Ding dong the witch is dead. Saddam is finally gone. Whether that actually changes anything or not in Iraq remains to be seen, but the thirty year chapter of war, corruption, rape, murder, and genocide that was Saddam’s regime closed for good December 30, 2006. The next chapter of Iraq’s history is now in the hands of its people and their leaders. For good or bad, the boogeyman is now gone.
PS For a guy who was supposedly such a dedicated secular Baathist, it appears that Saddam tried to come back to God just before his death. Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. Saddam’s life was a testament to earthly power and the arrogance of one man. Finding faith when the noose is around your neck just doesn’t cut it and leads me to believe that it was sheer public theater. Pathetic.
Too bad for Saddam he wasn’t a Catholic … at least we get a reprieve up until our dying breath [/tongue-in-cheek].
In any case, Happy (Merry? Blessed?) Eid ul-Adha (Kurban Bayramı) to you Omar. Since you’ve actually lived in the Middle East, I’m guessing that you’ve made the Hadj. If so, I’d bet it would make a fascinating story/post (hint, hint) ;^)
Thank you, Michael! Yes, I have been on the Hajj. It was quite an interesting experience and I was very glad that I wasn’t trampled. Saudi security is remarkably poor at crowd control (or at least it was back in the 90′s when I was there). Here’s a picture of the Haram Sharif (the largest masjik in the world). The center (the black square) is the Kaaba, Abraham’s (PBUH) altar.
I may have to do a post on my experience sometime, possibly in connection with a general post on Islam. We’ll see.
I, for one, would be quite intrigued. I can recall learning about Richard Burton (the explorer, not the actor) making the Hajj in disguise (at great personal risk, of course), and have ever since been intrigued by the journey. I’ve seen many pictures of the Haram Sharif, of course, but I’ve never really explored its significance (e.g., I didn’t know it was the altar of Abraham). I am definitely interested in your story about your own journey, if you wish to tell it.