Baghdad Street Stories
Iraq and the long conflict that characterised this past decade, it was a conflict which cost the US and its allies thousands of casualties and wreaked havoc on civilians. Saddam Hussein is gone but it is not yet clear what sort of nation will emerge. Dateline’s Fouad Hady, an Iraqi Australian, has been back to Baghdad to ask one simple question, what do people think of their fledgling democracy?
REPORTER: Fouad Hady
The 'Shock and Awe' bombing of Baghdad was a defining image of the war so was the pulling down of Saddam Hussein's statue by US Marines.
ANNOUNCER: President Bush regards this as an historic moment. The scenes on television show that the thirst for freedom is unquenchable - that is from the President.
ANNOUNCER: Kate, that is absolutely right. People love freedom. They can't get enough of it.
This is how the square looks today - almost empty - but I find this man. His young niece needs an operation. He shows me her medical papers.
MAN (Translation): I’m after any financial assistance or even any emotional support as we are in a deplorable state.
REPORTER (Translation): Has your situation changed since the downfall?
MAN (Translation): If it had changed, I would not be here with this.
REPORTER (Translation): What do you hope for?
MAN (Translation): I hope for the security of Baghdad, for it’s safety, for services, for electricity, for water and for employment.
There is not much I can do to help him - I wonder if this is all that freedom has delivered. I travel across town to the market, where I hear the same story. People are angry.
MAN 2 (Translation): There are no services, no electricity, no water, nothing. No jobs – everyone is unemployed.
I find this little boy.
REPORTER (Translation): What do you do?
BOY (Translation): I sell water.
REPORTER (Translation): How old are you?
BOY (Translation): Twelve.
REPORTER (Translation): Who do you live with?
BOY (Translation): My elder sister.
REPORTER (Translation): How did your parents die?
BOY (Translation): It was god’s will.
He will not say what happened to his parents but since the war and sectarian violence, there are many orphans in Iraq.
As I leave, I am stopped by these soldiers. I have to keep the camera low. Security has increased in Baghdad but that has not stopped the Islamist bombers. This is my friend Bashir Al Hady. He wants to show me a recent attack.
BASHIR AL HADY (Translation): This is an example of liberties being taken away – they blew up this place a couple of days ago, there were shops here – many shops – selling liquor. Liquor shops are usually subject to explosions for Islamic reasons and other reasons. No one claimed responsibility.
Bashir takes me to where he used to live.
BASHIR AL HADY (Translation): This is one of the oldest districts which they should pay attention to – look at the dust! How can a human being survive in this?
This is what happens when the government cannot deliver electricity.
BASHIR AL HADY (Translation): Everybody relies on these generators, these are privately owned generators – it’s 54 degrees now. We have children, women, disabled people, elderly people and sick people and the heat is intolerable. No one can survive without electricity.
Just now, the national power supply is back on, he will switch off the generator and you will see it won’t last longer than an hour. Just one hour for the national electricity supply and within the hour, it will be interrupted six times. Sometimes it is too weak to run a fan, sometimes it is useless.
My friend takes me to what he calls his breathing space - a place where artists and intellectuals meet. He says freedom of speech is under threat.
BASHIR AL HADY (Translation): In the current climate, you can’t just meet anywhere – you are accountable for every word you say. There are many dangers in some places.
Cassem Al Septi is a famous painter, he owns the gallery and coffee shop. He is worried by the increasing power of the religious parties in Iraq and their militias.
CASSEM AL SEPTI, PAINTER (Translation): The significant capital is with the militias that establish civil organisations that cause destruction, they build organisations that destroy. But genuine civil organisations that build societies did not get… believe me, they only got a few cents.
Despite this, he says there is hope in the new Iraq.
REPORTER (Translation): It has been ten years since September 11, was it negative or positive for Iraqis?
CASSEM AL SEPTI (Translation): Positive at all levels and negative in one way. Yes, there is a space for democracy, although it may be small, it is being established, little by little. But at least there is light at the end of the tunnel, a light that has not been there before.
But Bashir does not see any light. He was a presenter on a program called 'A Chance For A Job' on satellite television. He was sacked after a demonstration where he criticised Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki.
BASHIR AL HADY (Translation): Every organisation has its agenda and it’s conditions – if I want to work for any media organisation, there are restrictions on who I can talk about or criticise. I am told who I can interview in a particular program and I am told not to pressure them on critical issues. There is an agenda, there is.
Inas Tarik also knows about restrictions in the new Iraq. She is a gutsy reporter for al-Mada newspaper. The local council wants this area redeveloped. They smashed these shops and the shop owners say the head of the council has sent thugs to throw them out.
MAN 3 (Translation): Where can we go, do they want us to steal? I’m a married man with two children and I have four men working for me, each has a family and children. Where can they go?
Now the police arrive.
INAS TARIK, REPORTER (Translation): They need approval to allow us in, because you are foreign media, they allowed us in. But for us Iraqi journalists, they won’t let us in. just like they took us to the police station. They do not want us reporting the truth because they are involved. There is no democracy, only factions and parties. The strong lord is over the weak, the market is like a jungle.
134 people will be homeless – they will end up either terrorists or killers or burglars, just to survive.
REPORTER (Translation): What about the promise of freedom?
INAS TARIK (Translation): There is no freedom – any citizen who expresses it, gets shot – they shot those people yesterday. You can see I have been wearing my sunglasses, in case anyone recognises me later on or sees me with my family, I will become a target if they identify me. A disguise is a must, especially for a woman.
I go with Inas to the centre of Baghdad. We call this Tahrir Square. There is a demonstration here every Friday. It used to be large but 11 people were killed by security forces in February. US troops may be leaving Iraq but these people say America still has too much power.
CROWD (Translation): No, no to the occupier, we would die rather than give up….
This is Thurrum al-Zaedy. His brother has a special place in Iraq's recent history, he was the shoe thrower. He shows me a poster of his brother. After being jailed in Baghdad, he now lives inBeirut. He is afraid to return.
THURRUM AL ZAEDY (Translation): An arrest is easy, but we are worried they would kill him and blame other parties - that is what worries us. Kill him and blame someone else or say it was an accident.
What happened to his brother and the trauma of his country's recent history has taken its toll.
THURRUM AL ZAEDY (Translation): I am willing to lose my life, my children, my family and everything for Iraq to be liberated.
Like Iraq, Thurrum's future remains uncertain.
Reporter/Camera
FOUAD HADY
Producer
GEOFF PARISH
Editors
DAVID POTTS
MICAH MCGOWN
Subtitling/Translations
DALIA MATAR
JOSEPH ABDO
SUHEIL DAUMONY
Original Music composed by Vicki Hansen