When I previously blogged about being upset that I was missing the action on protests worldwide, I stated this with the implicit undertone that any form of violence, emanating from protestors or police, was not exactly what I was looking for. It is more the act of civil disobedience and making your voice heard that interests me; speaking out against systems which have so blatantly run rough shod over the interests of common, everyday citizens. I do not condone violence in any way and many of the images ranging from American campuses to the streets in Yemen are downright appalling. To tone deaf governments, sometimes individually speaking up is futile and you need to join together with a common voice in order to demand attention; however, that common voice should never invoke unbridled anger as an emotion, and those common voices should never be treated as hostile dissidents unless they are truly acting as such.
After seeing the brief and disorganized protest in front of the University of Duhok I flippantly laughed it off as if it were nothing, a mirage of true activism. This is a calm area where, to an unknowing foreigner, peace and love reign supreme. No place is ever fully immune to civic unrest. Perhaps my previous misconception was only because I am essentially secluded from the civic interactions that regular citizens endure. Given the language barrier, local news is alien to me and public issues aren’t discussed in detail. I have a general sense of what is going on, but lack a full understanding. Well, evidently there has been something brewing. I am not sure how major it is, but today the pot spilled over.
Protests erupted in nearby Zakho which left close to 30 buildings burned and many people wounded. I heard that another building was burned in Duhok. This article, in addition to the linked Youtube video, better describe what happened: http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2011/12/state5628.htm
It is now clear why soldiers were lining the streets of Duhok today, presumably to prevent further unrest. Given my limited understanding of Iraqi politics, varying view points in the article should be taken with a grain of salt. However, torched buildings are still burned regardless of why.
I should say that I do NOT fear for my safety in any way, shape, or form. This is entirely unrelated to anything that I remotely have anything to do with, and seems to be based in more political infighting as opposed to external factors. Even if the situation continues to boil for some time, I have a hunch that it will not spark anything dramatic that would warrant me fearing for my personal safety. With a clear head and enough street smarts to walk away from large crowds, I’m sure that I will be fine. Just as it is disheartening to see idly sitting protestors get pepper sprayed at point blank range, it is equally disturbing to see mass crowds burning buildings. When I mention wanting to see people stand up for something, that wasn’t quite what I had in mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment