Friday, December 29, 2006

On the eve of Eid...

they are executing Saddam Hussein on the eve of Eid?

Listen, I am no fan of Saddam Hussein. I wanted him to be brought to justice years ago, before September 11th. I worked with Kurdish refugees and the stories of the terrible things he inflicted on them are horrific. I still can't get the picture of a dead woman holding her baby out of my mind. She was going about her daily business when her entire village was gassed by Saddam Hussein's troops.

But seriously, on Eid, the holiday of peace and forgiveness? Who thinks this is a good idea? I'm afraid that they have turned him into something that he shouldn't ever have be - a martyr. I'm afraid that his death will turn into a symbol for those already feeling marginalized by the current state of affairs in Iraq.

Executions would not normally take place during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, which begins for Sunnis at dawn this morning, and for Shias at dawn tomorrow. If Saddam’s execution is delayed beyond this morning, it will likely take place some time after sunrise on Thursday.

6 comments:

Frida World said...

I know, grrrr. I was invited to a colleague's house for lunch today to celebrate Eid, and the execution came up in coversation. They were speaking in Dari so my comprehension was bitsy at best, but I could certainly understand his sister's shock that this had been done at such a time.

Remember when the sentence was announced - on the eve of the US mid-terms... I don't think the timing of these key events can ever be assumed to be an accident.

Again grrrr. I'm off to the treadmill to work off the bad, and very un-Eid-like taste I now have in my mouth. I hope you are feeling a little better?

Lawrence of Arabia said...

i think it is hard to read it as anything other than a provocation. you are completely on target. it was a very unfortunate decision on the part of the united states and its puppet govt. there was no hurry to execute him. they had until almost the end of january to do it.

oh well...*sigh*

LoA.

Anonymous said...

I found the decision itself mostly disturbing, due to the martyrdom idea, but the timing of the execution and what seemed to me to be the sudden announcement of it was also bothersome. All in all, though, I'm glad I was not one of the people who had to make either decision.

Anonymous said...

FW: Yeah, exactly. I'm feeling better but still trying to recuperate and yet study madly for the bar.

LoA: Yeah, I'm feeling pretty sighed out about it...It's just a bad idea.

O: yeesh, yeah. Sigh

Anonymous said...

where's the quote from?

i was home for Eid - attending community parties, nice ladies, weaving saddam's execution into laments over the unmarried status of their daughters [not my mom, she neeever laments ;)].

he has totally become a martyr. i found it hard to hold my tongue as they exclaimed over video coverage showing Saddam praying to G-d and saying religious stuff.

um, who wouldn't cry out to G-d at their moment of death???? no matter their religion????

the most surreal was when I went to my FOB counsin's house on Eid morning (I use FOB politely, as he literally stepped off the plane a week ago, with is his wife and 7 children). my bro-in-law said to my cousin - Saddam is dead. My cousin flat out did not believe him and said he thought "probably they'll never get around to executing him."

Anonymous said...

C: the quote is from the article...