The principle duty of a man is to provide food, clothing, shelter and all other basic needs of his wife according to his ability and capacity. All this should be done with love and kindness by which their relationship will glow and become stronger. He should always support his wife with courage and bravery so that she may feel a sense of security. Also he must guard her chastity and modesty, while overlooking her minor faults and errors which are inevitable. As Mullah Mohsin Faiz Kashani in his book "Al-Waafi" in the chapter of "A Woman's right over her husband" writes that it is narrated from the Holy Prophet (SAW) that some people enquired from him regarding the rights of a wife over her husband. He (SAW) answered, "He should overlook her minor faults and if she commits a major mistake then he should forgive her."
We all know that human life is not confined to food and drinks. Rather love, affection and sacrifice are the emotions which take humanity to great heights and form the core of its civilisation and culture. A woman who is emotions personified along with her other necessities expects to see the smiling face of her husband when he returns to his house. This is one of her basic rights which has not been overlooked due to its importance by the religion of Islam and therefore it is enumerated as one her rights over her husband.
Shahab Abdo Rabbeh relates that I asked Imam Sadiq concerning the rights of a woman over her husband. He answered, "He should fulfil all her basic necessities and must not terrrorise her by becoming angry time and again. If he does this i.e. after fulfilling her needs, is kind and affectionate towards her, then I swear by God, he has fulfilled his wife's rights. (Kafi).
Among the other rights which a women enjoys over her husband is that he should sleep with her. This matter has been dealt in detail in the books of jurisprudence. Those who are interested can refer to Al-Kafi, Wasailush Shia, Mustadrak and other similar books.
The importance of these rights can be gauged from the basic expectation of the fairer sex that her husband treat her kindly and respectfully. He must give due importance to her rights and observe them. The Holy Prophet (SAW) himself has endorsed this view by saying, "The best among you is the one who observes the rights of his wife in the best possible way and I am the best among you to observe the rights of my wives." (Mun la Yahzorohul Faqeeh).
The Importance of Helping One's Wife in Domestic Works
One day the Holy Prophet (SAW) paid a visit to the house of Ali and Fatema (SA). He saw that Ali is sieving the pulses and Fatema (SA) is busy cooking. On observing this the Holy Prophet (SAW) remarked, "O Ali, I do not speak except what is revealed unto me. Anyone who helps his wife in her domestic affairs obtains a reward of one year of worship equal to the amount of hair on his body. This year of worship will be as if he has fasted during it's day and prayed during it's night. Allah will reward him equal to the reward of all the patient ones, Hazrat Dawood and Hazrat Esa . [ Jami us Sadaat, Vol. 2, Pg. 142).
In the same reference another tradition from the Holy Prophet (SAW) is recorded where he says, "O Ali, whoever helps his wife and children in their domestic affairs and does not consider it as an obligation upon them, Allah will enumerate him among the martyrs. The reward of one thousand martyrs is written in his book of deeds (by the angels) each day and night. His one step bears the reward of one Hajj and one Umrah and he gets cities in paradise equal to the number of veins in his body."
Again in Jami us Sadaat, the Holy Prophet (SAW) is reported to have said, "One who stays in his house and helps his family members in their domestic affairs, his reward is better than the one who has worshipped God for one thousand years, performed one thousand Hajj, one thousand Umrah, released one thousand slaves, participated in one thousand battles along with the Holy Prophet (SAW), visited one thousand patients, worshipped on one thousand Fridays, participated in one thousand funeral processions, fed one thousand hungry people, clothed one thousand beggars, distributed one thousand horses in the way of God, gave one thousand Dinars (gold coin) to the poor, recited one thousand times each the Taurat, the Injeel and the Quran, freed one thousand prisoners and donated one thousand sheep to the poor. And the one who helps his family members in their house affairs, sees his place in paradise before departing from this world."
Ibne Abi Zar-e-Naraaqi narrates a tradition from the Messenger of Islam (SAW) that he said, " To serve one's family members helps in erasing the capital crimes (Gunnahane Kabeera) and cools down the divine wrath. It acts as a dowry paid to the Huris, increases one's good deeds and raises one in stages. [Jaame us Sadaat].
In the book Makaaremul Akhlaq, one tradition is quoted from Imam Sadiq on the authority of Ishaq Ibne Ammar who says, I asked him ,"What is the right of a woman over her husband?" He replied, "To feed her, to clothe her and if she commits some silly mistake or error he must forgive her."
Dailami in his book, Irshadul Qulub writes that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, "Whoever beats his wife unnecessarily, I will be his enemy on the Day of Judgement." Therefore one should never torture one's wife physically or otherwise because whoever does so has violated the norms set by the Almighty and His Messenger.
The great traditionist of the sixth century, Abdul Wahid- e-Amudi in his book Gorarul Hikam, narrates a tradition on the authority of Ameerul Momeneen Ali ibne Abi Talib who said, "Certainly a woman is like a toy, whoever takes her (marries her), should advise her." Sheikh Hurre Amili in Wasailush Shia narrates a tradition from Imam Zainul Abedeen that he said, "Whoever makes the lives of his family members more comfortable and provides them more rest he is worthy of maximum divine pleasure." In the same reference Imam Reza says, "Every man should strive to make his wife and children comfortable according to his capacity for if he is strict and unkind to them and because their rights are being deprived they will desire his death."
The author of Makaaremul Akhlaq narrates a tradition from Holy Prophet (SAW) on the authority of Ibne Abbas that "Whoever brings some gifts from the market for his family members enjoys the same status before God as the one who has helped the oppressed." Then further explaining the method of distribution he (SAW) says, "First he should give to his daughters then to his sons. Whoever keeps his daughter happy will get a reward equal to the one who has freed a slave from the progeny of Hazrat-e- Ismail and whoever keeps his sons happy his reward is like the one who has cried due to the fear of God and the reward of the one who cries due to the fear of God is a Paradise full of bounties.
Muhaddith-e-Noori, the great traditionalist of the last century narrates a tradition from the Holy Prophet (SAW) in is book Mustadrakul Wasail, "Anyone who has been provided with bounties but is strict and miserly with his wife and children is not from us."
And the last call is this, "All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds."
Sunday, December 31, 2006
A Relationship of Mutual Love
Although the flames of lust are extinguished by the physical relationship between a husband and a wife yet if there exists a relationship of mutual love and understanding which is quite natural if they care for each other than a new kind of warmth will be created between the two. Both of them will enjoy their lives to the hilt, basking under the rays of attachment and care.
The Holy Quran has drawn attention to this emotional relationship which exists between husband and wife as it clearly states: "And among his signs is that he has created spouses from among yourself so that you may rest in them and initiate love and mercy among all of you."
