neurotic Iraqi wife
July 21, 2007
A Foreseeable Crystal Ball...
A new phenomena is sweeping the world. Well, it aint really new, but it definitely has become more and more popular as time passes and circumstances changes. Since I havent really been out in the red zone for over a year now, I cant really say nor see what is happening first hand. I rely on my colleagues and coworkers to tell me the "real" news and not what we hear and see on TV. L (The vibrator girl) told me a few weeks back that fortunetellers have opened shops all over Baghdad (Although when I asked S, he said he didnt notice, but then again, L is a girl, and S is a guy). She said she saw a few of them in Karrada. She also said that many of the big shots are frequenting these places. Somehow I found that hard to believe but at the same time, when I thought about it real hard, I decided that no, it really aint that hard to believe. Everyone wants to know what the future holds. Everyone especially the Iraqis.
This actually hit me when I was in NY. As I was walking in Greenwich Village, I realised I had passed 3 or maybe 4 psychic shops. There was this urge, this strong urge of me wanting to go inside, but then I got scared. I guess I didnt want to know. I didnt want to know what my future holds for me. I didnt want to be shocked. Although many times so called psychics, fortunetellers speak in general terms, other times they really do have the gift of knowing. Our Quran has a verse (Kathabal munajimoon walaw sadaqoo) which translates into, even if the astrologers are correct, one shouldnt believe them. Which basically tells us that there are people out there who can be correct. I dunno why I have this fear inside of me. I wasnt like that when I was younger. Infact, I used to jump at every opportunity, I would go to anyone a friend recommends. Last time I went to one was about 4 years back. And man was she spot on. At the time her words were meaningless, I remember I left her place feeling down and very disappointed as she didnt really tell me what I wanted to know. I asked her about my career and she kept talking about some marriage I was going to go into, Lol... I didnt even know HUBBY then, but did she predict things right. Wow...
So now after 4 years, I had the urge, but refused to give in. I have alot of questions that need answers, alot of important questions, but I realised I will leave it to destiny. Destiny is my best bet here. Reason why Im writing about this today, is because of a few incidents that is taking presedence here in the UAE. Yes, Ive been here for a few days now, visiting with my family and will be going back to Baghdad soon.
Apparantely some people from Africa (similar to the spam emails we tend to get) are calling mobile phone users using verses from the Quran and tricking people into paying them. It actually happened to someone I know. T's phone rang only once. He saw a missed call and called the number back. A man answered using some verses from the Quran then told T, that during his sleep he dreamt of his mobile number and that God told him that this person needs to pay him 4,500 DHS that are due (yeah some bullshit like that). T knew this was a trick and so told the guy ok, I will pay you the amount if only you can tell me my full name and my mom's name, if what you say is true. The weird man kept stuttering and said I swear by god that he told me to call you and that you have dues. T hung up. Apparantely T wasnt the first nor the last. Atleast T got away with it, but there are others who fell in the trap, believed and paid.
My question here, with all the technology and the advancement that our world is in, with all the knowledge and philosophy we have, are we still naive when it comes to astrologers and so called people of God??? Does this naivity stem from fear??? Our fear??? Or is it simply a matter of curiousity??? Going back to L's story, she said that while she was in the shop adjacent to the "fattah falla" (fortuneteller) a huge man with some arms came in. She asked him to point the gun down as he was scaring her, he told her that he is part of some minister's entourage who is visiting with the fortunteller. I dunno why I dont believe that a minister would be going to visit a psychic shop in the middle of a danger zone, when he can easily get him or her in the comfort of his own home, but then again, weird things do happen in Iraq.
I wander did the minister get his answers? Was he satisfied??? Will anyone ever know the future of Iraq and Iraqis??? Can anyone in this world predict whats gonna happen next??? I doubt it, I doubt it very much. Had there been a crystal ball available to Bush and Saddam will they still do what they have done??? What do you think? Will Iraq still be in this mayhem and will the Iraqis still die like theyre dying today in the hundreds of thousands??? I wish I had a crystal ball...A Foreseeable Crystal Ball...
