In the spring of 2011, we were on our once in a two year trip to India. This time we had decided that we'll travel via Dubai and Iraq. In Iraq specifically for the pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Karbala and Najaf. Karbala is the resting place of Shia Imam Hussain (AS) and his 72 martyrs. And Najaf is the resting place of Ali (AS), the most important figure for Shia muslims after the Prophet(SA) and Father of Imam Hasan and Hussain.
For the breif history of Ali (AS) and Hussain (AS), and to know their importance in the Shia muslim's life, please visit Ali and Hussain.
But I am writing this post specifically of my impressions of the war ridden country for a small one week that I stayed, most of the time was spent in pilgrimage but I had got good enough time to observe the lives of Iraqi people. What I understood though was that Baghdad is the most affected place and you can't really compare Karbala and Najaf, the places I visited, to see the real effects, and I humbly agree. And that's exactly my point here that watching CNN and those discussion, you can't really generalize that whole country is in the highest trauma.
While traveling around different places, first thing you notice is people, they are as calm and collected as in most places in the world. All the routine business is as usual, businesses look like thriving. Country is surely coming back on its feet. I see the rail tracks being laid everywhere, there are quite a few broken buildings, of course because of wars and missiles, but much more construction work in progress. The country is very much like sub-continent, dusty, and full of people and energy. People are truthful and trustful. Though they don't like Indian tourist much, as they do lots of bargaining.
Some places directly accept the US$. So I didn't try to get the exchange much. But while shopping at the local vendor for Tasbeeh, (after doing some bargaining!) when I gave the $, he didn't accept it and he wanted IQD, so I asked him that I will put the my items back, which he had already packed and will get the exchange and come back, he instantly told me to take the things with me and get the money. All this communication happened, via sign language of course, as I don't know Arabic or Persian and he doesn't know English. Just thinking about this, I don't think I will see this kind of trust in the most places, I was one of the thousands tourist and he might never see me in his life. Though I agree that what I purchased was not much but then also it was touching.
Oh btw, foreign exchange is pretty different, as Iraqi deenars are quite low in value and you will pay around 1200 IQD for a bottle of water, which is less than a Dollar.
One night, while waiting for my wife, outside the shrine of Abbas Ali (AS), with my daughter who was sleeping, one boy, may be around 17, came and started talking in broken english. He introduced himself and his younger sister, I sadly forgot their names. He was wearing Barcelona FC shirt, and I asked him, is he fan of Messi, and he replies he is Real Madrid's fan. He told me he was from Iraq and I just thought he spoke Iran. He immediately aggressively replied no IRAN, Iraq. Still these neighbors have bitter emotions. But boy was really sweet, he welcomed me in his country, gave compliments on my daughter and he told me he's coming from some 10 hours away, in the south of Iraq and he and his family visit this shrine regularly.
Another thing I noticed is, dresses for women. Though you can't see anything as women are wearing "Burkhas", I noticed that the shops, which were selling these clothes, were very much western. Jeans, T-shirts, short, tight and mini(!) dresses and lots of different types of stockings . So inside their burkhas, these women wear all the modern dresses. Iraqi and Irani women were insanely beautiful btw, oh you can see faces as they wear burkhas but don't cover faces!
Though don't think that I didn't see anything unusual. There are thousands of check posts everywhere, the distance between Najaf and Karbala is hardly 15-20 miles, but it takes more than 2 hours if you are lucky because of lots of check posts. They don't normally ask you to get down of your vehicles and drivers just shows them the Iraqi Visa. K-9s will be moved around your vehicles to check that things are fine. There are few posts near both the shrines, you are not allowed to take cameras, phone or any electronic devices inside the shrines and they properly frisk you before allowing to enter the shrine.And you see armed military personnel everywhere. In some sensitive area near shrines they have even high tech guns, kind of which comes as a part of tank. I even noticed some quarrel in the market.
On the streets there are hundreds of street vendors selling the Chinese made consumer items like we see in India, Chandni chawk at Delhi or Churchgate at Mumbai. They just sit on the roads and sell the things during the day and till late nights.
One thing I missed though was eating the local street food, as my body was still getting used to the new environment, I had an upset stomach. Though I made sure buying some sweets at the local sweet shop and took it with me to India to enjoy later. They were quite awesome. But no worries I am sure, God willing, I will visit these places again.
 |
| Shrines |
For the breif history of Ali (AS) and Hussain (AS), and to know their importance in the Shia muslim's life, please visit Ali and Hussain.