As one matures physically, sexual desires make their way in the individual and gradually both girls and boys start getting attracted to each other which slowly develops into some sort of psychological pressure. This natural and undirected emotion gradually seeks solace in whatever possible form. Unfortunately more often than not it results in the youngsters deviating from the right path and indulging in some unwanted and undesired habits. Before becoming victims of ill-directed lust it is better for them to get married and settle down. Therefore, the leaders of Islam have advised their followers to follow this most important Sunnah. As the Holy Prophet (SAW) states: "O youths, whosoever among you can marry he should do so because marriage protects your eyes (from indulging in sin by looking lustly at others) and privacy." (Makaaremul Akhlaq).
Imam Sadiq narrates that one day the Holy Prophet (SAW) went on the pulpit and said, "O people, Jibraeel has brought unto me a divine command stating that girls are like fruits from a tree. If they are not plucked in time then they get rotten by the rays of the sun and a slight blow of the wind will result in their falling down from the tree. Similarly, when girls attain maturity, then like other women they develop emotions related to sex and there is no cure for it except her husband. If they are not married, prevention of character corruption becomes a remote possibility because after all they are human beings and no human is free from vice." (Furoo-e-Kafi, Vol. 5, Pg. 337).
The Holy Quran has talked about the chastity and fidelity of both the husband and wife in the following verse: "They (your wives) are dress for you and you are dress for them."
A dress conceals ones defect and hides the private parts of a person. Moreover, it also acts as a protector from various infections which can arise due to the body being uncovered. The Holy Prophet (SAW) says , "Whoever desires that he should meet his Lord in a pure and clean state, he should seek for himself a legal wife and make provisions of chastity and modesty for himself."
To sum it up, the leaders of Islam on one hand dissuade their followers from indulging in adultery and other extremities related to sex. On the other hand, they admonish them and emphasise to get married and settle down in life. They have even gone to the extent of stating that marriage is one of the best divine traditions. This concept has been explained very clearly in the following tradition of the Holy Prophet (SAW): "No foundation of Islam is as beloved and as mighty as the foundation and institution of marriage." (Mustadrak, Vol. 2, Pg. 531).
In yet another tradition from Mustadrakul Wasail it is narrated that "When a youngster marries early in his youth Shaitaan cries out of desperation and says, Alas! this person has protected one third of his religion , now he will protect the remaining two thirds also."
A person named Akkaaf came to the Holy Prophet (SAW), who asked him, "Do you have a wife", he replied, "No, O Messenger of God." The Holy Prophet (SAW) enquired again,"Do you want to improve the safety of your body and increase your wealth", he replied, "Certainly". Then the Holy Prophet (SAW) admonished him to get married and made him fear the consequences of not doing so. Later he (SAW) proclaimed, "O Akkaaf! woe unto you, get married, get married because now you are enumerated among the sinners. Get married, otherwise you will be counted among the strayed ones. Get married, otherwise you will be listed among the Christian priests. Get married, otherwise you will be named among the brethren of Shaitaan." (Mustadrak, Vol. 2, Pg. 531).
Imam Reza narrates that a lady asserted before Imam Baquir that, "I am a Mutabattela." Imam Baquir asked her, "What do you mean by that?". She answered, "I have decided that I will never marry." Imam enquired from her the reason for her decision. She replied,"To go higher in the stages and levels of perfection." Imam Baquir retorted,"Take your decision with justice. If remaining a spinster was a matter of greatness than Hazrat Zehra (SA) deserved it much more than you. There is no lady who can exceed her in any of the excellencies."
Once some companions of Holy Prophet (SAW) had forsaken sexual relationships, eating food during the day-time and sleeping at night and considered them as forbidden for themselves, to attain purification of soul, spiritual heights and divine satisfaction. When Ummul Momeneen Umme Salma (SA) was informed of this strange attitude, she in turn informed the Holy Prophet (SAW), who went to them and asked,"Have you left your wives and turned your faces away from them? I am your prophet. I go near my wives, eat during the day, sleep during the night and whoever turns away from my Sunnah, he is not from me."
To get a good, modest and chaste wife is among the good fortunes and good luck of a person according to the leaders of Islam and is also considered as one of the sources by which the religion of a person can be protected. They have conveyed this message quite often that the worship of a married person is much more significant and important before Allah than that of a bachelor or a spinster.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) says: "Among the good fortunes of a man is to have a good wife." (Furoo-e-Kafi, Vol. 5, Pg. 327).
Imam Sadiq narrates from the Holy Prophet (SAW) that he said, "Those believers who marry, protect half of their religion from danger." In yet another tradition, Imam Sadiq says, "Two rakaats of a married person is better than seventy rakaats of an unmarried one." (Wasailush Shia, Vol. 5, Pg. 1)
The Holy Prophet (SAW) once said, "Whoever marries, protects half of his religion, then for the remaining half he must only fear God." (La'alil Akhbar).
The sixth Imam, Imam Sadiq says, "A sleeping married man is better than a fasting unmarried man." (La'alil Akhbar).
The Messenger of Islam (SAW) said, "Do not marry a woman for the following four reasons: Wealth, beauty, ancestry and lust. It is obligatory upon you to marry a woman on account of her religion." (Jaame ul Akhbar).
In yet another tradition, the Messenger of Islam (SAW) has prohibited his followers from marrying a beautiful woman from a disgraceful background." (Bihar ul Anwar, Vol. 23, Pg. 54).
Imam Sadiq narrates from the Holy Prophet (SAW), "Refrain from marrying foolish women for surely their company is a calamity and their offsprings are imbeciles." (Jafariyat, Pg. 9).
A man named, Husain ibne Bushar -e- Wasiti, once wrote to the eighth Imam, Imam Reza that "one lady from my clan intends to marry me but is very ill-behaved", Imam replied, "If she is really ill-behaved, then never marry her." (Wasailush Shia, Vol. 5, Pg. 10).
In one tradition the Holy Prophet of Islam (SAW) has said, "Never give your daughter to a drunkard when he intends to marry." (Wasailush Shia, Vol. 5, Pg. 9).
This problem (of not giving daughters to drunkards) was considered so important by Ahle Bait that Imam Sadiq declared,"A woman who beds with a drunkard husband, has committed sins equal to the number of stars in the sky and any child born out of this unison is unclean. Allah will not accept any of her acts be they obligatory or a recommended until and unless her husband dies or releases her from the bond of this marriage." (La'alil Akhbar.)
Conjugal Rights
The sacred contract of marriage, which according to the laws of nature is the most pleasurable, has not absolved men and women of their responsibilities in this holy relationship. It has tied man and his wife in the chain of conjugal rights. It scrapped all those laws prevalent in the period of ignorance and found in extremes in other civilisation by which a woman would become a pawn in her husband's hands. Islam advised them to take their marriage seriously, fulfill their responsibilities and pay appropriate attention to each others' rights. So that their offsprings would be saved from destruction in the cesspool of corruption.
The Holy Quran has drawn attention to this emotional relationship which exists between husband and wife as it clearly states: "And among his signs is that he has created spouses from among yourself so that you may rest in them and initiate love and mercy among all of you."
