The Horror

I was chatting to one of my customers today and was shocked by the state of things in Baghdad. What started out as a chat about the wonders of Babylon, and ancient Iraq, soon moved on to current affairs. Ibrahim, who is of Iraqi birth moved to the UK some years ago, but still has family back in Baghdad.

He told me the shocking tale of a lady greengrocer in his mother's district of the city. One day, a friend of this ladies son approached her outside her shop, and asked a favour. He said that he was on his way to the Mosque to pray, and asked if she would mind looking after a bag of goods he had bought in the market until he returned. He said he had bought a sheep's head, to cook for dinner, and handed her the carrier bag. She of course agreed, as she knew the man well, and knew he was a friend of her son.

However, the day wore on, and there was no sign of the friend's return. As she had to close her stall and return home herself, she asked a neighbouring stall holder if he would look after the bag, until it was collected by the friend. He agreed, and out of curiosity opened the bag to take a peek. It was not a sheep's head, but the head of the woman's son.

I can't vouch for the veracity of the tale, but Ibrahim certainly presented it to me as truth, and I have no reason to doubt him. He also told me that events of similar horror were now commonplace in Iraq. Whilst acknowledging that Sadaam was a dictator, and had to be removed, he felt that the new government was little better, full of 'liars, cheats and robbers'.

What hope is there for a country such as this?