Comments on: Iraqi blogger Khalid Jarrar is freed

By: Neila Charchour Hachicha

Neila Charchour Hachicha — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 10:17:01 +0000

Yes Luisetta that’s what I mean. The Ba’athist legacy will take a long time to leave Iraq, because that was all the political culture most Iraqis have known, they just don’t know yet what means citizenry and in the absence of security most people will rely on Allah.

It is terrible to say but people are still very fatalist and are not at all used to dialogue or even debate. They kill first, they think later.

By: Luisetta

Luisetta — Sun, 24 Jul 2005 18:11:32 +0000

That’s great news! Let’s keep our attention on Iraqi bloggers, so the government knows that the rest of the world is watching–it can often have a salutary effect.
Neila: Do you mean that the Ba’athist legacy will take a long time to leave Iraq, because that was all the political culture most Iraqis have known? If so, can it evolve into something less monolithic? (something that can cope with irony and self-criticism, for example?). It’s certainly not going to manage it WITHOUT open political debate, is it?

By: Scott Robarts

Scott Robarts — Sun, 24 Jul 2005 05:05:25 +0000

I blogged about Khalid’s arrest when I saw it in Global Voices, and I linked to the online petition for him to be freed (as well as sign it myself). It is good news indeed that he is freed. I would be curious to know if the attention that this case got on the blogosphere made a difference. To Khalid or anyone that knows him, I am very happy to hear of his release. Canada stands behind the Iraqi bloggers!

By: Neila Charchour Hachicha

Neila Charchour Hachicha — Sat, 23 Jul 2005 22:47:43 +0000

It reminds me of the Chinese proverb that says: Don’t give the poor fish, but learn him how to fish.

For several decades no one helped the Irakis learn how to become citizens.