As one matures physically, sexual desires make their way in the individual and gradually both girls and boys start getting attracted to each other which slowly develops into some sort of psychological pressure. This natural and undirected emotion gradually seeks solace in whatever possible form. Unfortunately more often than not it results in the youngsters deviating from the right path and indulging in some unwanted and undesired habits. Before becoming victims of ill-directed lust it is better for them to get married and settle down. Therefore, the leaders of Islam have advised their followers to follow this most important Sunnah. As the Holy Prophet (SAW) states: "O youths, whosoever among you can marry he should do so because marriage protects your eyes (from indulging in sin by looking lustly at others) and privacy." (Makaaremul Akhlaq).
Imam Sadiq narrates that one day the Holy Prophet (SAW) went on the pulpit and said, "O people, Jibraeel has brought unto me a divine command stating that girls are like fruits from a tree. If they are not plucked in time then they get rotten by the rays of the sun and a slight blow of the wind will result in their falling down from the tree. Similarly, when girls attain maturity, then like other women they develop emotions related to sex and there is no cure for it except her husband. If they are not married, prevention of character corruption becomes a remote possibility because after all they are human beings and no human is free from vice." (Furoo-e-Kafi, Vol. 5, Pg. 337).
The Holy Quran has talked about the chastity and fidelity of both the husband and wife in the following verse: "They (your wives) are dress for you and you are dress for them."
A dress conceals ones defect and hides the private parts of a person. Moreover, it also acts as a protector from various infections which can arise due to the body being uncovered. The Holy Prophet (SAW) says , "Whoever desires that he should meet his Lord in a pure and clean state, he should seek for himself a legal wife and make provisions of chastity and modesty for himself."
To sum it up, the leaders of Islam on one hand dissuade their followers from indulging in adultery and other extremities related to sex. On the other hand, they admonish them and emphasise to get married and settle down in life. They have even gone to the extent of stating that marriage is one of the best divine traditions. This concept has been explained very clearly in the following tradition of the Holy Prophet (SAW): "No foundation of Islam is as beloved and as mighty as the foundation and institution of marriage." (Mustadrak, Vol. 2, Pg. 531).
In yet another tradition from Mustadrakul Wasail it is narrated that "When a youngster marries early in his youth Shaitaan cries out of desperation and says, Alas! this person has protected one third of his religion , now he will protect the remaining two thirds also."
A person named Akkaaf came to the Holy Prophet (SAW), who asked him, "Do you have a wife", he replied, "No, O Messenger of God." The Holy Prophet (SAW) enquired again,"Do you want to improve the safety of your body and increase your wealth", he replied, "Certainly". Then the Holy Prophet (SAW) admonished him to get married and made him fear the consequences of not doing so. Later he (SAW) proclaimed, "O Akkaaf! woe unto you, get married, get married because now you are enumerated among the sinners. Get married, otherwise you will be counted among the strayed ones. Get married, otherwise you will be listed among the Christian priests. Get married, otherwise you will be named among the brethren of Shaitaan." (Mustadrak, Vol. 2, Pg. 531).
Imam Reza narrates that a lady asserted before Imam Baquir that, "I am a Mutabattela." Imam Baquir asked her, "What do you mean by that?". She answered, "I have decided that I will never marry." Imam enquired from her the reason for her decision. She replied,"To go higher in the stages and levels of perfection." Imam Baquir retorted,"Take your decision with justice. If remaining a spinster was a matter of greatness than Hazrat Zehra (SA) deserved it much more than you. There is no lady who can exceed her in any of the excellencies."
Once some companions of Holy Prophet (SAW) had forsaken sexual relationships, eating food during the day-time and sleeping at night and considered them as forbidden for themselves, to attain purification of soul, spiritual heights and divine satisfaction. When Ummul Momeneen Umme Salma (SA) was informed of this strange attitude, she in turn informed the Holy Prophet (SAW), who went to them and asked,"Have you left your wives and turned your faces away from them? I am your prophet. I go near my wives, eat during the day, sleep during the night and whoever turns away from my Sunnah, he is not from me."
To get a good, modest and chaste wife is among the good fortunes and good luck of a person according to the leaders of Islam and is also considered as one of the sources by which the religion of a person can be protected. They have conveyed this message quite often that the worship of a married person is much more significant and important before Allah than that of a bachelor or a spinster.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) says: "Among the good fortunes of a man is to have a good wife." (Furoo-e-Kafi, Vol. 5, Pg. 327).
Imam Sadiq narrates from the Holy Prophet (SAW) that he said, "Those believers who marry, protect half of their religion from danger." In yet another tradition, Imam Sadiq says, "Two rakaats of a married person is better than seventy rakaats of an unmarried one." (Wasailush Shia, Vol. 5, Pg. 1)
The Holy Prophet (SAW) once said, "Whoever marries, protects half of his religion, then for the remaining half he must only fear God." (La'alil Akhbar).
The sixth Imam, Imam Sadiq says, "A sleeping married man is better than a fasting unmarried man." (La'alil Akhbar).
The Messenger of Islam (SAW) said, "Do not marry a woman for the following four reasons: Wealth, beauty, ancestry and lust. It is obligatory upon you to marry a woman on account of her religion." (Jaame ul Akhbar).
In yet another tradition, the Messenger of Islam (SAW) has prohibited his followers from marrying a beautiful woman from a disgraceful background." (Bihar ul Anwar, Vol. 23, Pg. 54).
Imam Sadiq narrates from the Holy Prophet (SAW), "Refrain from marrying foolish women for surely their company is a calamity and their offsprings are imbeciles." (Jafariyat, Pg. 9).
A man named, Husain ibne Bushar -e- Wasiti, once wrote to the eighth Imam, Imam Reza that "one lady from my clan intends to marry me but is very ill-behaved", Imam replied, "If she is really ill-behaved, then never marry her." (Wasailush Shia, Vol. 5, Pg. 10).
In one tradition the Holy Prophet of Islam (SAW) has said, "Never give your daughter to a drunkard when he intends to marry." (Wasailush Shia, Vol. 5, Pg. 9).
This problem (of not giving daughters to drunkards) was considered so important by Ahle Bait that Imam Sadiq declared,"A woman who beds with a drunkard husband, has committed sins equal to the number of stars in the sky and any child born out of this unison is unclean. Allah will not accept any of her acts be they obligatory or a recommended until and unless her husband dies or releases her from the bond of this marriage." (La'alil Akhbar.)
Conjugal Rights
The sacred contract of marriage, which according to the laws of nature is the most pleasurable, has not absolved men and women of their responsibilities in this holy relationship. It has tied man and his wife in the chain of conjugal rights. It scrapped all those laws prevalent in the period of ignorance and found in extremes in other civilisation by which a woman would become a pawn in her husband's hands. Islam advised them to take their marriage seriously, fulfill their responsibilities and pay appropriate attention to each others' rights. So that their offsprings would be saved from destruction in the cesspool of corruption.
