Riverbend

Riverbend's blog paints Iraq in a different light than traditional media outlets. I must admit that I never really thought about the possibility of Iraq as having a thriving, advanced culture prior to the war. I basically assumed that most people lived in poverty under the reign of Sadam Hussein, and that  cities like Baghdad consisted mainly of crumbling stucco buildings and dirt roads. While I am well aware at how naive this sounds, I was none the less surprised to read Riverbend's accounts of pre-war Iraq, which she said had "clubs, universities, fast cars, [and] motor boats. She mentioned that Iraq had a large number of engineers who had studied in countries such as "Germany, Japan, America, [and] Britain". I was surprised to learn that Iraqi people traveled abroad to study. To be blunt, Riverbend speaks to the positive attributes of Iraq, something which I never heard from the mainstream US media, who was focused on reporting on the tragedies of war.

Civilian Life.

The Riverbend Blog is able to show the reader a civilian's view on the war in Afghanistan. One major point that is discussed in the blog is how the American media contributes greatly to a large scale of society's misconceptions concerning the monetary costs of the war and the costs of the rebuilding of Afghanistan.The blog, Baghdad Burning, is also able to show the viewer that civilians within Baghdad are facing a war that destroys their ability to remain human beings that do natural human activities such as cooking with one's family, walking outside without fear, etc. The Riverbend blog gives the reader a new perspective on civilian life amidst an unwanted war.

Different Outlook

I have to admit, like other fellow classmates, I was not really aware of the war during that time--I was only 10. However, reading about it from the first perspective of someone there really did shed light on the severity of the whole situation. Riverbend was 24 at this time, talking about how she carries a switch blade as her weapon of choice--as if that is normal (which she makes clear that at that time it really was).

What surprised me aside from the horror of how many public figure deaths, raids, and shootings there were, was how intelligent she seemed. Her vocabulary was better than that of many 24 year olds I have met, from any country for that matter. I was very impressed by her knowledge of what was going on around her. She seemed very proactive. As she said, "You have to be alert and ready for anything every moment". She doesn't seem like the type to just "let" things happen; she wants to know how things are happening, why, and what can be done about them (as she offers a lot of her own opinions on governmental issues).

I cannot imagine what it must be like to wake up every night to sounds of shootings and bombings on a regular basis; it definitely gives me a different perspective.

I was also shocked to read about the way the government was being set up, with 9 months of 9 different presidential leaders. I cannot imagine living in a country of that much instability at that time. It made me appreciate what I do have here in the US, despite many flaws.

A Comparison of Nations

I never really followed the war that closely so I guess it was no surprise to find out I was completely ignorant about the subject. I understood that there were multiple fractions vying for power yet I didn’t and still don’t understand the political upheaval that must have been taking place. Leader’s killed seventy car jacks a day, roadside bombs exploding, what she describes in her blogs is chaos. In the United States the most drastic event that we see is a shift in power in the House of Representatives or the Senate.

What was most interesting to me was to see the viewpoint of a young woman is caught in the middle of this. On the news we don’t get the context of the story which is so important when trying to understand the war. We get terrifying statics of what’s going on like body count which fraction occupies which territory. However relevant this information is, there is no way for me to quantify this data into something I understand. "One of my cousins, and his wife, are Shi’a and when he heard the news, he just shrugged his shoulders and said he didn’t like him much anyway- power-hungry clerics (of any religion) make people nervous, I guess"(Riverbend). When is the last time a major political leader was assassinated in the west? I guess that is a moot point due to the fact that war is not taking place within in a western country however, it just goes to show how little someone like me can understand the constant instability.

Riverbend Blog

With her blog, Riverbend was able to offer to her readers intense eyewitness occurrences of the everyday life and reality of the war in Baghdad. She also gave a strong analysis on the politics behind these events. I have always known about the war, but I never really knew the exact details of what was going on. I didn’t have an actual concept of the reality of the war and how bad life was for everyone over there. Her blog opened my eyes to a whole other world, one that was hidden from my own. By reading all of her stories of life in Baghdad, I was shocked at the harsh reality and my perspective on the war was drastically changed. She wrote about families whose relatives disappear into prisons, about children who are kidnapped by militias, about the harsh living conditions, about all the homes attacked by U.S. troops. I am extremely surprised at how one person can be so strong and determined to get a message out there like Riverbend does. She is very passionate about what she writes and she shows no fear in speaking about the truth. Her knowledge on the Western World also impressed me as well as her awareness of her own culture. She is writing from a women’s perspective which also allows for us to realize how rough it is for the women in that culture. Women are not even allowed to leave their house without a head covering and if they wear jeans they risk being attacked, abducted or insulted. Her blog definitely raises large awareness of the reality of the war, the prejudice against women, and the understanding between the Iraqis and the Americans. 

Riverbend Blog

What really struck me about Riverbend’s blog was her strength and determination. She coped so impressively with negative comments that she received as responses to her writing. This is highlighted when Riverbend retorts:

It’s great to get questions and differing opinions- but please be intelligent about it, and above all, creative- if I want to hear what Fox News has to say, I’ll watch it. And keep one thing in mind- tanks and guns can break my bones, but emails can be deleted.

While remaining anonymous, Riverbend was confident enough to speak her mind and stand her ground against those who were aggressive towards her.

            It is shocking and terrifying to learn how the treatment of women in Iraq seemed to go back in time. Riverbend discusses how she used to earn equal pay to men, she could wear whatever clothes she wanted, and walk alone in the city. During and after the war, women had to have male escorts when leaving the house, they were forced to wear hijabs and conservative clothes. If they wore items that were deemed too revealing they ran the risk of getting acid pour over them. Many women, including Riverbend, had to leave their jobs.

            The comparisons that Riverbend makes with Iraq before and after the war are striking. She laments, “I don’t even know the city anymore. Now, areas are identified as ‘the one with the crater where the missile exploded’, or ‘the street with the ravaged houses’, or ‘the little house next to that one where that family was killed’”.  Riverbend evidently does not feel at home in Iraq anymore. Her life has been turned completely upside down owing to the war.  Even a simple action like putting on sunglasses becomes a debate because Riverbend does not want to draw too much attention to herself.

            It is important that Riverbend argues “don’t blame it on Islam.” There are many moderate Muslims in Iraq who live peacefully with other religious groups and races. Muslims should not be used as scapegoats for the actions of extremists and fundamentalists.

Lorrie Moore Reading

Tonight I attended a reading from Lorrie Moore at Tulane. She read her fictional short story, Thank You For Having Me. The story doesn't have much of a plot but rather a women's narration of a series of events which jump from serious to humorous within the same page. The story opens on the night of Michael Jacksons death with her listening to his songs in her dark kitchen as a way of mourning. She receives sassy and witty comments from her 15 year old daughter which bring humor to the situation. The narrating women and her daughter attend a country wedding the next day where she talks sto various characters, receives attitude from her daughter, and contemplates life. I throughly enjoyed Moore's style of writing. The audience was constantly laughing and Moore new exactly how to read her story to pause for the audience response. This is the first reading I've ever attended and it was a great experience to be able to hear the story in the tone the author anticipated it to be.