16 September 2007

Zenobia Salutes Riverbend

I've been reading Riverbend's blog since The Beginning on August 17 2003:
So this is the beginning for me, I guess. I never thought I'd start my own weblog... All I could think, every time I wanted to start one was "but who will read it?" I guess I've got nothing to lose... but I'm warning you- expect a lot of complaining and ranting. I looked for a 'rantlog' but this is the best Google came up with.

A little bit about myself: I'm female, Iraqi and 24. I survived the war. That's all you need to know. It's all that matters these days anyway.

Riverbend
And thus Baghdad Burning became a part of my life. For four years, I clicked to hear her special voice, an educated young woman watching her world being destroyed. I wish I knew her personally, and feel as if I did.

Last week, Riverbend and her family finally fled Baghdad and she wrote a post that is simply heartbreaking. It's called Leaving Home.

Perhaps half of the Iraqi middle class are now refugees in Syria and Jordan.


... I'll meet you 'round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend...

Update: On Monday, 22 October, Riverbend came on-line again with Bloggers Without Borders. If you want to know how it feels to become a refugee, read it:
"No matter how wealthy or educated or comfortable, a refugee is a refugee. A refugee is someone who isn’t really welcome in any country- including their own... especially their own."

4 comments:

  1. I feel much the same. It's heartbreaking.

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  2. May the Lord (who watches over us ALL) protect her and keep her through the long days ahead. This is indeed heartbreaking.

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  3. Anonymous4/11/07 19:26

    Well Judith, I was already enjoying the heck out of your blog (thanks for the link on Global Affairs) and then you tipped me to riverbend too.

    Thank you. BTW, does anyone remember the approx. date when riverbend describes how this Sadr guy is a thug and taking over the local Muslim offices? Last year I spent hours reading her achives but never could find these references.

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  4. Don't know when Riverbend described him thus, but her virtual brother Raed at his blog 'Where is Raed', back in August 2003 (http://dear_raed.blogspot.com/2003_08_01_dear_raed_archive.html) wrote:

    Most dangerously ...the assassination [of el Hakim] already has given as excuse to the more dangerous Muqtada al-Sadr to get his own militia together, he has been assembling one for quite a while now [Imam Mahdi’s Army] and these are the people we should all worry about, he is pissed off because he has been booted out of the Governing Council and since he is not a Hawza religious scholar he has no power without having his own bunch of thugs.

    Hope this helps,

    Judith

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