But I am writing this post specifically of my impressions of the war ridden country for a small one week that I stayed, most of the time was spent in pilgrimage but I had got good enough time to observe the lives of Iraqi people. What I understood though was that Baghdad is the most affected place and you can't really compare Karbala and Najaf, the places I visited, to see the real effects, and I humbly agree. And that's exactly my point here that watching CNN and those discussion, you can't really generalize that whole country is in the highest trauma.
While traveling around different places, first thing you notice is people, they are as calm and collected as in most places in the world. All the routine business is as usual, businesses look like thriving. Country is surely coming back on its feet. I see the rail tracks being laid everywhere, there are quite a few broken buildings, of course because of wars and missiles, but much more construction work in progress. The country is very much like sub-continent, dusty, and full of people and energy. People are truthful and trustful. Though they don't like Indian tourist much, as they do lots of bargaining.
 |
| work in progress, shoppers and road side assistance |
Some places directly accept the US$. So I didn't try to get the exchange much. But while shopping at the local vendor for Tasbeeh, (after doing some bargaining!) when I gave the $, he didn't accept it and he wanted IQD, so I asked him that I will put the my items back, which he had already packed and will get the exchange and come back, he instantly told me to take the things with me and get the money. All this communication happened, via sign language of course, as I don't know Arabic or Persian and he doesn't know English. Just thinking about this, I don't think I will see this kind of trust in the most places, I was one of the thousands tourist and he might never see me in his life. Though I agree that what I purchased was not much but then also it was touching.
Oh btw, foreign exchange is pretty different, as Iraqi deenars are quite low in value and you will pay around 1200 IQD for a bottle of water, which is less than a Dollar.
 |
| Look at those school bags, surely the pictures there reminds of their version of Dora and Cindrella! |
One night, while waiting for my wife, outside the shrine of Abbas Ali (AS), with my daughter who was sleeping, one boy, may be around 17, came and started talking in broken english. He introduced himself and his younger sister, I sadly forgot their names. He was wearing Barcelona FC shirt, and I asked him, is he fan of Messi, and he replies he is Real Madrid's fan. He told me he was from Iraq and I just thought he spoke Iran. He immediately aggressively replied no IRAN, Iraq. Still these neighbors have bitter emotions. But boy was really sweet, he welcomed me in his country, gave compliments on my daughter and he told me he's coming from some 10 hours away, in the south of Iraq and he and his family visit this shrine regularly.
Another thing I noticed is, dresses for women. Though you can't see anything as women are wearing "Burkhas", I noticed that the shops, which were selling these clothes, were very much western. Jeans, T-shirts, short, tight and mini(!) dresses and lots of different types of stockings . So inside their burkhas, these women wear all the modern dresses. Iraqi and Irani women were insanely beautiful btw, oh you can see faces as they wear burkhas but don't cover faces!
Though don't think that I didn't see anything unusual. There are thousands of check posts everywhere, the distance between Najaf and Karbala is hardly 15-20 miles, but it takes more than 2 hours if you are lucky because of lots of check posts. They don't normally ask you to get down of your vehicles and drivers just shows them the Iraqi Visa. K-9s will be moved around your vehicles to check that things are fine. There are few posts near both the shrines, you are not allowed to take cameras, phone or any electronic devices inside the shrines and they properly frisk you before allowing to enter the shrine.And you see armed military personnel everywhere. In some sensitive area near shrines they have even high tech guns, kind of which comes as a part of tank. I even noticed some quarrel in the market.
On the streets there are hundreds of street vendors selling the Chinese made consumer items like we see in India, Chandni chawk at Delhi or Churchgate at Mumbai. They just sit on the roads and sell the things during the day and till late nights.
One thing I missed though was eating the local street food, as my body was still getting used to the new environment, I had an upset stomach. Though I made sure buying some sweets at the local sweet shop and took it with me to India to enjoy later. They were quite awesome. But no worries I am sure, God willing, I will visit these places again.
1 comment:
Great read...i thought i was travelling through war ridden country and witnessing their life and re-building efforts...seems ppl around the world sing the same song of life and survival.
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