Feb. 25 - March 7
by Sheila Provencher
Christian Peacemaker Teams
Baghdad, Iraq

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for all of the personal emails and prayers you have sent. I am sorry I don’t respond — I have been traveling out side of the city a lot lately and have found it almost impossible to keep up. So I sit on the roof for a bit every night and envision all of you all around the world, and pray for all our needs.

Many of you have been involved in the Fast for Justice and Healing in Iraq, and have taken part in the letter-writing campaign asking for justice and human rights for security detainees in Iraq. Thank you! CPT asked me to keep a journal of our experience at the demonstrations in Baghdad and surrounding areas. Every day we meet such interesting people. I thought you might be interested in this. It’s a bit of limited window into CPT’s work, as it ONLY describes the demonstrations. But I will try to follow up with some more in-depth reflections on daily life in Iraq.

For now, here is the Fast for Justice and Healing journal. It will likely be sent to you in pieces, as it is too long to read all at once!

Thank you for your prayers . . . I will write again soon.

Much peace, Sheila

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Feb. 25 — Ash Wednesday

Today from 12:00pm to 2:00pm we stood in Tahrir Square, sun beating down, Muhammad fixing the tent and repeatedly beating the dust out of it, police helping us out (even holding signs!) and men crowding around, wondering what was going on. We passed out all of the flyers in only five minutes, and so quickly learned to ask people to read it and then return it. Very mixed reactions — many men expressing appreciation and gratitude, some angry at the US and venting their frustration, some angry that we are protesting injustice now, and were not here protesting when Saddam was murdering the Shi’a. But many, many thoughtful conversations. This square, this vigil, may be like a “roundtable discussion” (like in the Catholic Worker tradition) — a place to talk, share, think, change.

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Thursday, Feb. 26

The first media day at the vigil drew reporters from CNN, the Associated Press, Iraq Today, two Arab newspapers, and several television and radio stations — at one point Cliff had nine microphones in front of him! Many people told stories of families and friends who have been imprisoned by US forces. One man shared that he himself had been in Abu Ghraib prison. His food was rice and stew — he said it was not bad, just not enough — and his bed was made up on two blankets on the dirt floor. Especially distressing was his account of the conditions for women in Abu Ghraib prison. It is impossible to confirm the details of the stories, but we have heard many stories of sexual abuse of women in Abu Ghraib, to the point that some women prisoners allegedly smuggled out a letter asking for Iraqis to bomb the prison. They wanted it bombed even with themselves inside, as they would rather die than live with the shame. Again, it is difficult to know if this is fact or rumor, but even if is just a rumor, the sense of suffering and outrage it sparks among the people is quite real.

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Friday, Feb. 27

So many people offer to help. While some may walk by and gaze at the spectacle with apathy or with suspicion, countless more stop to talk, help set up or translate, or, most beautiful of all, say “what can I do to help this cause?” A Mr. Bassim from Mustansiria University comes almost every day, talking excitedly about his hopes for the future, the importance of work for justice, and his desire for us to come to the university to talk to the students. Gulshan, whose husband (a science professor at Baghdad University) was disappeared weeks ago, attends and stands with great strength even in her grief. She talks to the questioning men with certitude and patience.

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Saturday, Feb. 28

Today many people asked, “Why aren’t you doing this in the US? They are the ones who need to hear it.” We try to share the wealth of action going on because of communities in the States, Canada, and elsewhere — the letter-writing, prayer, and fasting. Tahrir Square is a tiny manifestation of the effort going on in communities and in hearts all over the world.

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Sunday, Feb 29

These vigil days are a blur — so many people — more than 1,000 each day pass through, easily. Friends are appearing around us. Ahmed comes regularly, eager to translate if our translators are unavailable. Haider and his friends help set up signs and banners. A young deaf-mute man protectively tries to keep the crowd at a distance if they start to press in too close (usually we are nose-to-nose, nonetheless!). People read the flyers and remind each other to return them. Every day, there are lively arguments, agreements, gratitude and anger and questions and frustration and hopes expressed. A whole tapestry. Exhausting, but often exhilarating.

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Thursday, March 4

This was the first day that we held the vigil after the bombings in Kerbala and Kadhimiyah. In addition to the pictures of detainees, we held a large photo of Kadhimiyah (taken by Jane, just after the bombing), and a large black banner that read in Arabic, “We mourn the loss of life in the terrorist actions at Kadhimiya and Kerbala, and we mourn for all the victims of violence in Iraq. NO MORE VIOLENCE.” In previous days, so many people had expressed anger that we were protesting only now, for detainees who were mostly Sunni. (”Where were you when Saddam was murdering the Shi’a? What were you doing for justice then?”) These comments, as well as the pain of the bombing, really made it clear to us that we need to acknowledge the pain of ALL segments of the population. Suffering can ultimately unite us, but only if we acknowledge all of the pain that the other has suffered. So . . . today was a day to mourn the pain of all Iraqis — the Shi’a who lost their loved ones in the bombing, and the Sunni, Shi’a, Kurds, Christians, etc. who have lost their loved ones to unjust imprisonment.

The overwhelming response to this week’s pain was a beautiful coming-together of the people. So many people said things like, “Sunni and Shi’a and Christians are all brothers.” A young, serious, bearded man seemed stunned that we were mourning too, and over and over again people said “thank you for your feelings.” A man came up to Cliff and pointed to the spot on the picture where he was standing when the bombs went off. Another wept as he told the story of his friend who died that day.

It was another very hot day, the sun beating down on groups of people who gathered to share mourning, ask questions, argue, express hopes and feelings. Jane held the black banner as well as a photo of an imprisoned individual. Two women from the village of Abu Ghraib attended, bringing with them the picture of their husband and brother, who was taken by US forces in a raid. They wept often, and also talked with the many people who stopped to ask them about the picture they held.

Towards the end of the time, a man came up to Cliff and reached out his hand, which was bleeding. He wanted to share the blood, and smeared some on Cliff’s hand. We do not know what the gesture means, but now the picture of Kadhimiyah that Cliff was holding is, literally, marked with the blood of the Iraqi people.

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Friday, March 5

People continue to emphasize that the terrible events of this week will not divide them. “Saddam Hussein could not divide Sunni and Shi’a, and neither will this, and neither will the occupation!” A minority, however, express a deepening of division. “Once this period of mourning is over, there will be revenge,” said an older man. Someone tried to tell the story of Sheik Moyad (a Sunni leader) who urged his people to give blood to help the victims, but the man did not want to listen. Nonetheless — even when people express anger, it seems that once they have vented their pain, they depart on good terms, with a handshake or even a smile.

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Saturday, March 6

Midway through the time at Tahrir Square, Jane noticed a car that was awkwardly parked on the street right in front of the vigil site. People began to wonder if it might be a bomb, so the vigil moved to stand underneath the Freedom statue, while police finally towed away the car. Hatham, a friend from the community of Abu Graib, came to the vigil for an hour and provided impromptu translation. Many young boys have been helping, holding signs and banners, laughing with us and encouraging our flagging Arabic. Today, Jim noticed one boy, Haider, exhibit a beautiful generosity on this day. A man named Ahmed who has helped with translation showed up with a huge platter of food towards the end of the vigil time. As he and Jim and Haider and some others went to enjoy it as a picnic lunch, Haider noticed three other teenage boys standing off to the side, and, rather than hoarding the available food, he beckoned them to the feast.

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Sunday, March 7

The team decided, after the first week of vigiling, to maintain a sabbath time on Sunday, so we were not in Tahrir Square.

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Sheila Provencher
Christian Peacemaker Teams
Baghdad, Iraq
sheila_prov@hotmail.com