Gays are being dragged out and murdered; women are under new Islamist scrutiny; the government itself is fast becoming a Hezbollah-like entity. From the Riverbend blog:
Residents of Baghdad are systematically being pushed out of the city. Some families are waking up to find a Klashnikov bullet and a letter in an envelope with the words "Leave your area or else." The culprits behind these attacks and threats are Sadr‚Äôs followers ‚Äî Mahdi Army. It’s general knowledge, although no one dares say it out loud. In the last month we’ve had two different families staying with us in our house, after having to leave their neighborhoods due to death threats and attacks. It‚Äôs not just Sunnis ‚Äî it’s Shia, Arabs, Kurds ‚Äî most of the middle-class areas are being targeted by militias.
Other areas are being overrun by armed Islamists. The Americans have absolutely no control in these areas. Or maybe they simply don’t want to control the areas because when there’s a clash between Sadr‚Äôs militia and another militia in a residential neighborhood, they surround the area and watch things happen.
Since the beginning of July, the men in our area have been patrolling the streets. Some of them patrol the rooftops and others sit quietly by the homemade road blocks we have on the major roads leading into the area. You cannot in any way rely on Americans or the government. You can only hope your family and friends will remain alive — not safe, not secure — just alive. That’s good enough.
For me, June marked the first month I don‚Äô’t dare leave the house without a hijab, or headscarf. I don’t wear a hijab usually, but it’s no longer possible to drive around Baghdad without one. It‚Äôs just not a good idea. (Take note that when I say ‘drive’ I actually mean ‘sit in the back seat of the car’ ‚Äî I haven’t driven for the longest time.) Going around bare-headed in a car or in the street also puts the family members with you in danger. You risk hearing something you don‚Äôt want to hear and then the father or the brother or cousin or uncle can’t just sit by and let it happen. I haven’t driven for the longest time. If you’re a female, you risk being attacked.
This is the face of "liberation." Stuff happens, I guess.
(Photo: Kareem Raheem/Reuters.)
The Dish 