A new attack on Iraqi bloggers

In 2009 with the help of Mideast Youth, I was able to launch a blogging site with 2 other Iraqi activists to use it as a platform of free expression for few Iraqi young bloggers, we called it Iraqi Streets. Since we start work we work in small circle of people and I hope we had reached someone with our stories on iraq and life , i do not know if any one read it cause i had not seen a lot of comments but I heard from people that the once read something and liked it ,but what i am sure of is that we had made someone in Iraq somewhere and some how very upset with our blogging cause since we start we had a serious of unfortunate events, we started with a bomb attack on the house of our no1 blogger and you can see the pictures of the attack
http://www.iraqistreets.com/archives/25

And next I received death threats, me and my 65 years old mother, my pharmacy was burned by a bomb and I escape certain death in Iraq and can not return to my country.

And today my friend Zain suffered from a new tragedy that tear my heart cause he had suffered a lot from the violence in Iraq and because i am isolated outside iraq with no ability to help him other than praying.

I am here telling you zain story by the words of my brave friend and activist basma al-kateeb which she publishe on her facebook page ,i hope someone somewho can help him ,cause he is praying the price of freedom of speech

Basma’s article:

Zain..my boy..my pain…and every Iraq’s Anarchy and blood bath daily shock.Runaway my dear..escape fatal missfit by illiterates
October 1st, 2009
BY BASMA AL-KATEEB

Let me share with you..this shocking incident..just happened last night…with one of the promising youths…in civil society, civic education, one of the graduates of the successful early implemented Conflict Resolution programme with Iraqi civil society..and War Child of Canada, one of the leading trainers of Unlimitted Potential Programme for women and youth, in Iraq, and in his words..what happened to him…I am still in shock..and can’t wait till morning to drop by his family’s house, to check on him, his brave mom and sisters…

In the years of blood baths and anarchy, in the years of alien democracies in the freedome blind region, there was Zain, one of the brilliant promissing youngmen, 2006, just admitted to Electric Engineering department in Univ Tech, sectarian militias deported his family from their house, farm, and neighborhood, witnessed his father’s killed in cold blood..in front of him, fled for haven in grandfather’s house, he declined attending college, until the next year ‘07, didn’t give up life and surrender to fear, in addition to his studying, he vulanteered in sseveral youth capacity building programme, with active participation, that he became one of the leading trainers in many professional skills and advocacy programmes, in addtion to promoting conflict resolution and negotiation amongst youth, trainer of Microsfort UP, Professional skills, and microcredit funds management and projects writing. In his university, he gained respect of his colleagues and professors, passing difficult tests from first rounds..turned to his 3rd year in college this year, after leading several training workshops, with his little family settling and feeling safe and gaining back sense of stability, he took off for vacation the first time after occupation, just as his returned with family, one sad morning, a gang of dawn visitors raided his residence, strapped his eyes and hands..for four hours, put his 78 grandfather, 50 yrs uncle, and neighbor in seperate rooms from women, he can only hear cries of his mom asking those ruthless unknown group of armed inhumans to spare her orphan singl son’s life, Zain,
He had the whole collage of horrific images of torture, deportation, abuse, killings, passing in his mind, smell and taste of his father’s blood, as he died in his hands, with his hands covered with his innocent father’s blood except from being a true and honest citizen in this wretched land, when he found himself surrounded by raiders..he started murmuring in English, but the answer came in an Iraqi harsh accent, lie down on your face..he thought he was in his sleep, another viscious kick in his stomack with the boot..woke him up, listening to all his family male figures and neighbors gathered in his house, tortured, heard his grandfather of 78 yrs crying from beatings, who are those people, his fear was not from god..for he knows that he didn’t do something wrong, his fear was from pain..as one of his sarcastic friends told him..it’s only the first blow which is nasty and matters..afterwards..your humanity and dignity dies.. and body goes numb,
Quoting Zain’s note..just released in Ar six hours ago:” After they asked me for my age, I was taken to a seperate room, and feel the gun point at my head every now and then for the whole 4 hours, I listened to cries of my relatives and neighbors in the next room..where they were taken..away..to unknown place, my care taker was going through my books..found Love and Cholera, of Markez…asked me..are you Communist? I figured he didn’t know the difference…between Marks and Markez..explained to him that this writer won Nobel prize in 1982, I can hear his hands going through my Markez book pages..one by one..clamping myself..as if a dirty hand caressing my beloved girl..I took off..aimlessly at 6 am this morning, not knowing what to do..remembering this unknown voice telling me not to bother fix the broken doors…as there will be another neighborhood’s breaking entry house to house search by investigators..I despised myself..saying a while ago..it’s Impossible to detain anyone..if innocent…just like I thought that innocent people don’t get killed..and my father was killed in front of my eyes….now..I was asked what do you do..I answered studying Software Engineering, at University, I only know that this is the second time..dagner escaped me, first when I was with my father when brutally killed, and now..when I was spared from detention…I don’t know who those people are, but I know..that My Granfather, My Uncle..and my Neighbor..did not sleep last night..at home..nor anyone of us..knows..why and what..

www.iraqistreets.com

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