Saddam Hussein Execution (Banned from Media)
New Videos Show Graphic Saddam Images
Saddam Hussein Execution (Banned from Media)
Saturday, December 30, 2006 8:25 PM EST
The Associated Press
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — The scene was at once macabre and riveting.
One of the most notorious dictators of the late 20th century, his hands bound behind him, was led up the stairs of the gallows by masked men in leather coats. A few seconds later, a trapdoor snapped open and — with a crash — Saddam was dead.
He may have been the first chief of state executed in the age of the Internet and the camera phone. Probably because of that, his death was graphically documented on video, and available worldwide, within hours.
By several accounts, Saddam was calm but scornful of his captors, exchanging taunts and accusations with the crowd gathered to watch him die — insisting that he was Iraq's savior, not its tyrant and scourge.
State television did not broadcast footage of the actual hanging. But camera phone video, posted in full or in part on several Web sites, picked up where the TV coverage left off.
In the videos, Saddam calmly recited verses from the Quran in a calm, clear voice as the trap door opened.
Finally, his body can be seen swinging in the dim light — his neck apparently snapped.
Saddam had reportedly asked that, as Iraq's commander in chief, he be sent before a firing squad. Instead, he was condemned to die on the gallows — as though he were a garden variety murderer.
The 69-year-old former president struggled briefly as the U.S. military, which had custody of Saddam, handed him over to the Iraqis, said Sami al-Askari, a political adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Saddam did not wear his familiar military uniform with its jaunty beret but a black coat over a white shirt, black trousers and black shoes. His jet black hair was carefully combed, his salt-and-pepper beard neatly clipped.
From that moment on, his last acts of defiance, it seems, consisted of verbal jousting and silent contempt.
Saddam was taken to a former military intelligence headquarters in Baghdad's Shiite neighborhood of Kazimiyah, in northern Baghdad. During his regime, he had numerous dissidents executed in the facility.
Munir Haddad, an appeals court judge who witnessed the hanging, told the British Broadcasting Corp. that Saddam was not sedated.
"Not at all, Saddam was normal and in full control," Haddad said. "He was aware of his fate and he knew he was about to face death. He said, 'This is my end, this is the end of my life, but I started my life as a fighter and as a political militant so death does not frighten me.'"
After his captors brought Saddam into the execution chamber, his hands — which were tied in front of him — were untied, then tied in the back, Haddad told the BBC.
"He said we are going to heaven and our enemies will rot in hell and he also called for forgiveness and love among Iraqis but also stressed that the Iraqis should fight the Americans and the Persians," Haddad told the BBC.
The New York Times reported that Mowaffak al-Rubaie, the national security adviser for Iraq, stood next to Saddam before he mounted the scaffold, and asked him if he felt remorse and fear.
"No," the Times quoted Saddam saying. "I am a militant and I have no fear for myself. I have spent my life in jihad and fighting aggression. Anyone who takes this route should not be afraid."
Al-Rubaie told the Times that one of the guards grew angry. "You have destroyed us," he reportedly shouted. "You have killed us. You have made us live in destitution."
"I have saved you from destitution and misery and destroyed your enemies, the Persian and Americans," Saddam responded, al-Rubaie told the Times.
"God damn you," the guard said.
"God damn you," Saddam said, according to the Times.
A silent, minute-long video that aired on Iraqi television showed Saddam on the scaffold. He seemed to have little to say, and his eyes appeared lost in a 1,000-yard stare.
Four or five burly men guided him gently but firmly toward a red metal railing marking the trap door. A thick rope hung like a sinister vine from the low ceiling. An unseen photographer's flash created fleeting stark shadows.
With a blank expression, Saddam refused a black hood — but he did so with a shake of his head that seemed more distracted than defiant.
Then he appeared to agree to let one of his executioners tie a black scarf around his neck. The Times reported that his guards explained the rope could cut off his head, and offered to protect his neck with the scarf.
In the televised video, Saddam stood stoically as the noose was slipped over his head. The noose was tightened. Then the Iraqi TV footage ended.
But the camera phone video, broadcast in part on Al-Jazeera and aired in full on Arabic-language Web sites, continued.
In the video, one of those attending the execution called out praise for Dawa Party founder and Shiite cleric Mohammed Baqir al-Sadr, who was executed along with his sister by Saddam in 1980. The Islamic party has been locked in a fierce decades-old battle with Saddam's now outlawed secular Baath party. Muqtada al-Sadr, the powerful and radical Shiite cleric in Iraq, is a distant relative of the Dawa founder.
Saddam appeared to smile at those taunting him from below the gallows, and said they were not showing their manhood.
Then Saddam began reciting the "Shahada," a Muslim prayer that says there is no god but God and Muhammad is his messenger.
"Saddam did so but with sarcasm," Haddad said. But to others, Saddam's tone sounded calm and measured, neither sarcastic nor frightened.
Saddam made it to midway through his second recitation of the verse. His last word was Muhammad, according to a translation by the Associated Press.
The floor dropped out of the gallows, there was a crash and the chamber erupted in shouting.
"The tyrant has fallen," someone called. The video showed a close-up of Saddam's face as he swung from the rope.
Then came another voice: "Let him swing for three minutes."
The video also shows the former leader's death, when he drops through a trapdoor on the gallows and swings from a rope, his neck twisted and eyes open.
Asked if Saddam suffered, Haddad told the BBC: "He was killed instantly, I witnessed the impact of the rope around his neck and it was a horrible sight."
Iraqi television broadcasts included a shaky image of the aftermath: a shot of what appeared to be Saddam's corpse, laid out on a hospital gurney, his head wrenched grotesquely to the right. His neck appeared to be bruised.
Saddam's half brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court, were originally scheduled to be hanged along with their former leader.
Iraqi officials, though, decided to reserve the occasion for Saddam alone.
Saddam Hussein Execution (Banned from Media)
Saturday, December 30, 2006 8:25 PM EST
The Associated Press
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — The scene was at once macabre and riveting.
One of the most notorious dictators of the late 20th century, his hands bound behind him, was led up the stairs of the gallows by masked men in leather coats. A few seconds later, a trapdoor snapped open and — with a crash — Saddam was dead.
He may have been the first chief of state executed in the age of the Internet and the camera phone. Probably because of that, his death was graphically documented on video, and available worldwide, within hours.
By several accounts, Saddam was calm but scornful of his captors, exchanging taunts and accusations with the crowd gathered to watch him die — insisting that he was Iraq's savior, not its tyrant and scourge.
State television did not broadcast footage of the actual hanging. But camera phone video, posted in full or in part on several Web sites, picked up where the TV coverage left off.
In the videos, Saddam calmly recited verses from the Quran in a calm, clear voice as the trap door opened.
Finally, his body can be seen swinging in the dim light — his neck apparently snapped.
Saddam had reportedly asked that, as Iraq's commander in chief, he be sent before a firing squad. Instead, he was condemned to die on the gallows — as though he were a garden variety murderer.
