A rose by any other name...

I've decide it's time for a name change. Out with the rather nondescript "Justin's waffle" and in with "Iraqi wannabe". The occassional waffling will continue of course.

CPT leaflet for Coalition forces

My friends at Christian Peacemaker Teams have begun leafleting Coalition troops in Iraq to inform them of their duties to Iraqis under international law. Here is the text of the leftlet entitled "Coalition Forces and the Human Rights of Iraqi Citizens":

Like all human beings, Iraqis have a right to just treatment and respect. Yet many Iraqi families have shared with us their stories of U.S. troops violating their human rights and dignity. As a result, support is growing among Iraqis for violent resistance.

If any Coalition soldier mistreats an Iraqi citizen, it endangers all Coalition soldiers. For your own safety and for the well-being of Iraqi citizens, we invite you to abide by these principles taken from the Geneva Conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and related humanitarian and human rights law:

* Soldiers have a duty to protect civilians. Care must be taken not to harm those who are unarmed, or women, children, and the elderly or sick. Force should be used only when absolutely necessary and in proportion to the level of force threatened.

* Coalition Forces, as the Occupying Power in Iraq, are ultimately responsible for ensuring that family members of detainees are notified as to where they will be detained.

* It is against international law to punish a group of people collectively, (such as reprisal assaults on a family, neighborhood, or town) because individuals within that area have attacked Coalition Forces. Only those who have are guilty of wrongdoing should be punished.

* Soldiers shall respect the property of civilians. If property is confiscated, a receipt must be issued with explicit instructions for how it may be retrieved.

Iraqis detained by Coalition Forces have been held for months without charges, without legal counsel, and without contact with their families. The loss of husbands and fathers and the income and security they provide creates terrible hardship for families. Often men are detained on the basis of false information and malicious rumors. Please remember that suspicion is not proof and that the men detained may be innocent of all wrongdoing.

Coalition Forces are obliged to respect the provisions of international human rights treaties to which their home countries and/or Iraq havesigned. The ‘Rules of Engagement’ are not the only rules which apply. You can be held liable for your actions in Iraq, even if you are obeying orders from your commanding officer. When you return home, will you be able to tell your families that you acted with honor and compassion?

Christian Peacemaker Teams is a program of Christian churches, congregations, and individuals who believe in nonviolent means of conflict resolution and violence reduction. CPT members engage in mediation and conflict transformation, nonviolent action, and observation and reporting of human rights abuses. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.cpt.org

Friends under threat of bombs

Whoops - this post is from 14th November, but I just noticed I'd posted it on Jubilee Iraq news by mistake (as I use Blogger to write that as well).

I just got an email from my friends at Christian Peacemaker Teams (i recommend subscribing to their list):

"Yesterday we visited the sheikh at his mosque in Adumiyah district. He reported that a day earlier the Coalition military patrols had rolled through the streets and announced, "This is the last warning for inhabitants of this area. We will use the tanks to bomb Adumiyah." There is a US military base directly across the river in one of Hussein's old palaces and there have been times when the base shoots randomly across the river into the central civilian area of the district. Many of the main buildings have received damage, including a minaret of the mosque."

The cleric mentioned here is Sheikh Mauyad of the Abu Hanifa mosque, a lovely man who so humble you wouldn't realise he's probably the most senior Sunni religious leader in the country. I interviewed him about debt and then we chatted for a long time about Islam. I feel sick at the thought of my friends in Adumiyah being bombed yet again.

Jo Wilding in Baghdad

Felt so "home-sick" reading Jo's eloquent first post back in Baghdad. Anyone who's read my blog in October may recognise some of the people she talks about - Salam and Muthana who were my translators (who are going to Geneva for Indymedia training - wow congratulations guys!!); the Al-Fanar hotel, which has now opened the outdoor cafe in the space between the concrete blocks and razorwire defending the Palastine hotel; Michael and Eva who are busy defending the Palastinian refugees (who's position is particularly precarious)...

