Latest News from Baghdad

by Martin Edwards and Amal Rashid

Last month, on Wednesday the fifteenth, at about 8:30 am, a rumor

began circulating in our large apartment building, based on a

television news story, that there would be explosions at numerous

elementary schools all over Baghdad today.

Parents rushed to nearby

schools to bring their children (who had left for school about 7:30

am) back home. The U.S. Military here in Baghdad was particularly

concerned today about possible terrorist activity as the new post

invasion Iraqi currency, new currency, with bills un-graced by the

head of Saddam Houssain, were being issued for the first time that

day. As I moved around the city, I saw U.S. Tanks posted in front

of all the banks. I was greatly relieved when I saw one of the new

bills and found it contained not the head of George Bush, but only

an historic Iraqi building.

Later last month, as you probably heard on the news, a very large

terrorist car bomb exploded in front of the Baghdad headquarters of

the International Red Cross killing scores and injuring hundreds.

The reason i mention this terrorist incident, in particular, is

because even though our apartment is located one kilometer (over one

half mile) away, the strength of the explosion caused our building to

shake as if an earthquake was taking place. And the single window

in our apartment facing in that direction was shattered, as were

many other windows in our building.

Then, only a day or two later, we learned that the driver of a car

loaded with explosives was shot, before he could detonate his load,

on the east side of the Palestine Hotel, right across the street

from our apartment building. So now, when I go out during the day,

or in the evening, and Amal or my extended family here is worried

about my safety, I can point out that on that particular evening,

staying at home almost turned out to be the most dangerous place to

be.

We began our official "honeymoon", in the privacy of our "new"

apartment, a week ago. It's really nice to have our own privacy.

However, we've spent most of our time this past week shopping for

things we needed to complete setting up the apartment and also

getting everything working right in it. The electrical system has

been a particular problem. This is an area where I've been able to

do most of the work myself, and most of it is now complete. Because

city supplied power is still only available part of the time, we

will also be getting an alternate connection to a generator which

supplies power in the evening to tenants of the building who pay to

get connected to it.

I have been wanting to see more of Iraq, since I first came here

before the war. I am particularly interested in the north, seeing

the mountains there, and and learning more about the Kurdish

culture. We are making plans to leave for the north in about a

week, on a kind of honeymoon, sightseeing, and educational trip.

Because Amal is a woman and because of the unsettled conditions in

the country since she was about nine years old, Amal has never seen

most of her own country, so she is looking forward to seeing this

area as much as I am. However, she has considerable fears for our

safety, while I am more optimistic on this score.

Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, started on October 27th. As you may

know, full observance of Ramadan means fasting (no water or food)

from before dawn to early evening (basically about 13 hours. I am

getting up at 3:30 am to shower and eat (I must finish be about 4:4

am) and go to the mosque to pray. Getting us this early, is not

much of a hardship for me. I have been getting up regularly most

mornings around 4:30 in the U.S. for some years anyway, unless I

was up very late the night before. And here, I can go back to bed

for an hour or two, if I need it. Also, afternoon naps are quite

common here as well.

My day seems to go particularly well for me, if I start it very

early. And I really like starting my day at a mosque at the time of

the first prayer (about 5:10 am at this time of year). Of those

Muslims who do pray their first prayer of the day at the "official"

time (one can pray whenever one gets up), most pray at home, and

many then go back to bed for a while. Many businesses, shops, and

offices, do not open until 9 or 10 am. But for me, praying the

first prayer of the day at a mosque is a special treat.

Fortunately, there is a mosque only a five minute walk from our

apartment. However, i am usually only one of about a dozen men

there at that time, in a space that is filled by hundreds at mid-day

on Fridays. I have never seen any women there that early. Amal

prefers to sleep later and pray at home when she gets up. She says

i'm a "better" Muslim than she is.

I don't look at it that way. It was Amal's devotion to her own

faith, our studies together of both Islam, Christianity, and

Quakerism, and our mutual respect of each other's faith, which

opened the way for me to broaden my personal spiritual path by

accepting Islam; adding Mohammad as the prophet following Jesus and

the Quran as the holy book following the Bible. When we are at home

together at prayer times, Amal and i often pray together, with our

prayer rugs laid out side by side. Mormons, as i recall, have a

saying: "The family that prays together, stays together". I believe

there's a lot to that saying.

To encourage observance of Ramadan, all restaurants are officially

expected to be closed during the day. But many Muslims here do not

fast during Ramadan. Two days ago, i was sipping on a diet Pepsi

while pulling over at the curb in our van. The driver of a small bus

that was parked nearby, came over to inquire of me as to why i was

drinking the Pepsi during fasting hours. I explained using a little

Arabic, and a lot of sign language, that my stomach was bothering me

(i had diarrhea that day) and would be forgiven for the Pepsi. I

knew he understood when he smiled and nodded affirmation that this

was OK, wished me Ramadan mubarak (happy Ramadan) and went back to

his vehicle. As a kind of reward for the hardship of fasting each

day, Ramadan evening meals typically include special foods and

dishes. I don't envy the women who are cooking during the

afternoon, to prepare evening meal, but cannot, if they are fasting,

even taste what they are cooking.

This week, we acquired a satellite T.V. setup. I have not had T.V.

In the U.S. For over 20 years, because I wanted nothing to do with

it. But here I've been very cut off from the world because there

are no English language newspapers or news magazines, and imported

publications are very expensive and already out of date. And local

T.V. Stations are, of course, in Arabic. So now, I'll be able to

keep up to date via Fox News and BBC.

That's it for now.

Love,

Martin and Amal