The 69-year-old former president struggled briefly as the U.S. military, which had custody of Saddam, handed him over to the Iraqis, said Sami al-Askari, a political adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Saddam did not wear his familiar military uniform with its jaunty beret but a black coat over a white shirt, black trousers and black shoes. His jet black hair was carefully combed, his salt-and-pepper beard neatly clipped.
From that moment on, his last acts of defiance, it seems, consisted of verbal jousting and silent contempt.
Saddam was taken to a former military intelligence headquarters in Baghdad's Shiite neighborhood of Kazimiyah, in northern Baghdad. During his regime, he had numerous dissidents executed in the facility.
Munir Haddad, an appeals court judge who witnessed the hanging, told the British Broadcasting Corp. that Saddam was not sedated.
"Not at all, Saddam was normal and in full control," Haddad said. "He was aware of his fate and he knew he was about to face death. He said, 'This is my end, this is the end of my life, but I started my life as a fighter and as a political militant so death does not frighten me.'"
After his captors brought Saddam into the execution chamber, his hands — which were tied in front of him — were untied, then tied in the back, Haddad told the BBC.
"He said we are going to heaven and our enemies will rot in hell and he also called for forgiveness and love among Iraqis but also stressed that the Iraqis should fight the Americans and the Persians," Haddad told the BBC.
The New York Times reported that Mowaffak al-Rubaie, the national security adviser for Iraq, stood next to Saddam before he mounted the scaffold, and asked him if he felt remorse and fear.
"No," the Times quoted Saddam saying. "I am a militant and I have no fear for myself. I have spent my life in jihad and fighting aggression. Anyone who takes this route should not be afraid."
Al-Rubaie told the Times that one of the guards grew angry. "You have destroyed us," he reportedly shouted. "You have killed us. You have made us live in destitution."
"I have saved you from destitution and misery and destroyed your enemies, the Persian and Americans," Saddam responded, al-Rubaie told the Times.
"God damn you," the guard said.
"God damn you," Saddam said, according to the Times.
A silent, minute-long video that aired on Iraqi television showed Saddam on the scaffold. He seemed to have little to say, and his eyes appeared lost in a 1,000-yard stare.
Four or five burly men guided him gently but firmly toward a red metal railing marking the trap door. A thick rope hung like a sinister vine from the low ceiling. An unseen photographer's flash created fleeting stark shadows.
With a blank expression, Saddam refused a black hood — but he did so with a shake of his head that seemed more distracted than defiant.
Then he appeared to agree to let one of his executioners tie a black scarf around his neck. The Times reported that his guards explained the rope could cut off his head, and offered to protect his neck with the scarf.
In the televised video, Saddam stood stoically as the noose was slipped over his head. The noose was tightened. Then the Iraqi TV footage ended.
But the camera phone video, broadcast in part on Al-Jazeera and aired in full on Arabic-language Web sites, continued.
In the video, one of those attending the execution called out praise for Dawa Party founder and Shiite cleric Mohammed Baqir al-Sadr, who was executed along with his sister by Saddam in 1980. The Islamic party has been locked in a fierce decades-old battle with Saddam's now outlawed secular Baath party. Muqtada al-Sadr, the powerful and radical Shiite cleric in Iraq, is a distant relative of the Dawa founder.
Saddam appeared to smile at those taunting him from below the gallows, and said they were not showing their manhood.
Then Saddam began reciting the "Shahada," a Muslim prayer that says there is no god but God and Muhammad is his messenger.
"Saddam did so but with sarcasm," Haddad said. But to others, Saddam's tone sounded calm and measured, neither sarcastic nor frightened.
Saddam made it to midway through his second recitation of the verse. His last word was Muhammad, according to a translation by the Associated Press.
The floor dropped out of the gallows, there was a crash and the chamber erupted in shouting.
"The tyrant has fallen," someone called. The video showed a close-up of Saddam's face as he swung from the rope.
Then came another voice: "Let him swing for three minutes."
The video also shows the former leader's death, when he drops through a trapdoor on the gallows and swings from a rope, his neck twisted and eyes open.
Asked if Saddam suffered, Haddad told the BBC: "He was killed instantly, I witnessed the impact of the rope around his neck and it was a horrible sight."
Iraqi television broadcasts included a shaky image of the aftermath: a shot of what appeared to be Saddam's corpse, laid out on a hospital gurney, his head wrenched grotesquely to the right. His neck appeared to be bruised.
Saddam's half brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court, were originally scheduled to be hanged along with their former leader.
Iraqi officials, though, decided to reserve the occasion for Saddam alone.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
المرأة العراقية تحت الاحتلال , Women of Iraq under Occupation
عدد الأرامل العراقيات تجاوز الثلاثة ملايين سيدة، و 25% من النساء الحوامل يمتن خلال الحمل أو
الولادة، أي ربع النساء الحوامل. و نسبة العنوسة في العراق وصلت لمرحلة مرعبة بنسبة 400 % وأن عدد النساء أضحى يعادل اربعة اضعاف عدد الرجال بسبب القتل اليومي والإرهاب الذي أتى به الاحتلال.
جاء هذا في تقرير بثته فضائية الجزيرة اليوم، مصدره احد المراكز العراقية المهتمة بشؤون المرأة
الزواج بين أبناء العمومة... هل يفاقم مشكلات العراق؟
آن بوبروف هاجل – الاتحاد الإماراتية
تعد الولايات المتحدة بلداً شاباً، مقارنة مع بقية العالم؛ ترك أفراد شعبه الكثير من هياكلهم الاجتماعية التقليدية خلفهم، وعبروا محيطات واسعة ليستقروا في العالم الجديد ويبدأوا حياة جديدة. وبالتالي، ففهماً لحياة أغلبية الشعوب في العالم التي تعيش داخل مؤسسات حددت ملامح الوجود الإنساني لقرون، يتعين على الأميركيين أن يبذلوا جهداً خاصاً لرؤية الأشياء من زاوية مختلفة جداً.
في أحيان كثيرة، تطبق الولايات المتحدة سياستها الخارجية من دون فهم جيد للمجتمعات التي تواجهها، وهو ما قد يؤدي إلى عواقب غير مقصودة ولكنها كثيراً ما تكون مُدمرة. ولعل أحد العناصر الرئيسية للنسيج الاجتماعي العراقي التي لا يعرفها الأميركيون جيداً هو المعدل المذهل للزواج بين أبناء العمومة في العراق. ذلك أن نصف حالات الزواج في هذا البلد تتم بين أبناء العمومة. ومن بين البلدان الأخرى التي تعرف أرقاماً قياسية من حيث الإقبال على هذا النوع من الزواج، لا توجد دول شبيهة غير باكستان ونيجيريا.
