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Delegation
Christian
Peacemaker Teams Iraq Delegation
May 21-June 4, 2005
Currents of Canadian and American conscience swept us to explore peacemaking
in Iraq. Like tributaries to a swelling stream of conscience-driven North Americans,
a group of five came from all over to Amman, Jordan, on May 22 (another came
on May 24). After a day’s orientation, we flew to Baghdad. Ten days later,
we flew out of Baghdad (minus one who stayed a few extra days). Then on home.
But the ‘in-between’ wasn't all that simple. We'd like to take a
few minutes to talk of the home, heart, heat, health, history, and hither of
our Iraqi hinterland venture. (Forgive the alliteration. There will be no further
effort at literary form or subtlety!)
The members of the delegation were Angela Davis (Natchez, Mississippi), Julie
Hrdlicka (Calgary, Alberta), Ann Marie Johnson (Phoenix, Arizona), Carol Rose
(Chicago, Illinois), Roger Sanders (Sherman, Texas) and Trish Schuh (New York,
New York.)
HOME
‘Home' wasn't just about who we were. It was also about the values and
experiences we brought to this enterprise from our homes and hometowns. It was
about the fears and anxiety for our physical safety; about the joy and excitement
of trying something that most of our communities were not experienced in; about
resistance and even hostility to what seemed useless and without chance of 'success';
about puzzlement over why Iraq and why not some place safer or more accessible.
Fears loomed large over the prospects of roadside explosions, intentional acts
of targeted violence, and the spectacle of public kidnappings and ransom demands.
Yet, there was also reflected the resolute willingness to support an idea larger
than any individual, the pursuit of peacemaking in a world that sure can use
it. Home for us was who we were and who our communities were, in fear and love
and support for peace-making.
HEART
Prior to Baghdad the six of us had not met as a group. Yet, we were forged by
time and necessity to wander together a path into peacemaking, with little common
mooring, except for a heart for peace. Each of us had a different idea of what
it might take. Only Julie and Trish had had experience in Iraq. Some had more,
some less ‘religion-based’ experiences in peace-making. Thank goodness
there was that commonness of spirit.
You might wonder what difference that makes, this common mooring. Well, as it
turned out, almost every time we spoke with Iraqis or with troops or with governmental
officials, we 'debriefed' the subject later, finding that the collective view
was richer than any one perspective. There seemed to be a collective contribution
not often anticipated by us individually. Each would catch a nuance, a meaning,
a turn of phrase, an interpretation which allowed the rest to come to a larger
understanding. That might not seem like much, but the women on the team were
burdened with horrifically hot hijab headdresses (sorry about the alliteration)
and long, black draping abayas worn to blend in for security purposes. So, on
occasion, when the power was out or we were just burning up in the 110+ deg.
F (43 C) heat, we would nod off in the meetings. Luckily, one of us would be
awake to take notes, or keep the conversation going. This was one of the toughest
parts of the process, and the collective heart was trusted to bring us a collective,
accurate view. So this common heart made more easily reliable the collection
of a common perspective. Despite that commonness, we disagreed, disputed, and
debated with one another about what we heard, saw, and then reached conclusions
reported here.
HEAT
But first, the weather. They can save a lot of money here by simply announcing
the weather as 85 deg. F. (30 C) in the early morning hours to 110-115 deg (43-46
C). F in the afternoon. Every day. Forever. Rumors of comfortable weather in
other seasons must be exaggerated. Why? Because in our collective 66 days of
experience (11 days X 6 people), there were only fairy tale imaginations of
what 'cool' might feel like. Our closest experience was in those rare, wondrous
times of rolling electrical power: our section got it generally a few hours
a day, but we did see days with two hours of power. Downstairs in the permanent
CPT apartment, when there was no power/AC, the internal apartment temperature
was 91 deg. F (33 C), and they estimated it was 95 or 96 deg. F (35 C) in ours
on the fourth floor. The heat was a big factor in our experience, as it impacted,
in addition to our meetings (above), our sleep and humor. (Please note that
in the 'h' alliteration series, 'HUMOR' was not listed.) And it impacted the
amount of time we spent on the roof, watching helicopters drop flares in our
neighborhood, or going to and from the 'green zone' just across the Tigris River,
and shaking our limbs to dislodge the buzz-and-stalk mosquitos. And it impacted
how long we could wear the same, unwashed clothes without their smell driving
the occasional passing-by cart-pulling horses back to their stalls. And it impacted
just how quickly those clothes would dry on the roof top -- seemed like by the
time we'd finished with the last clothes pin. And it impacted some of the health
issues, below.
