2 Million Black Iraqis Hope For a Better Day

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

 

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Their faces and darker skins make them look different. They are routinely called "slave" by the majority, whatever their profession. But Iraq's black population hopes that Barack Obama's rise to the White House will mark a turning point for minorities not just in the United States, but also in their country.

Jalal Thiyab Thijeel quotes Barack Obama, saying it is time for "change."

 

Jalal Thiyab Thijeel, general secretary of the "Movement of Free Iraqis," followed every detail of Obama's election campaign. "Inspiring," he calls it. Inspiring politically, and personally. Like Obama, Thijeel has family roots in Africa.

 

 

"We told our people, Inshalla, God willing, Obama is going to win, and if he wins, it will be a victory for all black people in the world," he recalls. "We're going to make him a model to follow. Even our old women were praying for him to win."

 

When news broke that Obama had won the election, it was early in the morning of November 5 in Basra -- but Thijeel excitedly called a fellow member of his political party.

 

It was a moment, he tells me as we talk on a street in Baghdad, that he'll never forget. "Now we, the dark-skinned people, feel even closer to the American people because Obama is one of us."

 

Thijeel's organization estimates there are approximately 2 million black Iraqis. The country's total population is more than 28 million, most of them ethnic Arabs. It's impossible to verify Thijeel's estimate, since the government does not keep statistics on race, but there is no denying there are many black Iraqis in the southern city of Basra.

 

Their history goes back 1,000 years to the time when Africans were brought as slaves to the south of Iraq to drain marshes and build Basra.

 

Many Iraqis still call blacks "abed," an Arabic word that means "slave." Thijeel grimaces when he pronounces it. It's demeaning, he says, and he wants the government to forbid its use. Many white Iraqis claim the word isn't meant to offend, but Thijeel says they have no idea how hurtful it is. "I never want my son to go through this," he says.

 

He also wants his son -- and his daughters -- to have access to good jobs, something that is not the case now, he says. In Basra, many black Iraqis have menial jobs. Although no one can point to any official discrimination, there are no black members of the Iraqi parliament.

 

The Movement of Free Iraqis was founded two years ago and on January 31 it will run the first slate of black candidates in Iraq's modern history.

 

Thijeel hands me the party's documents that spell out its demands. Foremost is that the government recognize blacks as an official minority in Iraq. This is key, because power in Iraq is apportioned along ethnic, religious and even tribal lines. The party also wants an apology for slavery, although it is not asking for financial reparations. The movement also wants laws to combat racial discrimination.

 

The party has found some nonblack political allies. Awad Al-Abdan of the National Dialogue Front says, "There's been social oppression for a long time. We have a tribal-based society and, according to traditions and customs, the black man is considered to have lower status."

 

Some white Iraqis say that founding a political party on racial lines is divisive, especially when Iraqis of different communities need to pull together. But Thijeel, quoting Barack Obama, says it's time for change. Although he's speaking in Arabic, he uses the English word "change."

 

"There's a change in international politics," he tells me. "Obama won, and not that long ago, in his country, black people were marginalized, so this event has shattered all barriers."

[Jacaylbaro]

Iraqis and Black ,,,,, waar nimanka maxaa inkaar isugu tagtay ,,

[General Duke]

Amazing story, Africans are everywhere now even in the White House of the USA..

[AYOUB]

The one wearing white khamiis looks like our own "Maxaakim".

[NASSIR]

He looks Somali indeed.

 

Cabdi or Abeed is like the N word to use.

[N.O.R.F]

The guys in the pic look Khaliijis. Maybe Kuwaitis.

 

"They are routinely called "slave" by the majority"

 

I don't think this is true.

[Kamaavi]

The other one looks Tuujiye.

[BOB]

Originally posted by Norf 1 Al Filastini:

"They are routinely called "slave" by the majority"

 

I don't think this is true.

I agree this is just to mess with people's minds and deflect the Muslim focus from Iraq...typical American propaganda me think.

 

 

Peace, Love & Unity.

[Paragon]

Originally posted by AYOUB:

The one wearing white khamiis looks like our own "Maxaakim".

He's a mole, sxb. Ka baq al-Shabaab .

 

PS: Did you guys know that Al-Shabaab threatened to bomb Obama's ceremony? Lol. It was on the BBC's marque shaley.

[NGONGE]

Originally posted by Norf 1 Al Filastini:

The guys in the pic look Khaliijis. Maybe Kuwaitis.

 

"They are routinely called "slave" by the majority"

 

I don't think this is true.

The people of Iraq dress more or less in the same way of those in Kuwait (why do you think Sadam tried to take over that country.)

 

Iraq is also part of the gulf (Khaleej).

 

As for the word 'Cabd', they sadly do use it in Iraq. However, the meaning of the word has changed from meaning 'slave' to meaning 'black' (they also say Asmar and Aswad).

 

Sadly also, Racism does exist in Iraq (and most other Arab countries) but not to the scale and level it is found in the West. A black man can still be president (or vice president, in the case of the late Kuwaiti prince or Anwar El Sadat).

 

Still, these Western writers trying to look down on Arab culture as primitive really fail to do their research. Before Obama made it as president in America there was Kafuur Al Ekhshidi ruling Egypt over a thousand years ago. He, unlike Obama, was an actual slave who inherited the rule from his deceased 'master'. The biggest poet in Arab history kowtowed to him and wrote poems about him. However, when he (Kafuur) ignored his overtures, the poet (Al Mutanabi) retorted by writing the poem that included these offensive words:

 

The dog remains a dog, even if you put a golden leash on him

And the slave remains a slave, even if you promoted him to high positions.

 

 

On the other hand, the most famous (for bravery) Arab poet was Cantara Bin Shadad who when people mocked his dark colour said:

 

They question my colour out of their ignorance

Not realising that without the darkness of night there would never be dawn

 

And even if my colour was black my manners are white

And from my palm is dew collected.

 

He also says:

 

My colour never degraded my life

Nor did it lower my dignity

 

 

 

The late Kuwaiti heir to the throne (hada waa carab).

[Fabregas]

Some of their ancestors(the zanja of south-east africa) apparently sOMALI iyo Carab/others ba adonsatey. Hence why you have SOmali Bantus in SOmalia.

[me]

^I wonder if we have pictures of dadka aad ka hadlaysid oo dhabarka Soomaalida aad leedahay wey adoonsatay ku sida.

[Fabregas]

^^ I don't understand your question sxb

[N.O.R.F]

Ngonge, fair enough.

 

ps i meant GCC when I said khaleej. Basra is part of Khaleej i suppose

 

Give us more of those peoms (full poems translated) :cool:

[me]

1. I am asking for evidence of this adoonsi of the Somalida webiyada ag degta that your talking about.

 

2. When you say Soomaali ayaa Soomaali kale adoonsatay, be specific dadkeebaa wax adoonsaday? xagee bey deganyihiin? hada meeye dadkaasi? sidee bey wax u adoonsadeenna? faa'idadee bey ku raadinayeen adoonsigan?

 

3. The other day you were offended by the picture I posted about the Somali's carrying the white man and women. Why is it easy or you to claim that Somali people enslaved other Somali people? while denying that that happened to us at the hands of the white man.

 

I hope that this clarified my original question for you.