I'm stuck in my room in London processing hundreds of unread Jubilee Iraq emails and planning how to use Bush's visit to Britain next week to advance the campaign. Going to an Anglo-Iraqi "iftar" in at sunset - the meal which breaks the fast during Ramadan (have any budding etmologists out there noticed the root of the english work "breakfast"). I hope there'll be some of the Iraqi dishes which Riverbend mouthwateringly describes.

Oppression in Egypt

I went to a meeting last night about the 2nd Cairo Conference, which will bring together Western and Arab peace campaigners next month. I was incredible impressed with the Egyptian guy who was speaking (though can't recall his name I'm afriad). I hadn't realised quite how repressive Egypt is. Apparently it's a crime for 5 or more people to stand together in the street for any reason! Against this context it's amazing that thousands openly gathered in Tahrir Square on 20th March , for the first time since 1972, to do what they called "a Hyde Park"! Apparently there are hundreds in jail and being tortured as a result of these protests. Apparently when an Egyptian novelist was recently awarded an important prize (similar to the Booker Prize I think), he refused to accept it from the Minister of Culture, instead speaking out about the human rights abuse. I'm hoping to go to Cairo for the conference, and look forward to meeting some of these brave Egyptians activists.

Time to breath

There's been a really great development in my life - ashkurallah - I'm downsizing to part-time work! Basically the last seven months have been crazy working full time at NPC and doing Jubilee Iraq in early mornings, evenings and weekends. I've had almost no time to chill, zero social life and have been doing justice to either NPC or Jubilee.

Going to Iraq certainly put a bit of perspective on things, and then a few weeks ago I was reading Pauls letter to the Philippians "Do nothing out of selfish ambition, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (2:v3-4). It was one of those 'words jumping out of the page' experiences and I knew that this was a principle God was telling me to apply in my situation. Why was I sticking at my nice safe job instead of putting more energy into trying to help Iraq and get the unjust debt cancellation?

I though the best solution would be to work part-time, so I could still earn a little money to pay the rent and Jubilee Iraq expenses, but have two days mid-week to think, write and get on the phone to people (it's been really hard trying to run the campaign without being able to call people during office hours). It looked pretty unlikely that this would be acceptable, so I was expecting to have to resign. That probably wouldn't have been a great solution because, quite apart from lack of money, I'd probably revert to my natural laziness and end up lying in bed until mid-day if I didn't have the discipline of paid employment. Anyhow after much umming and ahhing I popped the question to my bosses and, what do you know, they graciously agreed!

The next month is going to be pretty crazy even with the extra time. Important meeting with UK government next week, writing an op-ed for New York Times, doing a proper launch of the Iraqi views on debt report, lecturing in Parliament on 27th and possibly going to meetings in Prague, Paris, Cairo and Geneva in early December. Not sure how I'm going to afford all that travel, but with the new part-time arrangement I should certainly be able to find the time. Another huge answer to prayer is that a couple of amazingly talented people in various parts of the world have emailed over the last few days offering to lend a hand. I'm pretty dreadful at delegating, but now I'll have a bit more thinking and emailing time hopefully Jubilee Iraq will be able to make proper use of some of these wonderful volunteers.

So things are basicaly looking up, al-hamdulillah. Now all that's missing is a girlfriend.

World Beard Championship

I couldn't resist this link for the World Beard and Mostache Championships taking place in Carson City Nevada. It seems to be a German dominated event, but I know a couple of Iraqi Sheikhs who could take the event by storm. Its coming to London in 2007 so I need to find a way to cultivate something on my baby smooth face - Haythem can we do the hair/mostache swap we agreed when I'm next in Baghdad?

The idea for an Iraqi voices group blog is developing... watch this space (and email if you know Iraqis who'd like to be involved). For now, here's a new angle from Baghdad: Babel On, the blog of an American contractor living in the Palastine hotel.