“Life is cheap here”

by Karen Button

Abbas, a Sunni Arab, was telling me of his plan to leave Baghdad for Kurdistan. “I have no other choice,” he explained, “I have ten in my family, but I cannot work [in Baghdad] because of the situation.”

Unfortunately, moving to Kurdistan is not as easy as it may seem. Though Kurdistan is still officially part of Iraq, the country’s new constitution gave the region a certain amount of autonomous powers.

“If I want to go to the north [to Kurdistan], I must get some sort of ‘security permission,’ I don’t know how else to say it,” says Abbas. He explains that he must be able to prove to the Kurdish authorities that he is a reputable man, that he won’t be bringing the violence of Baghdad with him. He’s hopeful he’ll be given clearance though; one of his brothers has contacts in Kurdistan and has told Abbas “it is 70 percent finished”.

Kurdistan, relatively free of the violence seen in other parts of Iraq, has seen a huge influx of its Iraqi Arab neighbors, as well as Kurds who were living in Baghdad. The Kurdish government estimates that about 50,000 internally displaced refugees have fled to region, and reports that some communities have seen their population double.

Abbas says for these reasons, he doesn’t blame the Kurdish government for their caution. “I would probably do the same thing,” he says.

In Baghdad, the killings have become too much. Especially since his wife is pregnant and has lost a baby before this one, Abbas says he doesn’t know what else to do.

“We [Suna and Shi’a] are living in the same place for 1,000 years and it’s never like this.”

Abbas links the start of sectarian violence to statements made by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The alleged and, some claim, mythical leader for al-Qaeda in Iraq, al-Zarqawi was held responsible by American officals as the mastermind for nearly every act of violence in Iraq until his capture and death in June 2006.

“Why do I blame al-Zarqawi? Because al-Zarqawi said ‘I will kill the Shi’a.’ But, who said this man is a [true] Muslim? Who said he speaks for the Suna? Who said he speaks for the resistance? Who is he? A criminal! Who has even see this man with their own eyes? These things [that al-Zarqawi said] were just on websites. This is something someone else can control!

“Who does it benefit to have this violence? We have always to ask ourselves this.

“My younger brother was married a year ago. His wife is a Shi’a. Between the people there is nothing, but it is with the politicians and some of the imams.”

“Life is cheap here,” he lamented, “in any other country they treat the animals better.”

As an example, Abbas tells me yesterday he was at the market when a small minibus pulled up about 300 meters away, its passengers pouring out. Among them were gunmen who began shooting. About 15 people were shot, though Abbas doesn’t know how many were killed. He said he saw nothing on the evening news about the incident.

“I am embarrassed to speak like this, but my duty is to say the truth. I wish I could give you my eyes for a day, a week, so you can see what I see. Why are we [humans] going back and not forward?”

I ask Abbas if he cannot go to Kurdistan, if he will join the millions who have already left Iraq. His answer:

“One and a half years ago if you asked me this question, I would be very angry. Today, I would kiss your hand. Any land in the world is better than this land.”