MaxedOutMama
Sunday, January 30, 2005
"We Have No Fear"
Sing with them. Polls have closed, and the turnout is estimated at 72%. At least 36 people were killed while attempting to vote. From Fox News:
Today the people of Iraq made an immense and courageous statement about human beings and their potential.
Here's what one of them said: This is my Eid and I felt like a king walking in his own kingdom.
Rumors of impending violence were rife. When an unexplained boom sounded near one Baghdad voting station, some women put their hands to their mouths and whispered prayers. Others continued walking calmly to the voting stations. Several shouted in unison: "We have no fear."So much for those who said Iraqis were incapable of self-government and that a dictatorship was the best form of government they could handle. The voting in Iraq has got to be one of the greatest civil rights marches the world has ever witnessed. Under the protection of the UN and the US air patrols, the Kurds had already established a localized democratic system in the North. The Shiite coalitions have been extremely responsible in their agenda; they are attempting to put forth a moderate and inclusive political agenda which allows Shias equal religious rights but does not attempt to institute a Shiite religious rule over the country.
"Am I scared? Of course I'm not scared. This is my country," said 50-year-old Fathiya Mohammed, wearing a head-to-toe abaya.
At one polling place in Baghdad, soldiers and voters joined hands in a dance, and in Baqouba, voters jumped and clapped to celebrate the historic day. At another, an Iraqi policeman in a black ski mask tucked his assault rifle under one arm and took the hand of an elderly blind woman, guiding her to the polls.
Today the people of Iraq made an immense and courageous statement about human beings and their potential.
Here's what one of them said: This is my Eid and I felt like a king walking in his own kingdom.
