News Forum Phone database

> New Topic
> Topic Locked
Esato Forum Index > General discussions > Non mobile discussion > A little bit of good news from Iraq Bookmark topic

with the pages and pages of commentary and argument in the Other bad news from Iraq thread, i thought i might share this opinion piece by noted right-wing columnist Andrew Bolt from Melbourne daily newspaper The Herald Sun

Our gift of liberty
Those who condemned our part in the Iraq war should watch the Olympic opening ceremony. They'll see the fruits of our determination.

28apr04

THERE'LL be a moment in the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympics that may finally shame the "peace" activists who jeer that we were wicked to help liberate Iraq.

A voice will say "Iraq!" and in will march a small team of athletes under the new white, blue and yellow flag of their freed nation.
And at that moment, many Australians will feel proud that we helped to give these athletes their liberty. They are free, and this was, in part, our nation's doing.

But other Australians should feel ashamed.

They'll see the Iraqis and know these athletes have nothing to thank them for -- certainly not their liberty.

Last week, the president of Iraq's National Olympics Committee, Ahmed al-Sammarai, gave a radio interview that, being inspiring news from Iraq, got as little attention as you'd expect.

Al-Sammarai was a member of Iraq's basketball team and a general in Saddam's army before he defected in 1983.

Last year, after we helped to topple Saddam, he was one of the nearly two million refugees who returned; and in February, he was elected head of Iraq's new National Olympic Committee. Yes, elected -- even that little step is a miracle, given Iraq's savage past.

Before the war, the Olympic program was run by Saddam's son, Uday, a psychopath who killed or tortured athletes who displeased him.

Athletes have told how they were beaten, jailed or endured their toenails being ripped out if they did badly. Soccer players who'd missed a penalty would be made to kick a rock.

It was worse for female athletes, al-Sammarai said last week.

"He abused them, raped some of those athletes. That (made) all the families in Iraq keep their daughters from going to join the sports events -- because of Uday.

"We look at the women's sports (today) and we have to start from zero."

But in the new Iraq, Uday is dead and al-Sammarai is elected in his place.

"We will not forget the painful past and will not allow what happened to be repeated," he said after the historic vote -- one of the first democratic ballots in Iraq for a national position.

"We will build swimming pools and stadiums in place of prisons and torture chambers . . . a free Iraq has arrived."

One of al-Sammarai's challenges has been to make his athletes live like free men and women again -- and perform like them.

"They used to practise and participate in sporting events in fear," he said.

"We immediately tried to give them their confidence -- to let them feel they are human beings. They are free -- free to practise as they want, to object if something is wrong."

Freedom is a different world. Too many of us forget. Or never knew.

Now, months later and despite all the headlines about revolts and savagery in Iraq, al-Sammarai has retained his idealism and his hope in a free Iraq.

He told the US National Public Radio last week that sport could unify a country that so badly needed it.

"Now with the Iraqi media, we have 126 daily newspapers in Baghdad alone, and most of the people are looking for the sports page to get the news about the teams and the participation in Athens.

"Sports gives the hope and gives the unity to society, and so we are (trying) to bring the Iraq society together through sport."

So many newspapers: another sign of the freedom we helped to bring to Iraq. And here's another: one of the first two Iraqi athletes to be chosen for Athens is a woman, sprinter Al'aa Hitkmet.

And there are gestures of friendship through sport that give hope, too -- like the $16 million the United States gave last month for Iraqi sports, or the American boxer who trains Olympic hopefuls in Baghdad.

Iraq has only won a single medal at the Olympics -- a bronze for weightlifting in 1960 -- and so al-Sammarai doesn't expect many wins in Athens. Except this one: "To let all the nations and all the world see the Iraqi flag and the Iraqi delegations marching as a new Iraq, full of freedom and democracy."

Or as middleweight boxer Zuhair Khudhair told Sports Illustrated last month: "We really are back. We're back to freedom, back to the world, back to living."

And we helped give them this -- Australia, with its gallant soldiers, sailors and airmen, and its aid workers and civilian experts, too. Australia, with its fierce love of fair play and its contempt for thugs and bullies.

