October 3, 2005

All the Iraqis are terrorists until the occupation authorities will prove it!! Every Iraqi mother could not sleep the night; she stays worrying until the morning; fearing of the after midnight unwelcomed visitors.
There are continuous raids, especially at nights, every where in Iraq. American forces and Iraqi National Guards have the right to enter any house without asking permission. We are being ruling by the American Terrorism Act.
I heard that my friend Amel Kadhim Swadi was arrested with her younger son Safa, 17 years old. The both stayed in custody the whole night in Baghdad air port. By the way one of the American giant achievements in Iraq we should admit is that they converted the all Iraq civilian and military air ports to jails; then by the cooperation with the Iraqi authorities they managed to make the whole Iraq a prison; the largest prison in the world which is worthy to genius book; a prison with 26 million prisoners capacity.
Amel, a well known lawyer who used to defend the Iraqi detainees, lives in Al-Khadhra neighborhood west Baghdad. Last Saturday, at 8pm, she was driving to the near supermarket with her daughter and two sons; the elder Zaid is a lawyer too.
As soon as she left the garage; she was astonished by an American patrol and a strong spot light on her face. She decided to return home but a loudspeaker ordered her to stop.
She did. Many American soldiers came to check. They searched them. Then they used detector pads and deciding that they suspected the younger son whom they will arrest. Amel tried to protect her son asking them to arrest her with him because she knew that her son did nothing. They blocked the area; cuffed the hands of the son and the mother. About 10pm, many humvees came to the location. Ten of the Americans created a human shield beginning another round of searching. Then they decided to detain the son and the mother. Amel was put in a humvee blind folded while her hands cuffed behind her back. The son, Safa, was taken by another humvee; again he was blind folded and his hands cuffed behind.
They were taken to Baghdad air port to be investigated. They were asked many questions.
"Are you Shiite or Sunni?" they asked. "I am a Moslem", she answered. "You should answer Shiite or Sunni?", a Moslem, Amel insisted. "From where you are?" they asked. "I am from Misan, Emara", Amel said. "So you are a Shiite". "We are Moslems, my husband is from Mosul, and we live in Baghdad", Amel told them adding, "You are trying to separate Sunnis and Shiites to destroy my country". Then one of them recognized her. "As if I saw you before" told her. "Sure because I am the layer of the detainees and visit all your prisons", she said adding, "In your country you could not meet a lawyer without a previous date; but here you are insisting on humiliating the Iraqis".
Then they opened her eyes began behaving politely.. Amel and son were freed at 5am. While leaving the agte, a female American soldier put her hand in Amel's pocket!! At home she discovered that she put $20 in her pocket.. She did not know how to explain this $20! Did the American soldier was trying to apologize and finding no other way? Was she trying to give her the rent of a taxi back to home? Or she was trying to humiliate her again?
Amel has no clue. Now she is looking for a house close to her family to feel safe. Amel told me," Now I will intensive my work more and more. I know that most of the Iraqi detainees are being detained for doing nothing. They arrest any body then they forget him in the jail".
Last March, at 4.30 am, the curfew ends at 5am, my door was knocked strongly. I opened the door. 18 ING with their officer asked me to allow them in. "with whom are you living here?" the officer asked politely. "With my son", I answered. "do you let us to search the house?". "Yes".
Then the officer asked again, "Is ………. Your son?". "yes". "where is he?" " Sleeping in his room."
I felt as if he will go to awake him. So I asked him to let me awake him. As soon as I entered my 22 years old son room; the officer radioed his commander," Sir we arrested the TARGET".
I was astonished telling them," My son did nothing. You could not take him alone. I will come with him."
They refused. My son asked them to let him change his clothes. "We are not taking you to a picnic", one of the soldiers told him.
The officer felt my agony; he asked the soldiers to not cuff his hands in front of my hands.
I will never ever forget my son looking at me asking by his eyes if I am going let them to take him alone.

Written on Oct. 1st

As soon as they took my son, I began praying. I do not what to do, whom to call. With the dawn call of prayer I begged AL-MIGHTY ALLAH to bring my son back. My phone began ringing. The porter of our building asked me down to "receive" my son.
There was no power. I went 13 floors down. The officer apologized saying that they had a report accusing my son; but they discovered that he is a university student who did nothing; still he should take care of his behavior!! I had nothing to say but alhamdulklilah "thank to Allhah".
It is easy to write now but then only Allah knows how much I cried; how many bad thoughts I had. Till now, whenever my door being knocked I become afraid.

written on Oct 1st.