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Iraqis Unite Behind "Daughter of Mesopotamia"
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At least one out of every four Iraqis have voted via cellphone for Shada Hassoun, the Iraqi female finalist who won the vote in the popular Star Academy show – an Arab version of American Idol that features young talented contestants from different Arab countries. Al-Sharqiya TV reported that 7 million Iraqis have voted for Shada, bringing $5 million in revenues for the Lebanese LBC channel that broadcasts the show, indicating that Shada has managed to forge a sense of national unity that has eluded Iraq during the last three years. Iraqis on online forums are fervently discussing her, with both Sunnis and Shia claiming she is one of their own. Even Iraqi television ran repeated ads encouraging Iraqis to vote often for Shada, who was described as “the daughter of the Euphrates.” Kurds in northern Iraq jumped up and down and cheered for her when the final vote was announced. In Baghdad, residents reported celebratory gunfire throughout the night.
The 26-year-old Shada was born to an Iraqi father and a Moroccan mother and has lived most of her life in France. Her musical talent had captivated millions of Iraqis, transcending sectarian and ethnic divides, and provided them with brief respite from their violent surroundings, a feat that has only been achieved by the Iraqi national football team. “Sunnis and Shi’ites will unite with your victory,” read a text message that scrolled on Al-Sharqiya TV’s ticker during the show. Millions of Iraqis delighted as she broke out in tears and draped herself in the Iraqi flag when the results were announced live Friday night.
But some still insist on division. “We congratulate the guided Marja’iya for the victory of Shada Hassoun,” reads one mocking text message making the rounds in Iraq. “Iraqis are out on the streets chanting, ‘No Shada, no Bashar, Muqtada is the star!’”
A statement from Shi’ite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr released Friday called on Iraqis to go out in massive “united demonstrations” in Najaf on April 9, the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad to U.S. forces, according to Sot Al-Iraq. The statement, which was read by Sheikh Abdul Hadi Al-Mohammedawi during Friday prayers in the Kufa Mosque, demanded that foreign troops immediately withdraw from the country “even if the American Congress decides to remain in Iraq.” The statement added, “The exit of American forces from Iraq will bring stability, triumph of peace and an end to terrorism.” Sadr also blamed U.S. presence for the deterioration of services, the isolation of Iraq from the Arab and Islamic worlds, and the rise of sectarianism in the region.
The representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, Sheikh Abdul Mahdi Al-Karbala’i, criticized the Arab summit in Riyadh for “failing to condemn terrorist crimes against Shi’ite and Sunni Iraqis,” during the Friday prayers sermon in Karbala. Al-Karbala’i, who speaks for the Marja’iya of Najaf, also warned from certain members of parliament from discussing vital issues concerning the future of Iraq behind closed doors. “Let those members know that the time where officials can hide issues that concern the people has gone forever,” he said. “The religious and political leadership is watching what is going on in these meetings. Those members should know that the people who sacrificed to put them in parliament is capable of moving to stop any attempt to turn around their achievements.”
Al-Karbala’I also expressed his regret for the recent events in Tala’far, adding that what some groups did to avenge their sons killed in the terrorist attacks by attacking innocents was unacceptable in Shari’a, and that it sadly indicates that Iraq is closer to civil war. The Sadrist Nahrain Net website reported that worshippers in the mosque repeatedly chanted, “Death to America. Death to Israel. Death to Ba’athists. Death to terrorists.”
An unnamed member in the Higher Commission of Integrity estimated the number of forged educational certificates in the country at 150 thousand, adding that their owners have been placed in different positions at governmental ministries and department, Al-Melaf reported. The official said that most of the forged documents were high school diplomas issued by corrupt governmental employees for people who want to join security forces. He added that many political parties have also forged records for their members in order to award them high-placed positions in governmental institutions, in addition to many members of parliament.
Meanwhile, the inspector general of the Interior Ministry revealed in his annual report for 2006 that over 120 corruption cases were discovered in the ministry ranging from embezzlement to wasting public funds, abuse of authority, blackmail of citizens, bribery and faked ranks.
Al-Badeel Al-Iraqi reported that several Arab tribes in the mid-Euphrates and south of Iraq announced that they are prepared to stand beside the tribes of the Anbar governorate in their war against Al-Qaeda. The director-general for tribal affairs in the Interior Ministry, General Mared Abdul Hassan Al-Hassoun said that tribal leaders in nine southern governorates have expressed their preparation to join in the fight if the tribes in Anbar asked them to. According to Al-Hassoun, the leaders are: Sheikh Ali Hadi Al-Shallal of the Shirish tribe in Basrah, Sheikh Arkan Hameed Al-Mohan of the Shuwailat tribe, Sheikh Abir Fahad Al-Shirshab of the Bidor tribe in Nasiriya, Sheikh Mahdi Abdul Hassan of Bani Aridh, Sheikh Raisan Abd Al-Mutlag of the Shibil tribe in Diwaniya, Sheikh Adil Sahib Harbi of Al-Himayim in Karbala, Sheikh Najim Abd Sabah of the Al-Bu Hassan in Samawa, and Sheikh Ni’ma Salih Mahdi of the Bani Muslim in Hilla.