HW 26: Different ideas

Response to Baghdad Burning:
The foreword of this book is written by Adhafi Soueif. The foreword has a very powerful message hidden within the summary. Soueif opens with saying that no one outside of the country in Iraq can truly identify with what is happening in their country. Others comments have no real meaning, they are not experiencing what is really happening. He describes Riverbend as an amazing author. The people who read this book should be privileged to know the closest account to the war in Iraq (Soueif pg. vii) Soueif made an extremely powerful quote in his forward. “Why does America identify itself with its military government? Why does being anti-Bush and anti-occupation have to mean that a person is anti-American? We watch American movies, listen to everything from Britney Spears to Nirvana and refer to every brown fizzy drink as ‘Pepsi’” (Soueif pg.viii) This quote really made me think. Living in today’s world, (and I know I can speak for many people on this) there is so many negative views on the country of Iraq. This quote made me question myself and others. Why? The people of Iraq do not create our opinions. It was one person. How can one man change how we view a whole country? Sometime I wonder why American people (including myself) think the way that we do. Soueif also states how at first Iraqis felt sorry for the U.S. military, how they knew that it wasn’t their choice to be there. “Even the invading troops were once seen as deserving of human sympathy: On May 7th, 2004, fourteen months into the invasion, Riverbend writes: ‘There was a time when people here felt sorry for the troops. No matter what one’s attitude was to the occupation, there were moments of pity towards the troops, regardless of their nationality. We would see them suffering under the Iraqi sun, obviously wishing they were somewhere else and somehow that vulnerability made them seem less monstrous and more human.” (Soueif pg viii) Throughout the rest of the foreword Soueif describes what a terrific account this book gives of the Iraqi war and the Iraqi peoples reactions. The Introduction is written by James Ridgeway. Riverbend’s blog is simply called ‘Girl Blog from Iraq”. This title really gives no information as to what will be written in the blog. Riverbend’s blog has many readers, and from what I gather seems to be extremely interesting and provoking. Her blog has nothing to do with the troops and where they are stationed. The war is not something that Riverbend can turn off at night when the news is over, “war is something that is lived every day-and every night.”(Ridgeway pg.xi) Ridgeway describes how intrigued her readers are, and how personal her blogs become. Iraq is such a dangerous war zone at this time that nothing is 100% safe. When Riverbend leaves her home her fans become quite concerned with her safety. “Whenever Riverbend and her family travel out of the neighborhood to a family gathering, you travel with her as she describes every turn her car takes, the tension as it rounds a corner, hoping that there is not an American tank in the street. If she does not write for several days, maybe a week or more, you fear the worst-a bomb strike, a tank raid, imprisonment.”(Ridgeway pg.xii) When Ridgeway was describing the fear that they had for American soldiers it kind of upset me. This whole time I thought they feared Iraqis or “battles” (for lack of a better word) on the streets. Do Americans really do this to innocent passersby? It is so hard to view American soldiers in a negative way. I have always been taught to have so much respect for them, because I feel that they do so much for our country. The rest of the Introduction is a recap of the history of American and Iraqi turmoil. I’m really looking forward to reading this book. I feel it will solve some of the stereotypes that I have learned to feel.