To Iraqis, institutions are stupid

Ali Al-Saffar touched on a fundamental weakness of the Iraqi state at the moment, the lack of robust and independent institutions. Until they become a reality, the state will limp along vulnerable to political swings and sectarian agendas that have become a familiar fixture. Ali was doing so well until he added the throw away [...]

NGO blues

So we hear that prominent NGO-funders have fallen foul of the Egyptian authorities recently. Staff of the usual suspects in the forms of NDI, IRI have taken refuge at the US embassy in Cairo prior to an eventual exit. Needless to say a confusing political landscape there hasn’t helped,  but it has provoked a thought about [...]

Why the Haditha verdict hurts so much

Even by Iraq’s post-war bloody standards, the Haditha massacre shocked a nation and the world. The cold-blooded killing of 24 civilians by a US army unit epitomised the callous disregard for life that many Iraqis experienced during the years of occupation. This has obviously not registered with either the US justice system nor some cretinous commentators. So for [...]

Tweet-powered motion

“You do know we’ve just broken the law.” “Yeah…not just any law, THE law of thermodynamics!” It was a profound statement, but it was also a profound moment. Before us lay a shiny metal contraption replete with all manner of moving cogs, pumping pistons and billowing exhaust fumes. This mechanical monstrosity would have been perfectly at home [...]

Film Review: Leaving Baghdad

Despite initial mixed feelings, Leaving Baghdad has grown on me. The little details, the raw authenticity and boldness of the director have crafted a veritable gem beneath its rough-edged exterior. The film itself follows a fugitive from the Baath regime as he makes his way through Europe and into exile. He is no ordinary fugitive [...]

Where did it all go wrong?

There was a mass freak-out on the Metropolitan Line this morning. Numerous trains were stopped due to ‘passenger action’ grinding the whole line to a halt. What was going on? I wondered. Maybe the Mayans were right and 2012 would herald the end of human civilisation starting with passenger action somewhere between Neasden and Wembley [...]

Muhannad! Will you not think of the children?

On several occasions over the past few weeks I’ve caught myself squatting in corners mumbling incoherently whilst sipping bitter black tea. What’s more, the ends of my moustache seem to be turning upwards and I’ve definitely got hairier. I don’t know how to say this but I think I’m turning into … a Turk. I [...]

EID 2150

Ahmed stared longingly up at the vast ceiling of the biosphere. The mesmerising array of perspecoid panels was a sight in itself, a gleaming barrier between the lush safety of London and the desolate wasteland beyond. Yet it hid the boundless bejewelled night sky that Ahmed could only dream about. He imagined how Muslims centuries [...]

Fiddling while London burns

He was upset and indignant about his flu. It was morally wrong and inexcusable for the wicked Influenza virus to have assaulted his body in such a manner. Regardless of the fact that he had earlier run stark naked in the streets on a cold winter’s night, that behaviour did not excuse the virus for [...]

Ten things I learnt about the riots

Number One:  UK riot police don’t do riots Number Two:  Rioters like sportswear but detest furniture shops Number Three: You can get dizzy counting the number of mental somersaults that commentators make when trying to fit the cause of the riots into their agreed ideology Number Four: Don’t mess with Turks Number Five: All because [...]