I know this has been a shiny-eyed story about mere sports, as terrorists meanwhile try to blast Iraq back into chaos or worse.

I'm not saying Iraq isn't in a bloody fight for its future. But consider how much that is good in this one story would never have happened had we and our allies never gone to war in Iraq. Had our "peace" activists "won".

Without this war, al-Sammarai and two million other Iraqis would not have dared go home. Uday would still torture and rape Iraqi athletes. Iraq's Olympians would perform in fear. Parents would not dare let their girls play top sport. Iraqis would not read of their team's deeds in free newspapers. National officials would not be elected in free ballots. And no Iraqi would dare praise freedom.

So when Iraq's team marches into the stadium in Athens, home of the Games, in August, we'll share in this triumph. We'll share, likewise, in the joy of the Afghan team, back after we helped to drive out the Taliban -- the despots who banned women from playing sport and had their country kicked out of the Sydney Games.

All this we can celebrate in Athens. Those of us, that is, who didn't fight so dishonorably against the liberation of these people, and against the free Iraq that people like Ahmed al-Sammarai are determined to build. I'll be cheering. I hope you can, as well.

_________________
Gee, does that beat me? I only got two pair - two aces, and another two.

[ This Message was edited by: gelfen on 2004-04-30 05:05 ]
--
Posted: 2004-04-30 06:04:40
Edit : Quote


Now this is the kind of news we like to hear,just a shame we have to hear it on an internet forum,and not PRIMETIME NEWS! Thx for that gelfen,i will be watching it too :-) Btw,when does it all start? :-D This message was posted from a T610
--
Posted: 2004-04-30 07:41:28
Edit : Quote


as the man said "being inspiring news from Iraq, (it) got as little attention as you'd expect."

Athens Olympics run from 13th to 29th August (105 days).
--
Posted: 2004-04-30 07:46:46
Edit : Quote


All this does'nt mean that this illegle war was justified!...Just coz iraq has a new flag now and a new government does'nt mean anything..Innocent iraqis are still hostages in there own land All who have invaded it i.e America-U.K-Australia have killed 1000's of innocents in there own country the iraq ppl will never forgive and forget..Ask the majority of Iraqi ppl and they will tell u that they want the foreigners out who have come to take control of there oil.
The Americans and all who follow there lead have no understand how the Arab world functions and until and unless they do they will never be able to stop this so called war on terror.Lets face it majority of westerners have a very racist outlook on on Arabs and muslims and see them as a backward religion and a backward race of ppl.So why now suddenly help them?..The fact is of the matter is the west just wants to illiminate Islam from the world coz they see Islam as a theat to the western way of life!.But that of course this is having the opposite affect.Coz U can never overcome anything by suppressing it.
And things will only get worse before they get better.
--
Posted: 2004-04-30 15:00:55
Edit : Quote


Quote:
On 2004-04-30 15:00:55, axxxr wrote:

Lets face it majority of westerners have a very racist outlook on on Arabs and muslims and see them as a backward religion and a backward race of ppl.So why now suddenly help them?..The fact is of the matter is the west just wants to illiminate Islam from the world coz they see Islam as a theat to the western way of life!.



@axxxr

Westeners have a racist outlook on Arabs and muslims? So what do you think about the Islamic attitude of westners are pigs and islam is the only tru religion is that not racist. What about the islamic attitude of wanting a country of their own where ever they go is that very tolerating? Look what is happening in Thailand every one in the world knows the buddhists are very peace loving people and the minority muslims in thailand now wants a country of there own, divide the country and impose islamic law everything will be solved. Now they (the muslims) will see to it that the whole economy of thailand which is based on tourism is destroyed and people strat living in abjuct poverty an then they will be happy.

Of course the west see islam as a threat to the western way of life becuase we don't wan't our wives and girlfriends clad in black burka and that someone telling us having a cold beer is the worst sin in the world while its ok to fly planes in to buildings. I hope after living in london you don't want to live like that.

PS:That idiot Abu hamsa is all against west and UK and stil he is fighting deportation strange isn't it Why can't he go and live in a muslim country?