ولكن، من يأبه لمن يتزوج مَن في بلد غزوناه؟ ولماذا نتحدث مع علماء الاجتماع الذين يدرسون موضوعاً لا يهتم به إلا القليلون؟ الواقع أن أولئك الذين يعيشون في مجتمعات حديثة وفردانية فقط هم من يمكنهم أن يكونوا على هذا القدر من النسيان؛ ذلك أن الزواج بين أبناء العمومة، ولاسيما الشكل الفريد منه السائد في الشرق الأوسط، يخلق عشائر تتميز بإخلاصها وتلاحمها الداخلي القوي. وبالتالي، فعلاوة على العنف الطائفي في العراق، فربما تواجه الولايات المتحدة حدة أكبر من العنف بين العشائر مما رأته في فيتنام أو الحرب الأهلية الطاحنة في لبنان.
والحقيقة أن الولايات المتحدة لا يمكنها التعاطي مع مشكلة لا تعترف بها، ناهيك عن حقيقة أنها لا تستطيع استيعابها. وقد شبه الأنثروبولوجي "ستانلي كوتز" عشائر العراق بـ"حكومات مصغرة" تعمل على توفير الخدمات والمساعدات الاجتماعية التي يتلقى الأميركيون مثيلاتها بشكل روتيني من حكوماتهم الوطنية والمحلية. وهو ما يعني أنه لا يمكن لأي كان في منطقة تفتقر إلى حكومة نزيهة ومستقرة أن يصمد خارج عشيرة قوية وموحدة.
ولكن ما علاقة هذا الكلام بزواج أبناء العمومة؟ يحدث زواج أبناء العمومة لأن المرأة التي تتزوج رجلاً من عشيرة أخرى قد تشكل تهديداً لوحدتها. ذلك أنه إذا تغلبت علاقة زوج بزوجته على روح التضامن مع أشقائه، فقد يأخذ الزوجان أملاكهما ويتركان الجماعة، وهو ما يُضعف العشيرة. وتلافياً لهذا التهديد المحتمل، وُجد الزواج بين أبناء العمومة حيث يتزوج الرجلُ بنت عمه بدلاً من الزواج بامرأة من نسب آخر. وفي هذه الحالة، لا تعد زوجته غريبة، وإنما فرداً موثوقاً به من أفراد عائلته. كما تتمسك الزوجات جداً أيضاً بعشائرهن لأن أصهارهن لا يُعدون غرباء، وإنما أعماماً وعمات لديهم مصلحة كبيرة في دعم زواجهن.
وهكذا، فإن المحسوبية في القطاع الحكومي وقطاع الأعمال ليست بالأمر السيئ بالنسبة للكثير من العراقيين، بل تعد واجباً أخلاقياً. ويرى "ستيفن سيلار" في مجلة "ذي أميركان كونسيرفاتيف" في 2003 أن تفضيل الأقارب لا يترك إمكانيات كثيرة "تكفي ليكون المرء عادلاً مع من ليست بينهم قرابة. وبالتالي، فإن المحسوبية منتشرة في بلدان مثل العراق".
اللافت أن الأنظمة الديكتاتورية الفاسدة التي تحكم أجزاء كثيرة من منطقة الشرق الأوسط تشتغل في أحيان كثيرة باعتبارها عشائر من حيث سعيها إلى تحقيق مصلحتها الذاتية أكثر من سعيها لتكون حكومات وطنية. وهو ما يدفع الأشخاص لعدم الوثوق بالدولة، ويظلون بدلاً من ذلك مخلصين للدعم الثابت الذي يضمنه النسب والقبيلة.
وقد ساهم الولاء للقبيلة والمحسوبية اللذين تكرسا بفضل قرون من الزواج بين أبناء العمومة في إضعاف حلم الرئيس جورج بوش المتمثل في خلق حكومة ديمقراطية وطنية في العراق. وبالتالي، فإنه لا يجوز للولايات المتحدة أبداً أن تغزو بلداً لا تعرف الكثير حول نسيجه الاجتماعي كيفا اتفق.
لقد ذُهلت منذ المراحل الأولى من حرب العراق للنزر القليل جداً الذي يعرفه الأميركيون عن المجموعات التي تسميها الولايات المتحدة بـ"المتمردين". والواقع أن التغطية على الجهل الأميركي تزداد اليوم أكثر من خلال استعمال عبارات فضفاضة مثل "الفوضى". وهنا أتساءل عما إن كان المواطنون الأميركيون، في حال أخذوا الوقت لـ"معرفة عدوهم"، سيعرفون أن ثمة أشكالاً كثيرة من المنطق في أنواع ما يسمى بالفوضى في العراق. وأتساءل عما إن كان الاكتشاف اليومي تقريباً لـ40 أو 50 أو حتى 60 جثة عراقية، تعرضت للاختطاف والتعذيب قبل أن تُقتل، هو بسبب أن عشائر تحارب إحداها الأخرى.
إن المنحى الذي نحته الأمور في العراق يدعم الفكرة القائلة بضرورة أن تعرف الولايات المتحدة، إذا كانت تحرص على نسج علاقات إيجابية مع أي مجتمع خارجي، كيفية عمل وتداخل عناصره المختلفة. كما عليها أن تستوعب جيداً اللحمة الاجتماعية التي تدعم الحياة البشرية داخل حدود اجتماعية واقتصادية وجغرافية.
آن بوبروف هاجل
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مؤلفة كتاب "النساء العاملات في روسيا تحت حكم القياصرة"
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ينشر بترتيب خاص مع خدمة "كريستيان ساينس مونيتور"
تعد الولايات المتحدة بلداً شاباً، مقارنة مع بقية العالم؛ ترك أفراد شعبه الكثير من هياكلهم الاجتماعية التقليدية خلفهم، وعبروا محيطات واسعة ليستقروا في العالم الجديد ويبدأوا حياة جديدة. وبالتالي، ففهماً لحياة أغلبية الشعوب في العالم التي تعيش داخل مؤسسات حددت ملامح الوجود الإنساني لقرون، يتعين على الأميركيين أن يبذلوا جهداً خاصاً لرؤية الأشياء من زاوية مختلفة جداً.
في أحيان كثيرة، تطبق الولايات المتحدة سياستها الخارجية من دون فهم جيد للمجتمعات التي تواجهها، وهو ما قد يؤدي إلى عواقب غير مقصودة ولكنها كثيراً ما تكون مُدمرة. ولعل أحد العناصر الرئيسية للنسيج الاجتماعي العراقي التي لا يعرفها الأميركيون جيداً هو المعدل المذهل للزواج بين أبناء العمومة في العراق. ذلك أن نصف حالات الزواج في هذا البلد تتم بين أبناء العمومة. ومن بين البلدان الأخرى التي تعرف أرقاماً قياسية من حيث الإقبال على هذا النوع من الزواج، لا توجد دول شبيهة غير باكستان ونيجيريا.
