neurotic Iraqi wife
February 28, 2008
The Strange Stockholm Syndrome...
There’s no doubt you learn new things every single day. Today I learnt a new expression which I never knew existed; Stockholm Syndrome. I found it while reading this horrific article on aol (which has nothing to do with Iraq) during my lunch break. Then all of a sudden it hit me. I realized that almost all Iraqis suffer from this Stockholm Syndrome. Is there a cure?
I mean check these pictures out. Iraqis cheering for Saddam, Iraqis cheering for Muti, ooops meant Muqtada, Iraqis cheering for US troops. Make your minds up people. But then again, we WERE called by Imam Ali ya ahl al Iraq, ya ahl il shiqaqee wal nifaq, which simply translates to: Oh people of Iraq, people of factionalism and hypocrisy! There are many who misuse these words and say it against the Shia’as only, but infact I believe this statement is true for ALLLLLLLLLLL Iraqis. Yes myself included. That’s the truth, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a big fat liar.
Actually to be even more honest, ALL ARABS are like that. Cheering and hailing their sadistic leaders. Giving them excuses, yeah theyre bad people, BUT. And there's always that BUT which messes the whole sentence up. No wander we can never live in democracy. We cant live it cuz we dont understand it. Yeah sorry, Im in that kinda mood right now. Mood Noir.
Im sick and tired of playing the blame game. I really am. The problem, the problem is us (east) not them (west). THAT IS THE TRUTH that no one wants to fess upto. We have a problem and its called PRIDE. It comes in all shapes and sizes. And that by itself is a problem. A problem that lies deep within us. My only consolation is, I already am seeing people speaking out loud, making their voices heard. It may be a minority, but still, one day they will be heard.
Thats all I have for today. We are a nation suffering from many syndromes. Pride Syndrome, Hypocrisy Syndrome, Narcissim Syndrome, and this.The Strange Stockholm Syndrome...
I mean check these pictures out. Iraqis cheering for Saddam, Iraqis cheering for Muti, ooops meant Muqtada, Iraqis cheering for US troops. Make your minds up people. But then again, we WERE called by Imam Ali ya ahl al Iraq, ya ahl il shiqaqee wal nifaq, which simply translates to: Oh people of Iraq, people of factionalism and hypocrisy! There are many who misuse these words and say it against the Shia’as only, but infact I believe this statement is true for ALLLLLLLLLLL Iraqis. Yes myself included. That’s the truth, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a big fat liar.
Actually to be even more honest, ALL ARABS are like that. Cheering and hailing their sadistic leaders. Giving them excuses, yeah theyre bad people, BUT. And there's always that BUT which messes the whole sentence up. No wander we can never live in democracy. We cant live it cuz we dont understand it. Yeah sorry, Im in that kinda mood right now. Mood Noir.
Im sick and tired of playing the blame game. I really am. The problem, the problem is us (east) not them (west). THAT IS THE TRUTH that no one wants to fess upto. We have a problem and its called PRIDE. It comes in all shapes and sizes. And that by itself is a problem. A problem that lies deep within us. My only consolation is, I already am seeing people speaking out loud, making their voices heard. It may be a minority, but still, one day they will be heard.
Thats all I have for today. We are a nation suffering from many syndromes. Pride Syndrome, Hypocrisy Syndrome, Narcissim Syndrome, and this.The Strange Stockholm Syndrome...
14 Comments:
Good post, NIW. The Iraqis are divided, and the set of photos you posted illustrates that very well. I have a feeling though that most Iraqis are getting tired of being held hostage. Most Iraqis want real freedom.
No Hakim
No Chalibi
I just want beer
and lablabi
hey neurotica, you are being too critical about your country. people will alway act in an unpredictable way when facing unusual circumstances.
take the spanish people, for instance. their country went to war and it was ok for them. but then they suffered those devastating attacks and days later they voted for an anti-war president. so do they know how to use democracy? you can say yes, because doing so they avoided further attacks. but you can also say no because doing so they showed that in Spain terrorism can change the outcome of a democratic election. and it's very hard to determine what would be the best decision.
so i say that iraqis are not different of anyone is this world when it comes to political choices.
tib
Great post NIW! The thing is, that really for the FIRST TIME IN HISTORY Iraq can now change this. And in certain ways- it is already happening. The Parliament passes a law that the Prime Minister doesn't like. The Presidential committee doesn't like a law and returns it to the Parliament. When has THAT ever happened before in an Arab country?!!! You need to look at the OTHER half of the glass being full- for the first time Iraqis can say what they want, have different newspapers, buy what they want, watch what they want. This is only four years of "liberation" so it even took the US about 25 years to start to have an organized society. It will come!