EDIT: I know you might not reply as you did in th other thread about Iraq but had to say these things


_________________
Knowledge is two fold. Knowing a subject or knowing where to find out about a subject. I rely on both... That is why I come here.

[ This Message was edited by: anish on 2004-04-30 14:21 ]
--
Posted: 2004-04-30 15:20:30
Edit : Quote


Listen Anish...

You have a very stereotypical view on Islam..I dont blame u coz i presume u r a hindu and hindus have for centurys been against Islam and there even today a constant war against the two faiths!..The views which u have against Islam are not uncommon in the west..we have to live with it everyday of our lives and learn to live live with it.
But your comments on Muslims flying planes into buildings and women wearing black veils that is not Islam just because a few ignoarant ppl choose to view things there way!..If u actaully study islam u will find that True Islam is a very peace loving and Tolerant faith.But my point is that there are extremists in every religion...Im sure u have in Hunduism..Who go around mass murdering in the name whichever god is there choose to follow coz in hinduism there are so many different gods.Look back in history and The Christian Catholics murderded Millions of ppl around the world all in the name of Christ..Do u think Christ would have wanted that?So dont go around saying that only muslim do this...Its a very very small minority of Ignorant ppl who choose to hijack a peace loving religion like Islam and use it for there own gain...Going back to my original point to which u were so offensive to Islam,The west Did'nt Invade Iraq to Liberate the ppl but take control of the ppl and there Oil..Anish dont go around labeling Every muslim as a terrorist ..Islam is the worlds fastest growing religion according to the U.N and it is Officially the fasted growing relgion in the U.S and the U.K so i dont think all these millions of muslims will take to kindly to your comments.
--
Posted: 2004-04-30 15:57:41
Edit : Quote



First of all for your kind information I am not a Hindu and it was the muslims kings from afgan who came and invaded India in the past so much for the peace loving religion. Yes my views are sterotypical why becasue the rest of the world thinks the same. Now you saying wearing a black veil is not islamic then why is it compulsory for even tourists in the so called islamic country of saudi arabia or in the previous taliban regime? Why is it that its not allowed to take a bible to Saudi arabia? that is very tolerent. I agree there are normal people among muslims but teh majority are fanatics do you wan't pictures of msulims (whole streets) firing crackers enjoying the septemeber 11th.
and the fastest growing religion dosen't mean the best does it? then what about the biggest religion why don't you think it as the best? And about your fellow muslims not taking my comments lightly
SHOULD I BE SCARED?
--
Posted: 2004-04-30 16:57:42
Edit : Quote


You have a very narrow minded perception of matters in the world..As far as saudia Arabia is concerned every muslim country has a there own way of practicing the Islamic..Not all mulsim countries practice islam at an extreme.Its all in the interpetation.Just as some jews are more radical than others.U keep on refereing to muslims who celebrate death and destruction,The only only ppl who celebrated sep 11 were some already oppressed ppl on occupied palestine..They had a reason to celebrate..American policies and Ameican made weapons have been used against them for the last 50 years or so.The vast majority of the Muslim world condemed the attack.U cannot blame the intire muslim race for actions of a few!.Its like me saying all the Irish ppl are terrorists coz the IRA were.I as a proud muslim am proud of my faith and would like to live with peace and respect with other faiths in the world..Most of my friends are jewish and catholics and even hindu.for that matter all my friends respect me for who i am and respect me for the religion i practice.By talking down someones else religion when u know absolutely nothing about the faith doesnt doesnt do anyone any good!. learn to respect and u shall in turn get respect.

--
Posted: 2004-04-30 17:17:20
Edit : Quote


Guys.... may I respectfully ask you both to continue your disagreement in PM's... as I am most interested to read about iraqi athletes feeling hopeful about their future and not at all in reading your viewpoints on the cause and blame of all the hatred in the world.
--
Posted: 2004-04-30 17:40:16
Edit : Quote


Yes vlam your right i agree!!
--
Posted: 2004-04-30 17:46:07
Edit : Quote

---

New Topic   Topic Locked

Forum Index