ولكن، من يأبه لمن يتزوج مَن في بلد غزوناه؟ ولماذا نتحدث مع علماء الاجتماع الذين يدرسون موضوعاً لا يهتم به إلا القليلون؟ الواقع أن أولئك الذين يعيشون في مجتمعات حديثة وفردانية فقط هم من يمكنهم أن يكونوا على هذا القدر من النسيان؛ ذلك أن الزواج بين أبناء العمومة، ولاسيما الشكل الفريد منه السائد في الشرق الأوسط، يخلق عشائر تتميز بإخلاصها وتلاحمها الداخلي القوي. وبالتالي، فعلاوة على العنف الطائفي في العراق، فربما تواجه الولايات المتحدة حدة أكبر من العنف بين العشائر مما رأته في فيتنام أو الحرب الأهلية الطاحنة في لبنان.
والحقيقة أن الولايات المتحدة لا يمكنها التعاطي مع مشكلة لا تعترف بها، ناهيك عن حقيقة أنها لا تستطيع استيعابها. وقد شبه الأنثروبولوجي "ستانلي كوتز" عشائر العراق بـ"حكومات مصغرة" تعمل على توفير الخدمات والمساعدات الاجتماعية التي يتلقى الأميركيون مثيلاتها بشكل روتيني من حكوماتهم الوطنية والمحلية. وهو ما يعني أنه لا يمكن لأي كان في منطقة تفتقر إلى حكومة نزيهة ومستقرة أن يصمد خارج عشيرة قوية وموحدة.
ولكن ما علاقة هذا الكلام بزواج أبناء العمومة؟ يحدث زواج أبناء العمومة لأن المرأة التي تتزوج رجلاً من عشيرة أخرى قد تشكل تهديداً لوحدتها. ذلك أنه إذا تغلبت علاقة زوج بزوجته على روح التضامن مع أشقائه، فقد يأخذ الزوجان أملاكهما ويتركان الجماعة، وهو ما يُضعف العشيرة. وتلافياً لهذا التهديد المحتمل، وُجد الزواج بين أبناء العمومة حيث يتزوج الرجلُ بنت عمه بدلاً من الزواج بامرأة من نسب آخر. وفي هذه الحالة، لا تعد زوجته غريبة، وإنما فرداً موثوقاً به من أفراد عائلته. كما تتمسك الزوجات جداً أيضاً بعشائرهن لأن أصهارهن لا يُعدون غرباء، وإنما أعماماً وعمات لديهم مصلحة كبيرة في دعم زواجهن.
وهكذا، فإن المحسوبية في القطاع الحكومي وقطاع الأعمال ليست بالأمر السيئ بالنسبة للكثير من العراقيين، بل تعد واجباً أخلاقياً. ويرى "ستيفن سيلار" في مجلة "ذي أميركان كونسيرفاتيف" في 2003 أن تفضيل الأقارب لا يترك إمكانيات كثيرة "تكفي ليكون المرء عادلاً مع من ليست بينهم قرابة. وبالتالي، فإن المحسوبية منتشرة في بلدان مثل العراق".
اللافت أن الأنظمة الديكتاتورية الفاسدة التي تحكم أجزاء كثيرة من منطقة الشرق الأوسط تشتغل في أحيان كثيرة باعتبارها عشائر من حيث سعيها إلى تحقيق مصلحتها الذاتية أكثر من سعيها لتكون حكومات وطنية. وهو ما يدفع الأشخاص لعدم الوثوق بالدولة، ويظلون بدلاً من ذلك مخلصين للدعم الثابت الذي يضمنه النسب والقبيلة.
وقد ساهم الولاء للقبيلة والمحسوبية اللذين تكرسا بفضل قرون من الزواج بين أبناء العمومة في إضعاف حلم الرئيس جورج بوش المتمثل في خلق حكومة ديمقراطية وطنية في العراق. وبالتالي، فإنه لا يجوز للولايات المتحدة أبداً أن تغزو بلداً لا تعرف الكثير حول نسيجه الاجتماعي كيفا اتفق.
لقد ذُهلت منذ المراحل الأولى من حرب العراق للنزر القليل جداً الذي يعرفه الأميركيون عن المجموعات التي تسميها الولايات المتحدة بـ"المتمردين". والواقع أن التغطية على الجهل الأميركي تزداد اليوم أكثر من خلال استعمال عبارات فضفاضة مثل "الفوضى". وهنا أتساءل عما إن كان المواطنون الأميركيون، في حال أخذوا الوقت لـ"معرفة عدوهم"، سيعرفون أن ثمة أشكالاً كثيرة من المنطق في أنواع ما يسمى بالفوضى في العراق. وأتساءل عما إن كان الاكتشاف اليومي تقريباً لـ40 أو 50 أو حتى 60 جثة عراقية، تعرضت للاختطاف والتعذيب قبل أن تُقتل، هو بسبب أن عشائر تحارب إحداها الأخرى.
إن المنحى الذي نحته الأمور في العراق يدعم الفكرة القائلة بضرورة أن تعرف الولايات المتحدة، إذا كانت تحرص على نسج علاقات إيجابية مع أي مجتمع خارجي، كيفية عمل وتداخل عناصره المختلفة. كما عليها أن تستوعب جيداً اللحمة الاجتماعية التي تدعم الحياة البشرية داخل حدود اجتماعية واقتصادية وجغرافية.
آن بوبروف هاجل
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مؤلفة كتاب "النساء العاملات في روسيا تحت حكم القياصرة"
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ينشر بترتيب خاص مع خدمة "كريستيان ساينس مونيتور"
Why cousin marriage matters in Iraq?
Clan loyalty fixed by cousin marriage was always bound to undermine democracy in Iraq.
By Anne Bobroff-Hajal
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Compared with the rest of the world, the United States is a young country. Its people left many of their traditional social structures behind, crossed vast oceans, and started anew. So to understand the lives of the majority of people around the world, who live within institutions that have shaped human existence for centuries, Americans need to make a special effort to see things from a very different perspective.
All too often, the US carries out foreign policy with little comprehension of the societies it confronts. This can lead to unintended - often destructive - results.
One central element of the Iraqi social fabric that most Americans know little about is its astonishing rate of cousin marriage. Indeed, half of all marriages in Iraq are between first or second cousins. Among countries with recorded figures, only Pakistan and Nigeria rate as high. For an eye-opening perspective about rates of consanguinity (roughly equivalent to cousin marriage) around the world, click on the "Global Prevalence" map at www.consang.net.
But who cares who marries whom in a country we invade? Why talk to anthropologists who study that arcane subject? Only those who live in modern, individualistic societies could be so oblivious. Cousin marriage, especially the unique form practiced in the Middle East, creates clans of fierce internal cohesiveness and loyalty. So in addition to sectarian violence in Iraq, the US may also be facing a greater intensity of inter-clan violence than it saw in Vietnam or the ferocious Lebanese civil war.
The US can't deal with a problem it doesn't recognize, let alone understand.
Anthropologist Stanley Kurtz has described Middle East clans as "governments in miniature" that provide the services and social aid that Americans routinely receive from their national, state, and local governments. No one in a region without stable, fair government can survive outside a strong, unified, respected clan.