HEALTH
By the end of the first week, we'd stayed healthy. No significant 'Baghdad belly'
cases. Our stock-pile of Imodium was intact; optimism was running high. But
after a trip to Kerbala, and two fairly long stints in heated cabs going to
and fro, either the 'Kerbala krud' or the 'B. Belly' (or some other combination
of not good things) felled three of the delegation and the permanent team. Diarrhea
and/or vomiting, along with profuse sweating, was made more miserable by the
on, now off, then on again power. Thanks to antibiotics, Gatorade, and strong
constitutions, recovery came.
That, of course, was inevitably just a part of the trip, as were war zone precautions.
So, to keep our health -- no roadside bombs, and to reduce the possibility of
being kidnapped, we followed rigorous precautions: periodic check-ins with permanent
team members, the carrying of cell phones, going out in small groups, being
dropped off at the end of the block by taxis, leaving meetings in staggered
groups, taking different routes to and from appointments, and similar cautionary
tactics. The group has been remarkably fortunate (and careful), in the spirit
of Jesus' admonition in Matt. 10:16 -- to be as innocent as doves, but as wise
as serpents. Not to compare our CPT permanent team to snakes, but they guided
us carefully to health and safety.
And then about our emotional health: Carol, our team leader, was good about
drawing us into discussion to bleed out pain or frustration we felt as new comers
to an old situation: to the pain of those who were suffering, however you might
characterize the cause. Carol guided us into the recesses of our experience,
to the places where we had absorbed the pain of participants, so that we had
some conscious place to put our feelings about what had happened to innocents.
For example, after a few days in Iraq, we went to the location of a group called
'Women's Will'. This was a non-governmental organization (NGO) without par in
passion, from our experience. A small woman, set in jaw, and clear-eyed, took
us through her view of the history of women's experience in the Iraq of sanctions
and war. She led a charge through recent history, a charge of gritty passion
against violence upon Iraqi women and their families. Behind and around her
were examples of art by the women (and their children) served by this humble
NGO.
We were struck by the woman’s spirit, by the newspapers they published,
by the poetry of ordinary women they served. The stairwell leading up to the
second floor where our hostess spoke with such evident energy was covered by
the drawings of children showing tanks shooting children, destroying lives.
But there was one drawing that seemed to be from every child in every land in
every time: a stick drawing of a small child, with flowers and homes and sunshine.
Every child's hope, but not so available in a world with 100,000 non-troop deaths
in the last couple of years from wars and the rigors of post-war detention,
interrogation, and military processing. The wonder is that there isn't more
of a spirit of violence, not less, in light of what the ordinary people of this
nation that produced Abraham: first from Saddam's violent, vicious, and crushing
rule; and then from the war-sanctions-war sandwich Saddam served his people;
and then the post war occupation.
Our hostess wound down eventually, but her vigor was notable for a kind of pure
spirit, and clear-hearted impact upon us all. This wasn't about money. This
wasn't about retribution. This wasn't about wanting help. It was about a plea
for us to see her as significant, her cries for justice, for peace, for some
new way to live in the world without war. What was most striking was her direct
request for mothers of the world to see that they were losing their sons together.
She proclaimed understanding for American mothers who had lost their sons to
war. She asked that American mothers honor Iraqi mothers in the same way.
We also had the chance to hold an infant, about six months old, whose mother
had typhoid. Women. Kids. What difference should the fact that they were Iraqi
make? Our leader took us through the debriefings so that our healthy view of
a difficult situation could remain balanced by the collective views of the group
with a common heart, different background.
And finally, the health of the Iraqis themselves. We could have expected a personal
response to us of deep anger or bitterness, even a seething. But that was not
evident. And we weren't thinking that it was just because we North Americans
came to support the structures of peace. Without fail in every circumstance,
from professionals to families, from organizational representatives to sole
proprietors of businesses, from church to mosque, we were offered the most effusive,
more gracious receptions imaginable. Even in poverty or near poverty, the Iraqi
tradition of desert hospitality to travelers was repeated with the best the
household had to offer: water, cold soft drinks, tea, snacks, and more. What
we might have expected to be a pained, grim, and determined reception was always
gracious, even joyful, in the midst of evident pain over what they perceived
as unjust or unjustifiable treatment by one or more aggressions. We were encouraged
by the determination and emotional health of the Iraqis we met, deeply wounded
but ready to continue.
HISTORY
The itinerary took us on this journey, a brief history of which follows, with
highlights. Fasten your seatbelts, please. Saturday, May 21, left for Amman.
