I've read a website by an Iraqi living in Iraq, who's been posting his ideas
to the internet all this time. And here are some remarks by him:
To end this rant, a word about Islamic fundis/wahabisim/qaeda and all that. Do
you know when the sight of women veiled from top to bottom became common in
cities in Iraq? Do you know when the question of segregation between boys and
girls became red hot? When tribal law replaced THE LAW? When Wahabi became
part of our vocabulary?
It only happened after the Gulf War. I think it was Cheney or Albright who
said they will bomb Iraq back to the stone age, well you did. Iraqis have
never accepted religious extremism in their lives. They still dont. Wahabis in
their short dishdasha are still looked upon as sheep who have strayed from the
herd. But they are spreading. The combination of poverty/no work/low self
esteem and the bitterness of seeing people who rose to riches and power
without any real merit but having the right family name or connection shook
the whole social fabric. Situations which would have been unacceptable in the
past are being tolerated today.
They call it al hamla al imania, the religious campaign, of course it was
supported by the government, pumping them with words like poor in this life,
rich in heaven kept the people quiet. Or the other side of the coin is getting
paid by Wahabi organizations. Come pray and get paid, no joke, dead serious.
If the government cant give you a job run to the nearest mosque and they will
pay and support you. This never happened before, it is outrageous. But what
are people supposed to do? thir government is denied funds to pay proper wages
and what they get is funneled into their pockets. So please stop telling me
about the fundis, never knew what they are never would have seen them in my
streets.