But still, what does this have to do with marrying cousins? Cousin marriage occurs because a woman who marries into another clan potentially threatens its unity. If a husband's bond to his wife trumped his solidarity with his brothers, the couple might take their property and leave the larger group, weakening the clan. This potential threat is avoided by cousin marriage: instead of marrying a woman from another lineage, a man marries the daughter of his father's brother - his cousin. In this scenario, his wife is not an alien, but a trusted member of his own kin group.
Wives are also bound tightly to their clan because their in-laws are not strangers but aunts and uncles who have a strong interest in supporting their marriages. (The risk that cousins' offspring will suffer genetic anomalies is somewhat mitigated by genetic benefits too complex to discuss here.)
Thus, to many Iraqis, nepotism in government and business isn't a bad thing - it's a moral imperative. The flip side of favoring relatives is that, as Steven Sailer observed in The American Conservative in 2003, it leaves fewer resources "with which to be fair toward non-kin. So nepotistic corruption is rampant in countries such as Iraq."
The corrupt dictatorships that rule much of the Muslim Middle East often function more like self-interested clans than as national governments. That, in turn, motivates people not to trust the state, but to instead remain loyal to the proven support of kin and tribe.
Clan loyalty and nepotism strengthened by centuries of cousin marriage were always bound to undermine President Bush's fantasy of creating a truly national democratic government in Iraq. Never again should the US blithely invade a country knowing so little about its societal fabric.
I have been struck since early on in the Iraq war by how little Americans know about the groups the US so vaguely labels "insurgents." US ignorance is now further camouflaged by the label "chaos." I wonder whether, if US citizens took the time to "know thy enemy," they would learn that there are many forms of logic in the layers of Iraq's so-called chaos. I wonder if the almost daily discovery of 40, 50, or even 60 Iraqi bodies, kidnapped and tortured before being murdered, are clans battling one another.
The debacle in Iraq reinforces the idea that to have a positive relationship with any foreign society, America needs to know how its various elements work and interrelate. It must fully understand the social glues that sustain human life within particular geographic, economic, and social constraints - especially the adhesives that seem strangest and least comprehensible to us.
• Anne Bobroff-Hajal is the author of "Working Women in Russia Under the Hunger Tsars: Political Activism and Daily Life."
By Anne Bobroff-Hajal
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Compared with the rest of the world, the United States is a young country. Its people left many of their traditional social structures behind, crossed vast oceans, and started anew. So to understand the lives of the majority of people around the world, who live within institutions that have shaped human existence for centuries, Americans need to make a special effort to see things from a very different perspective.
All too often, the US carries out foreign policy with little comprehension of the societies it confronts. This can lead to unintended - often destructive - results.
One central element of the Iraqi social fabric that most Americans know little about is its astonishing rate of cousin marriage. Indeed, half of all marriages in Iraq are between first or second cousins. Among countries with recorded figures, only Pakistan and Nigeria rate as high. For an eye-opening perspective about rates of consanguinity (roughly equivalent to cousin marriage) around the world, click on the "Global Prevalence" map at www.consang.net.
But who cares who marries whom in a country we invade? Why talk to anthropologists who study that arcane subject? Only those who live in modern, individualistic societies could be so oblivious. Cousin marriage, especially the unique form practiced in the Middle East, creates clans of fierce internal cohesiveness and loyalty. So in addition to sectarian violence in Iraq, the US may also be facing a greater intensity of inter-clan violence than it saw in Vietnam or the ferocious Lebanese civil war.
The US can't deal with a problem it doesn't recognize, let alone understand.
Anthropologist Stanley Kurtz has described Middle East clans as "governments in miniature" that provide the services and social aid that Americans routinely receive from their national, state, and local governments. No one in a region without stable, fair government can survive outside a strong, unified, respected clan.
But still, what does this have to do with marrying cousins? Cousin marriage occurs because a woman who marries into another clan potentially threatens its unity. If a husband's bond to his wife trumped his solidarity with his brothers, the couple might take their property and leave the larger group, weakening the clan. This potential threat is avoided by cousin marriage: instead of marrying a woman from another lineage, a man marries the daughter of his father's brother - his cousin. In this scenario, his wife is not an alien, but a trusted member of his own kin group.
Wives are also bound tightly to their clan because their in-laws are not strangers but aunts and uncles who have a strong interest in supporting their marriages. (The risk that cousins' offspring will suffer genetic anomalies is somewhat mitigated by genetic benefits too complex to discuss here.)
Thus, to many Iraqis, nepotism in government and business isn't a bad thing - it's a moral imperative. The flip side of favoring relatives is that, as Steven Sailer observed in The American Conservative in 2003, it leaves fewer resources "with which to be fair toward non-kin. So nepotistic corruption is rampant in countries such as Iraq."
The corrupt dictatorships that rule much of the Muslim Middle East often function more like self-interested clans than as national governments. That, in turn, motivates people not to trust the state, but to instead remain loyal to the proven support of kin and tribe.
Clan loyalty and nepotism strengthened by centuries of cousin marriage were always bound to undermine President Bush's fantasy of creating a truly national democratic government in Iraq. Never again should the US blithely invade a country knowing so little about its societal fabric.
I have been struck since early on in the Iraq war by how little Americans know about the groups the US so vaguely labels "insurgents." US ignorance is now further camouflaged by the label "chaos." I wonder whether, if US citizens took the time to "know thy enemy," they would learn that there are many forms of logic in the layers of Iraq's so-called chaos. I wonder if the almost daily discovery of 40, 50, or even 60 Iraqi bodies, kidnapped and tortured before being murdered, are clans battling one another.
The debacle in Iraq reinforces the idea that to have a positive relationship with any foreign society, America needs to know how its various elements work and interrelate. It must fully understand the social glues that sustain human life within particular geographic, economic, and social constraints - especially the adhesives that seem strangest and least comprehensible to us.
• Anne Bobroff-Hajal is the author of "Working Women in Russia Under the Hunger Tsars: Political Activism and Daily Life."
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Thought For The Day
Thought For The Day
Thought For the Day- Prophet (SAW)Importance of Sile-Rehmi ( To Keep Good Relation with Relatives)The invocation (dua) of the person who breaks family ties shall not be answered.In the night of Shabe Qadr Allah (SWA) forgives the sins of all the people except1)The one who drinks wine.2)The one who disobeys their Parents.3)The one breaks the ties with the relatives or harbour enmity towards the believers.
Thought For the Day- Prophet (SAW)Importance of Sile-Rehmi ( To Keep Good Relation with Relatives)The invocation (dua) of the person who breaks family ties shall not be answered.In the night of Shabe Qadr Allah (SWA) forgives the sins of all the people except1)The one who drinks wine.2)The one who disobeys their Parents.3)The one breaks the ties with the relatives or harbour enmity towards the believers.
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