Sunday, May 22 arrived (most of us) in Amman and went to the Al Monzer Hotel
to sleep and later meet the delegation. Monday, May 23 met the rest of the team
(minus Trish); got a trip orientation; met with newly elected president of the
Muslim Peacemaker Team (MPT) who was headed to the States to raise money for
peacemaking. Met with a representative of Mennonite Central Committee. Tuesday,
May 24 flew into Baghdad (still minus Trish), landing in a 45 degree. spiraling
descent, dropping 3,000 ft. a minute as a safety precaution; met the permanent
team, Greg Rollins (Vancouver, British Columbia), Tom Fox (Washington, D.C.),
Joe Carr (Kansas City, Missouri), and Will VanWagenen (Salt Lake City,Utah)
for lunch; then walked to meet with the director of St. Raphael Hospital, a
premier private hospital which turns away none; then hosted one of CPT's interpreters,
the son of one of the women at Women's Will (above) briefing us on his experience
as a detainee for 11 months before release. Wednesday, May 25 met with another
of CPT's interpreters who briefed us on differences between the Shia and the
Sunni; then met with the directors of one of the only Iraqi mental hospitals,
hearing of their needs (75 beds to serve a population of 25 million), and the
organized looting after the invasion; greeted Trish as she joined the delegation;
then met with a CPT translator. Thursday, May 26 met with a member of the Iraqi
Interim Parliament, a Communist Party member, as he calmly outlined the limited
choices facing Iraq regarding US troop withdrawal and possible resulting civil
war; then heard from an Iraqi business owner distraught over the lack of security
she and her customers face, and struggling to stay alive physically and economically;
then part of the delegation was hosted by CPT's landlord and his family, reviewing
their understanding of the occupation and the impact on business and family
life under Saddam and the invasion/occupation while the rest were welcomed by
a neighboring family. Friday, May 27 traveled to meet with a Chaldean priest
who explained his views of resistance, use of a machine gun, and loss of most
of his parish to fear and migration to safer places; rested the afternoon; then
briefed by Tom in preparation for the trip to Kerbala. Saturday, May 28 visited
Women's Will (above); then meeting with an Iraqi Englishman heading an NGO-coordinating
organization called Culture for All, with offices where the CPT team will meet
new folks as a safety precaution (an earlier team had been robbed at their apartment
by folks not so well known); prepared for the trip to Kerbala, the ancient and
venerated site of Shia faith, and home of a 600+ year old pilgrimage shrine.
Sunday, May 29 traveled to Kerbala in three separate vehicles; met the vice-president
of the MPT and officers of the Human Rights Watch of Kerbala which had discovered
and investigated the first mass graves at the hands of Saddam from the late
'80's and early '90's; then joined our Kerbala MPT host at the holy shrine honoring
the revered martyr, Caliph Hussain, with lecture on several topics from ancient
Islam to current events; walked through the shrine’s inner portions including
a mosque, observing prayer, sermons, funerals, and kids having fun, and a library
of Islamic works. Monday, May 30 a trip to US Camp Lima just outside of Kerbala
for a visit with the Chaplain and with Civil Affairs officers working on reconstruction;
attended the following Memorial Day service led by the Chaplain; lunched in
the mess hall, meeting with president and other officers of the Human Rights
Watch of Kerbala, reviewing maps of the mass graves, and hearing of the explanation
of international interest in their documentation; attended an inspiring joint
CPT/ MPT meeting, including twelve men and three women from the MPT. Tuesday,
May 31 trip back to Baghdad in three vehicles; rested; then hosted the gentleman
in charge of Culture for All (above), and his friend who brought an evening
of incredible eud (an Iraqi 'guitar') music and song. Wednesday, June 1 headed
to the 'green zone' in two cars; took two forms of identification (one had to
be our passports); went through seven separate check points with three different
nationalities of troops (American and Georgian GI's, and Nepalese contract security
guards) for a meeting that didn't happen because the official overseeing the
Iraqi elections had moved and nobody in the building could figure out where;
then met briefly with the Iraqi Assistance Council representative in charge
of processing requests for finding the location of thousands of Iraqi detainees
by a concerned relative; then lunched in the formerly posh Al Rasheed Hotel,
escorted by a Civil Affairs major who went onto the government chow hall, while
we bought expensive sandwiches and salads from the ONLY place we could get food;
then heard from the UN human rights official for a review of every aspect of
the politics and practicalities of human rights treatment in Iraq; then met
with the colonel heading the Civil Affairs/reconstruction/civilian relations
efforts of the US Army in Iraq and the major in the women and children dept;
then headed back out of the heavily fortified area to our cars, and across town
to the CPT apartment; then hosted one of the CPT translators who brought his
brother and dinner; and finally were debriefed with and expressed appreciation
to the permanent team for our experience with and being hosted by them, before
leaving for Amman. Thursday, June 2 packed and left for the Baghdad International
Airport at 10 AM for a flight scheduled at 3:00 PM.
HITHER
And where to from now? Well, useful to answering that might be the conclusions
that we reached (here listing the ones we could agree upon). Among the bazaar
of experiences and conclusions, here are seven important things we learned which
might propel us to a particular direction:
1. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed or suffered since the invasion
and occupation of Iraq;
2. These, predominantly by accident of birth, were Iraqis, but some are American
and other American allies;
3. Those who have suffered death and/or desolation were predominantly Muslim
(96%+), but some were Christian (3%) or of other faiths.