This actually hit me when I was in NY. As I was walking in Greenwich Village, I realised I had passed 3 or maybe 4 psychic shops. There was this urge, this strong urge of me wanting to go inside, but then I got scared. I guess I didnt want to know. I didnt want to know what my future holds for me. I didnt want to be shocked. Although many times so called psychics, fortunetellers speak in general terms, other times they really do have the gift of knowing. Our Quran has a verse (Kathabal munajimoon walaw sadaqoo) which translates into, even if the astrologers are correct, one shouldnt believe them. Which basically tells us that there are people out there who can be correct. I dunno why I have this fear inside of me. I wasnt like that when I was younger. Infact, I used to jump at every opportunity, I would go to anyone a friend recommends. Last time I went to one was about 4 years back. And man was she spot on. At the time her words were meaningless, I remember I left her place feeling down and very disappointed as she didnt really tell me what I wanted to know. I asked her about my career and she kept talking about some marriage I was going to go into, Lol... I didnt even know HUBBY then, but did she predict things right. Wow...
So now after 4 years, I had the urge, but refused to give in. I have alot of questions that need answers, alot of important questions, but I realised I will leave it to destiny. Destiny is my best bet here. Reason why Im writing about this today, is because of a few incidents that is taking presedence here in the UAE. Yes, Ive been here for a few days now, visiting with my family and will be going back to Baghdad soon.
Apparantely some people from Africa (similar to the spam emails we tend to get) are calling mobile phone users using verses from the Quran and tricking people into paying them. It actually happened to someone I know. T's phone rang only once. He saw a missed call and called the number back. A man answered using some verses from the Quran then told T, that during his sleep he dreamt of his mobile number and that God told him that this person needs to pay him 4,500 DHS that are due (yeah some bullshit like that). T knew this was a trick and so told the guy ok, I will pay you the amount if only you can tell me my full name and my mom's name, if what you say is true. The weird man kept stuttering and said I swear by god that he told me to call you and that you have dues. T hung up. Apparantely T wasnt the first nor the last. Atleast T got away with it, but there are others who fell in the trap, believed and paid.
My question here, with all the technology and the advancement that our world is in, with all the knowledge and philosophy we have, are we still naive when it comes to astrologers and so called people of God??? Does this naivity stem from fear??? Our fear??? Or is it simply a matter of curiousity??? Going back to L's story, she said that while she was in the shop adjacent to the "fattah falla" (fortuneteller) a huge man with some arms came in. She asked him to point the gun down as he was scaring her, he told her that he is part of some minister's entourage who is visiting with the fortunteller. I dunno why I dont believe that a minister would be going to visit a psychic shop in the middle of a danger zone, when he can easily get him or her in the comfort of his own home, but then again, weird things do happen in Iraq.
I wander did the minister get his answers? Was he satisfied??? Will anyone ever know the future of Iraq and Iraqis??? Can anyone in this world predict whats gonna happen next??? I doubt it, I doubt it very much. Had there been a crystal ball available to Bush and Saddam will they still do what they have done??? What do you think? Will Iraq still be in this mayhem and will the Iraqis still die like theyre dying today in the hundreds of thousands??? I wish I had a crystal ball...A Foreseeable Crystal Ball...
7 Comments:
There's people who do care, yes, the problem is that there's not enough. But dont blame us all, it does hurt.
NIW,
My hubby will be working in UAE soon. I plan on visiting him sometime while he's there. I've been to Kuwait, but that was before 9-11 and it was a much different experience.
I can tell this vacation has lightened your heart a bit, especially noticeable in the last post ;), which I enjoyed. Your posts have changed a bit over the year I've been reading, but it's understandable. It's also normal for a journalist to 'evolve' so to speak. Yes, I consider you a journalist, so there! :)
I feel the same about fortune tellers. I don't think it's "ignorance is bliss" so much as people have a tendency to subconciously fullfil their fortunes as if they are committed to it somehow. I don't want any limits or requirements placed on my future. I'd rather figure it out as I go along.
Always,
Melanie
One of the most basic psychological needs is to have some measure of control over one's life. People who feel they cannot control their lives grasp for anything that holds out hope.