There is a lot of truth in that Iraqis and Arabs do show strong syptoms of the Stockholm syndrome. I would also add to that the fear and uncertainty that people feel in their everyday lives and as they look at their future that pushes them to try to belong or get as close as possible to power and authority (be it a good or bad powers or authorities). That's why you see people hate their president or leader but when thie leader comes to their territory or neighbourhood, they cheer for him like he is their beloved one. There is one more dimension that we have to consider as well and that, historically, Iraqis and Arab people have witnessed prolonged periods of injustice, hardship and all sorts of abuse that kind of blurred their characters and made it harder to categorize let alone understand to the observer and also made it more difficult to them to be stick to the right principles and be honest to other people and to themselves. We witness different levels of such a behavior in all people around the world nowadays but it is more evident in the Arab region. It's mainly the survival instinct that makes them do what they do. It's human nature! it just needs the right (or wrong) circumstances to show it's true colors.
Usama-Vancouver
AGAIN USAMA "SHOW THIER TRUE COLOURS ;THIER COLOURS ARE DICTATED TO THEM PRESENTLY BY THUGS & AXIS OF EVIL SINNISTER MAHDI-MILITIA-LOT" & CIRCUMSTANCES IN GENERAL??; AS THE FIRST COMMENTATOR QUOTED "NO HAKIM:CHALIBI??!!! GIVE HIM BEERA FARRIIDA & LABLABI" & ZLABYIA; & BAAAGGILLLAAAA"????MMM
NEUROTICA LUV "THE STOCKHOLM SYNDROME MAY SOMETHING ABOUT MY EX -:E:MAIL:ADD:--AT-SWEDENMAIL.com THAT HAS GONE OUT OF ORDER & PACKED IT IN MATEYS????!!!!SOME MONTHS AGO????:(
AT ANY RATE IT STANDS TO REASON THAT MOST OF THE POPULATION GRAVITATE TOWARDS WHOEVER HAPPENS TO HOLD SWAY !!!USING THIER PRAGMATIC SENSE OF SURVIVAL "IF YOU CAN´T BEAT THEM THEN JOIN THEM"IT´S ONLY THAT IN IRAQ PRESENTLY ;THE INDIGNANT INJUSTICES PUSHES WHOEVER ´S INTERESTED IN JOINING TO DESPARATION AS THEY´RE VICTIMISED BY THE MILITIAS??!! & THEIR EVIL OF A BOLLOCKS AXIS VINDICTIVE LOT;ONLY & IF ONLY OUR COMMONWEALTH COULD´VE HELPED IRAQ & THE REGION TO HAVE A SIMILAR STRUCTURE & STANDARD OF LIVING AS HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE UAE -ABU-DHABI & DUBAI;OUR COMMONWEALTH BUILDING HAPPENS TO BE IN HOLLAND PARK OF KENSINGTON HIGH ST;IF YOU´RE INTERESTED NEUROTICA LUV IF WE MEET IN APRIL WE MAY VISIT THE BUILDING & FIND OUT ABOUT THE VARIOUS PRGRMS. THERE TO HELP ALL THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES & ANYOTHERS INTERESTED IN EDUCATIONAL & CULTURAL PRGRMS. do tell me ,if & when you´d like meeting "Olaff@gowin.eu"THERE ARE LOADS OF INTERESTING COOPERATIVE PROJECTS ON OFFER AT THE COMMONWEALTH BLD.ALL THE BEST OF JOLLY GREETING & KINDEST REGARDS DARLING WWW.bfbs.com"CHEERS OLAFF:)
Hello NIW--
I am an avid reader of your blog--it consistently impresses me. I am a graduate student at the London School of Economics and Political Science preparing to do research for my thesis--which is focusing on the relationship and interactions between a blogger and their blog. If you are so willing or interested to be interviewed I would be happy to tell you all of the details. I can be contacted by email at a.b.fine@lse.ac.uk. Either way, you have a powerful voice through your writing and I will continue to be a fan.
Thanks!
p.s. LOVED the obama/clinton entry from earlier this week--brilliant!
With all due respect, it took you and many others so long to work that out, whilst it was an established among the world spectators.
Iraq isn't the first country to be invaded and occupied by a western force you know. There is a way, always a way. Other nations have got out of it, but Iraqis are a special nation.
There is so much division. Was sadam really a dictator? what about Moqtada, what about the governmnet? do you guys really want the US forces, do you guys really want world help?? Then there is pan-arabism, shia-sunni, arab n kurd. Then the superiortiy complexes between the towns. There isn't a single issue that the whole nation is united upon. Despite the fact that you guys have 1 language, follow the same religion, culture and all. Communication and understanding shouldn't be that bad.
Take India for example. It was ruled by the Brits. The Muslims, Hindus, Sikh, the north & south all united to achieve one goal ---> independence from the ocupiers.
They differed in terms of religion, cultures, appearance and languages.
You guys will have to put aside your differences, in order to get out of this filth.
Most of your posts are so melodramatic about what a godforsaken country Iraq is, and how everyone should be ashamed. The truth is nobody helps anybody in this world, and if they do its for their own interets so don't complain afterwards.