4. Virtually all Iraqis we talked to expressed belief that the America would
not have invaded had there been no oil (Iraq has huge oil reserves, second only
to Saudi Arabia).
5. Virtually all Iraqis we talked to expressed gratitude to America for ridding
Iraq of Saddam Hussein right after the invasion;
6. Virtually all Iraqis we talked to expressed anger and frustration at America
for what has happened in their view since the invasion: the destruction of their
governmental services, the loss of millions of jobs, the protection of the oil
ministry to the exclusion of all other governmental agencies, the allowing of
looting of those agencies, and the looting of huge arsenals of weapons that
are now on the streets in the hands of terrorists and criminals, the opening
of borders that allowed in foreigners who are part of the current security concerns,
and the loss of security for the average Iraqi. They put it generally this way:
with Saddam we were in prison, but were safe, with health care, food, and supplies
under set prices. With the Americans, we have freedom and are not under a dictator,
but no jobs, little health care, rising prices on food and supplies, almost
no reliable electricity, and no security.
7. Virtually all Iraqi's we talked to would like for US troops to leave. now.
Most that we talked with said that they know immediate with drawl is impractical
in that they believe a civil war will result if the troops leave now. Few had
a real passion about the US troops leaving right now. All expressed hope for
peace, amongst their frustrations. All expressed deep gratitude for CPT’s
presence and work, and admiration for the risks taken.
So, what does this leave us? Well, for starters, it leaves us with some erased
preconceptions. We thought that we might find a big hue and cry over privatization
of the Iraqi national industries and businesses. However, a member of the Iraqi
parliament – a Communist Party Politburo member, no less – opinion
that that was battle for another day. He was more concerned with the new Constitution
and getting the more permanent parliament elected so that they could then deal
with privatization. The truth of the matter is that in all they are facing,
the Iraqis we spoke to were not much focused on the plight of the poor, the
working man person and his/her income, the deep future of the Iraqi industry,
etc. We thought that there might be a deeper sense of democratization across
the board, but it really just seemed that everyone had so much on their plates
just to survive, that it was almost too much to consider. Security, electricity,
and security were the top three issues. And even though most thought that with
America there, there would be a price to pay to retrieve the oil industry, and
that there would be permanent US bases in Iraq, despite the government's protest
of the same, we almost got the impression that many Iraqi's would chance that
to get the country more stable. One woman, a business owner, was so discouraged
about the lack of safety and security – her business having been robbed
repeatedly and her customers having been chased off by traffic problems due
to car bombs – that she said in frustration: "Look, I don't care.
Make us a US province or a 51st state. Just make us safe." She, like so
many, believed that the US had created a situation which requires the US presence
for stability.
Yet, in all this, there was a bright light. Among the people of faith –
Christians and Muslims alike – there was an deep and uniform interest
in peace. In one particular group, notable for its compassion, competency, and
initiative, the Muslim Peacemaker Team in Kerbala, there was a substantial move
forward. MPT as we came to know it, vigorously is pursuing paths to peace. Having
received the idea of and the training for their peacemaking team from CPT, this
growing group of professionals and leading lights in Kerbala have already held
elections, organized, and sent their president – an American Iraqi who
has repatriated to Iraq since the war -- to the US to raise support and money
for peacemaking in Iraq. They met with us on three occasions, twice as the MPT
and once in and for the Human Rights Watch of Kerbala, the group that first
discovered and brought to light mass graves created by Saddam in the late 80's
and early 90's. This group of teachers, lawyers, homemakers, and workers , is
on the move for spreading peacemaking teams throughout Iraq, including to Fallujah,
and Najah, two notorious hotspots. They are also working across disparate Muslim
lines: Sunni and Shia.
CONCLUSIONS
So, we conclude that we are glad we came, we learned much, and carry much back
in information, understanding, and shared concern for peace. We are heartened
to see the progress on the ground. We believe that the strands of the peace
web we helped support while here through this trip and what we do with it were
a justification for the risk that we ran in coming, and for the fears, prayers,
and concerns about us by those who love and care about us. And we support and
believe in and want a spirit of support and compassion and peace to engulf and
lift up the kind of work CPT is doing in Iraq.
In 1986 Ron Sider gave a speech that spawned the peace-maker team effort. How
can we, he asked, be an effective witness for peace unless we share the risk
of those who are there for war. For a few days we shared some of the risk (along
with the permanent CPT team), carefully and we hope, innocently for the cause
of peace. That risk is past. The hope for peace is present. Living that peace
is from present to future. Blessings upon efforts in that journey, and much
gratitude to you for your lifting us up while gone.
– Report submitted by Roger Sanders.
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