Iraq's Smallest Tycoon

Rather than manipulating barrels of oil and oil prices like an adult, this boy in Afeq Iraq works the water bottle system every time we visit his station. The men in non-issue clothing are contractors that we escort to provide training to the IPs.

Thrice now, before we have even finished parking this boy, I'll call him Rupert, begins asking for a bottle. He goes from truck to truck asking with hand signals and Arabic bouncing around with unfailing enthusiasm till he succeeds. I think it's hilarious. Even if the gunner screams, or the elder Arab men tell him to go home, Rupert just keeps smiling and trying different windows and different trucks. After a while it does get a little annoying.


But here's the tycoon part. Once he gets a bottle, he trys to sell it back to us! Rupert holds it up and rubs a thumb on his index and middle finger with the bill-to-be in between, and makes a face. He'll ask for candy or, "give me anything!" He can hold out as long as we're there, even for hours. I got a little bit of video too and it looks a lot like he's dancing. When it's time to go Rupert just waves, usually settling for a candy bar or gatorade.

Back to Afeq

Keeping us on our toes as much as those who may wish to do harm, the lottery of squads, times, and destinations took us on a trip back out to Afeq again today.

If not your hand, then it's the beans you fed Eeore for breakfast.


Risque dressed woman, turning heads.


Wind


Slipknot? Yes I know it's a heavy metal band, but on a golf shirt? On a kid in Afeq Iraq?


Workers


Traffic Police


One of those guys in a picture Bible.

Hayat ad-Dunya

Spent a couple hours playing around with a single image, tweaking it and playing around. Hayat ad-Dunya means "life in this world." I couldn't think of a title, so I flipped through The Arab Mind for something appropriate.

Sumar

IPs

Mosque in The Distance.

More Camels

More Road

Another Billboard (with IPs dancing to saxophone music?)

Idiot's Guide to Islam: Women

Today I seemed to come back with a lot of pictures of women. I have questions still, but I got a hold of my CHUmate's "Idiots Guide to Understanding Islam." As I skimmed through I found a couple interesting things to note. As well I felt there was a promotional tone in the writing as I got the sense that the author was an authority from within Islam. Indeed the book, with the orange trim cover like other Idiot's Guide books, is written by Yahiya Emerick an American professor who has converted to Islam.

I did get a few trivia nuggets: A Harem actually means the part of the house "where women can be assured of privacy." Arranged marriages are not required by Islam, rather it's a cultural tradition that exists in many Muslim and non-Muslim countries.

According to Emerick, female circumcision, which occurs for the most part in regions of Africa is a "pre-Islamic cultural relic that Christians Muslims and animists engage in equally."

As well the perception that women have half the worth of men comes from a verse in the Quran that says a woman should conduct no business with a man without a second woman present to function as a witness so that she (woman 2) "can remind (woman 1) details in a court situation." That's what it says.

Wife Abuse: The more I read, the more I detect proselytising intent and bias. The author contends that spouse abuse against females is a world-wide issue and not just a problem in Islam. That is certainly the case. Then he gives a quote from the Quran that says to "slap" your wife when she misbehaves. Then in his own words says this is just misunderstood scripture since women are good 99 percent of the time. Yikes.

In conclusion, I think this book sucks. The author, if he has a point to make, fails terribly. Perhaps it truly is an Idiot's guide.

In any case, my pictures are from a rainy day trip 30 minutes out and 30 back. What you see is not uncommon at all here in central-south-east Iraq.

Children of the Taliban

An April Montage

Sunrise at the trucks.

Iraqi Army Guard Post

Ped Xing

Garbage Disposal

Big Wheel

Shop till you drop.