Even God doesn't change the condition of a nation until they change themselves.
Sorry for any offence.
so much to say...but i don't wanna be flamed. LOL
Uncivilized, Overzealous. The "Seven" Deadly Sins are so Basic and Humiliating I feel sorrow for anyone caught in a Christians Paradox. You think they'll get Wise to the Media and show actual Discipline,... the transient container for Displays of Emotional Clarity as not to DisHearten our Children! The Media Markets a Sweat of Ignorrance. What are the Human characteristcs Iraqi children share with Iraqi adults? Should the Pragmatic Momentum held in a child's thought structure dissolve when faced with the large scale analysis of their true human resource. Then what's up with all the Cave People dancing around the Bon Fire? I call shenanigans. They don't even understand why they compete for supremacy. The only Sin is Subordination. Tell 'em the plan's getting augmented. Problems Solvers are still the Problems. Just accept Solutions aren't Beliefs, they are Amusing and Humiliating Labors birthing decay. Pride is anything carbon copied or shared. Large scale Collective Organizations allow Disease to permeate from constraints involving modeled archetypes. Consolidating behavior as to ignore rather then Ensure behavioral monitor. Ahem, checks rational consequence and monitors sloth under indiviual variance coupled with engineered compatibility. Disease equals Disease. Immunity equals Immunity.
NIW, quite awhile back I thought to myself,"It seems like the Arab world is being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century." LOL,: ) well I can relate to that,I think I am too. Democracy ain't easy, heck we've been at it a couple of hundred years and it's still a work in progress. A lot of folks said Americans knew nothing about the rest of the world, and they were probably right. Well after taking a good hard look at the worlds situations the past few years, I think it generally kind of sucks, but it's still full of optimism and some pretty great people :D I think I'll kick back and see what the next hundred years brings. Solo
Hey Mojo, yes, I think majority of people are fed up and are trying to change things. anee mareed beer, areed bibsee oo lablabee,lol
Tib, we are a nation that love to idolize people. Its a fact. Im not being harsh, Im being honest...
Anon, I kinda disagree with you here, cuz passing the law then denying it from the same people that are causing all this mayhem is in my definition not democracy. Yes the act of it is, but and there is a big but here, this govt supports the militias, this govt is weak.
Usama, human nature, yes I agree, but there is also too much hypocrisy involved. Just look at what happened to the royal family. They were slaughtered to their deaths. With every idol, there was bloody deaths involved. Its more like a game. The syndrome doesnt last for long.
Hey Olaff, oh wow, I used to pass that building when I went walking. Sure, its a done deal then, Im just waiting for HUBBY to decide on the R&R...Yeah the story of my life ;)
Hey Metrocard, thanx for your kind words. Sure email me neurotic_wife@yahoo.com and I will see what I can do. Btw, I was gonna study at LSE, but chose another college instead ;)
Anon, no, it didnt take a long time. I and many other bloggers mentioned it time and time again. As for being melodramatic, hell if you call burning children alive, or starving children to their deaths, or shooting innocent people melodramatic, then shame on you. IRAQ SUFFERED AND IS STILL SUFFERING. Its ok for you to critisize sitting comfortably on your couch in your safe environment...
Jenny, its an open forum. Say what you have to say...
Oh wow Solo, you wanna live to a hundred and something???Ive given myself another 20 years, dont wanna be real old and crinkly when I say bye to this weird world :)
The Stockholm Syndrome is just another commercial for permissible restructuring. The Hostages use the evil doers in order to compromise with the human element of the awkwardly violent intrusion. Even if the definition's subsequent place relation refines where the victim should be placed in terms of appropriate exile... Compromise as the order appropriates reasoning for conflict. Please limit moot succession otherwise warranting direct disregard for equality. SAVE THE BED AND BREAKFASTS!!! Don't trash everything, yeah I know paint thinner smells great, points in reference, thank you, cold and trees.
It takes a brave woman to admit that fault may lie to some degree, in themselves (Iraqis). And you are right. Blaming others solves nothing. Look at the up side- Admission of this is the first step toward healing, and its a very therapeutic step to be sure....
I truley believe Iraqis need time to heal and evolve to the place where they need to be. I have faith that it will happen overtime. They may not know how to embrace democracy yet, but it will happen over time. Freedom is a wonderful thing..once you have the taste of it, you can never let it go.
Hello,
I really don't mean this rude or disrespectful, so please do not be offended... I just watched some news clips about the violence in Iraq. I noticed that practically all the Iraqi women wail and cry in a very melodramatic way (I'd understand and excuse this behavior if the relative was dead, but they do this even when their relatives are just mildly injuried). I don't mean to imply that you or all Iraqi women are like this; you seem very rational, but why are many of them like this? Is it a show for the camera to try to get sympathy or what?
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