little hullabaloo about it this year in the media. Since April 2003, Saddam Hussein has been captured, executed – albeit in a botched spectacle kind of way, Baghdad has undergone a rapid ghettoization, and even worse – that region of the world, in general, has become extremely volatile. This anniversary also reminds us of just how long the Iraqis have waited for their so-called “freedom” because liberation does indeed imply some sort of freedom will be forthcoming. However, their now deposed dictator has been replaced by another more sinister kind of oppressor – civil war fueled and funded by external sources. We are left to wonder if this civil war contained within the boundaries of Iraq will soon morph into something even worse. Civil wars are unpredictable by their very nature. At least Iraqis knew what to expect from Saddam.

Although Iraqis no longer have one single figure labeled a dictator by the international community, does that really mean they are free? Perhaps there are many different kinds of freedom and these are valued differently according to culture, historic reference, and collective experiences. I imagine that many Iraqis would view the ability to travel freely through their own streets without concern for their security as freedom. Perhaps, Iraqis would find a weekly paycheck that allows them to provide for their families – liberating. Peace seems to be a necessary precursor to freedom. And, perhaps peace is another kind of freedom that is more valued than democracy – because at the moment, the hard truth is that peace and democracy are seemingly mutually exclusive in Iraq.