The Nobel
: Tom Friedman pushes Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for the Nobel Peace Price. Here is Iraqi blogger Riverbend’s take on the same notion.
16 responses to “The Nobel”
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Would Sistani’s fatwas have amounted to more than a hill of beans were it not for the leadership of Dubya? Would we even have known his name?
Sorry if the truth hurts… -
I second the Al-Sistani nomination, for all the reasons mentioned.
I know “Riverbend” is only sixteen (or thereabouts), but she strikes me as someone with some serious racial issues, and a big chip on her shoulder. Cleary, some Iraqis are not too thrilled with the loss of power and priviledge that they had under Saddam’s rule. That’s just too bad. -
but she strikes me as someone with some serious racial issues, and a big chip on her shoulder.
She always struck me as someone with a European education. I don’t know, of course, we don’t have a bio. -
This is from ‘River’s’ next post, following the Sistani reference:
“The irony of the situation lay in the fact that Sgrena was probably safer with her abductors than she was with American troops. It didnít come as a surprise to hear her car was fired at. Was it done on purpose? Itís hard to tell. I canít think why they would want to execute Giuliana Sgrena and her entourage, but then on the other hand, I canít think how it could have possibly happened that they managed to fire that many rounds at a car carrying Italian intelligence officers and a journalist (usually they save those rounds for Iraqi families in cars).
There really is no good excuse for what happened. Iíve been racking my brain trying to figure out what the Pentagon will say short of an admission that it was either on purpose or that the soldiers who fired at the car were drunk or high on somethingÖ”
Yeah, right. We’ve seen the car. This is some ‘girl’ in Iraq?
I wrote an email asking her a few questions, like where she was educated, her age… Do I expect an answer? No. Anyone else feel like writing a few emails? -
I sent a little P.S. email:
“River”,
You’re just a bit too ‘slick’ in the anti-U.S. propaganda department to be some ‘girl’.
Who are you?
Eileen -
And her reply:
Dear Eileen,
I’m sorry to disappoint you but I’m a 25-year-old female in Iraq who speaks fluent English because I was raised abroad as a child. Please excuse my anti-US propaganda as a result of your US war and
occupation.
R.
I will attempt further dialogue…..not satisfied. -
My reply,
River,
I appreciate hearing back from you. I am surprised, actually.
Why your intense U.S. hatred? Do you really believe things were better under Sadam? Did you have family that was sheltered or otherwise prospering under his regime?
As an American, I am horrified that you would attribute such blasphemy to us. Did Sadam’s killing of two million of your countrymen/women put you in a better place than you will be with freedom? And I acknowledge it will take some time for the dust to settle.
I see/read/hear reports daily from news organizations all over the world that quote others there thanking god/allah for the miracle of freedom. What do you have against freedom? Do you think we want our soldiers there? No! Do you think we want them home ASAP? Yes! Your staunch anti-U.S. position is not only perplexing but extremely disturbing to me.
Please explain, if you care to.
I am, if nothing else, your sister. We are, all of us – in my view – one. You are ALWAYS welcome in my home.
Eileen -
Before I sleep,
I advised River of the reference to her blog (as well as to her buddy Juan Cole) at buzzmachine, and the discussion here. I invited her to chime in. -
Of course Riverbend cannot possibly be an authentic Iraqi as she claims, because she does not support the pro-US agenda of the invading ideologues. Unlike, for example, the three Fadhil brothers (whoops, only two left!) at Iraq The Model, who are obviously genuine Iraqis and NOT being paid by the CIA or Wolfowitz’s neo-con clique or pseudo-charity Spirit Of America or US Govt thinktank Cyber Century Forum or anybody else for that matter…
If only River would APPRECIATE THE SACRIFICE of those un-criticize-able US troops who are giving up their lives so that she and her fellow Iraqis can continue living in fear, without basic services, without anythin like genuine democracy, while their national resources are privatized and sold off to US companies to pay for the costs of the US invasion…
Seriously, I just don’t know WHAT her problem is!!! -
I think sistani is a great nobel prize choice.
were it not for him, there would have been no election in Iraq. Bush didn’t invade Iraq to bring democracy to the middle east. He did it for oil. Bush was opposed to the elections that were held in January—and literally shut down efforts to hold regional and provincial elections after the “end of major operations.” -
Actually, IIRC, over at Iraq the Model, Riverbend was identified as the daughter of a Ba’athist family, based on colloquialisms she used to describe non-Sunni, non-Ba’athist Iraqis. If that’s the case, it’s unrealistic to look for much in the way of agreement with her, much like the daughter of a “retired” gauleiter might complain about all those Sherman tanks tearing up the pavement on der strasse…
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Footnote. River does not wish to participate here, but will continue a dialogue with me privately.
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No, can’t be Sistani. Probably Hugo Chavez. Maybe Assad. Perhaps they’ll even split it between Ward Churchill + Juan Cole.
I used to care about the Heisman and the Academy Awards, too, but… -
Still a bit early to tell on him, isn’t it?
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Paul
Your argument about the invasion being for purposes of oil is soooo tired. Give it a break dude. We’ve all heard it before. And about the elections. Bush and the United States were the advocates for elections to be held on time, as proposed. It was every other group that wanted them postponed. And about no elections at the end of “major combat operations” – The country was in no shape to hold elections then. I can see it now – “Bush announces the end of major combat in Iraq, and elections will be held tomorrow.” Sure, that would have gone over quite well. Then, when no one showed up to vote, you could have criticized him for not being properly prepared, having no plan…etc. Thank goodness you have nothing to do with it.
As it is now, all you can do is whine and complain and hope for blunders on the part of your own country, so you can advance your own personal positions of dislike and hatred toward your president. Way to go Paul – I bet your making somebody proud somewhere.
LT -
Well, it couldn’t possibly be Bush so if the Swedes are going to endorse this flowering of human freedom, Sistani is as good a face as any. Better than Arafat.
Um, LT, I thought at first you were a little tone-deaf and Paul was being sarcastic. Always good to re-read such things and, LT, you are money.
