Exclusive: A letter from Baghdad

Exclusive: A letter from Baghdad

The message below, from Abu Abdallah (a resident of Baghdad) was read out to the demonstrators who marched to the US embassy on the 20th January to protest Bush’s re-invasion (“troop surge”) of Iraq and the bombing of Somalia.

Dear Brothers and Sisters
Assalamu alaikum.wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

I pray this letter reaches you in London. May Allah ‘Azza wa Jall reward you all for making this effort regarding the crisis in Iraq. I thank Allah Ta’ala for giving me the opportunity to address you with a short message.

Before we had the tyranny of Saddam, now we have the tyranny of the occupiers and their new agents. But it is still tyranny. Under the regime of Saddam Hussein we faced much oppression. Especially those people who carried the Islamic Dawah. We were chased, beaten and murdered. Our families lived in fear. Since the fall of Saddam, things are far worse. Still we are chased and beaten and murdered, but those who do this do it for different reasons.

We have no security. People try not to leave their houses because when you leave home, you don’t know if you will return. No one is safe; some of us have sent our families abroad. When you leave home, if you fail to stop at a British or US checkpoint, you could get shot or arrested and they can treat you as they like, though they are the invaders! And now Bush wants to send 20,000 more invaders, telling the world that these will bring us peace.

In truth, before the invasion and occupation, we did not have hatred and sectarian problems in Iraq. This is a creation of those who have occupied our land. They have placed one of us against the other, making us political rivals. Now they use this as their excuse to remain in Iraq.
Apart from the problems of our safety, we lack electricity, medicines, and jobs – whereas before we at least had all these things. They have destroyed this land, divided our people, established bases in our land and are stealing its resources.

On top of this we have seen the humiliating destruction of masajid and abuses against our people by the occupiers.

My dear brothers and sisters. I ask of you help from London. We ask for your dua, and some of you may send your sadaqah. But more than this I ask you to spread a message.

Tell people about the problems that we face. Make sure people know about these abuses – like in Haditha and Fallujah where so many were massacred, and Abu Ghraib. Let people know that Sunni and Shia did not hate each other before they have been placed against each other. When you hear that the people who are fighting the occupation are called terrorists – tell the people – NO. They are resisting the invader who occupies their land and steals their wealth. That is the same that anyone will do. You can be a voice for us. We ask Allah to help you with this.
We ask you also to work for the unity of the Islamic world in order to be able to stand against people who play with us to compete with each other over the share of the cake.

May Allah Subhanahu wa Tala protect you and us and bring His Victory soon.

Your brother,
Abu Abdallah from Baghdad