Some people are prone to magical thinking. The reason is a complicated one. Fear and control have alot to do with it though.
Hello Neurotica I agree & sympathise with you 99.9% of what you say & feel,albeit being a London Lad English Bloke "I LOVE LONDON first & foremost but the star studied Baghdad lovely night sky seems to strech from Omman To Amman&Morocco to Baghdad as vouched for by our own Sir T. E. Lawrence " THE 7 PILLARS OF WISDOM -The ANglo- ARABIAN PENINSULA part of the BRITISH Common Wealth -www.bfbs.com --walter@swedenmail.com 00-49- 151-1898-80-80 ,drive@bfbs.com but it is with loads of empathy sympathy I share you treppidation about the return to the G.Z. Cheers Luv, Lars
NIW,
Don't be surprised to hear that even Al Maliki goes (or brings to his place) these fortuetellers. It all makes sense, most of these guys could not have even dreamt of being in such positions where they are enjoying money and power but they are now for one reason or the other! The majority (if not all) come from humble backgrounds and don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that, but coming from such backgrounds comes with it's own baggage where they are used to see their moms, dads and relatives doing it (visit and pay handsomely the fortunetellers) and its kina comforting for them to do the same especially if he is getting good vibes from the FT (fortuneteller, not financial times!)
I say it makes sense cause it takes a lot of bad luck to get our country to where Iraq is now. It takes systematic ignorance on all parties involved in the political process, hatred (aided by neighbours), greed and disregard to the national interest and people's lives and the the fate of millions of Iraqis inside and outside Iraq. It takes a lot of disrepect to your people to be so indifferent about them and that should tell us something "Al Haleem Takfeeh Al Isharah"
The corrupt Iraqi government blames terrorist for everything bad that has happened but is it really entirely terrorism? you are on the ground there and you can tell us. I personally don't think so. Yes, terrorist are responsible for the majority of the crimes that have been publicized (mass bombings) but we have on the other side Jaish Al Mahdi whom we all know that they are as criminal and involved (crimes that are smaller in scale but way bigger in numbers resulting in an even greater harm) in the terrorism against Iraqis as the rest of the so called terrorist in Iraq but the government does not even wanna deal with them or even call them criminals or even go there! why! if Iraq is to have any chance to move on and avoid aweful future, then nobody shoud be above the law.
One last thing that I would like to add here and I'm using your blog to let some steam here, I hear in the news that they are bringing Mashhadani back to the parliment. This proves to me that all the political parties are a big joke (Thank you Sistani!) They will accept anything to stay in power and enjoy the money. Again, ordinary Iraqis are paying the price. Having said that, it was ordinary Iraqis' votes that brought these thugs to power and I hope Iraqis have learned their lesson well although I am not very optimistic about that.
Take care,
Usama from Vancouver
nicely written...not much words...Be yourself, live your OWN LIFE, don’t get too much influenced by other people’s life. Don’t be jealous(and If you succeed then let me know how J), sometimes you will be way ahead; sometimes you will be way behind. It’s a long race and in the end it’s going to be with yourself only.
don’t strive for a big bungalow or villa if you have decided to spent most of your time in the office
don’t run after luxurious cars if they are going to be parked in your office parking for most of the time, instead buy a small car and have time to go on a drive with your parents/someone you love/friends,
don’t join an expensive health club if you are never going to go there,
You are juggling your career, health, relations, status and money in a circus called life. Be very sure which balls you want to handle carefully; relations and health are made of glass once dropped they will be shattered while career and money are like tennis ball and they can bounce back again. --- ex president of coca cola is of this particular view
few years from now you won’t regret about certain badly written codes/ badly made presentations/bad Ratings/missed Promotions but you will surely miss the time which you COULD HAVE spent with your parents/kids/spouse/lover, your youth , your health, the bachelor nights spent at some club with your friends
Don’t run In a vicious circle which says.. earn lots of money and world will call you successful and that success will give you the joy, try the other way round, do what you love to do, gain joy…success will surely follow and then money and fame will be all yours.
One should work for a living and not live for working. Rest we all have different priorities in life and you know your’s well.
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