What Kind of Liberation?: Women and the Occupation of Iraq

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:29:00 +0000

March 20, 2009 marked the six-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Although the half a dozen years of occupation must seem like an extended nightmare from which Iraqis are anxious to awake, for many young Americans an occupied Iraq is the only Iraq they have ever known. This is precisely why Nadje Al-Ali and Nicola Pratt’s research could not have come at a better time. What Kind of Liberation? offers a revolutionary perspective on the war that has come to define a generation, using a gendered analysis that factors in women’s historical participation in Iraqi society, attempting to separate it from the one-dimensional warzone it is known as to many Americans today.

In the tradition of colonialism, the U.S. initially engaged in the war under the guise of freedom, campaigning specifically for women’s liberation. Tragically the manipulation of women’s interests as a strategic element of the occupation transformed women’s bodies into the location of a cultural war between the growing number of Iraqi insurgents, politicians and citizens opposed to the war, and an American administration that pushed women’s liberation as a Western cause.

Al-Ali and Pratt largely based their research on women in the Iraqi diaspora who had lived through, or who had family that lived through Saddam Hussein’s rule and the subsequent occupation of Iraq by the U.S. military. Their interviews reveal that despite the violence and tyranny implemented under Hussein, many of the interviewees imagined pre-invasion Iraq as a safer space for women. Although they do not attempt to sympathize with Hussein’s regime, they show that it was not until after the invasion, and after the U.S. spearheaded the campaign of the “liberation” of Iraqi women that women became the site for the rejection of Western values, and a return to conservative values was made on a nation-wide level.

What Kind of Liberation? presents us with a messy, complicated and living Iraq, a society with a rich history that is not streamlined. Iraqi women speak about their histories in their own words, offering a snapshot that largely contradicts what we see unfolding in the American media. Despite the U.S.’s promises for the future of Iraqi women, no investment was made in women’s interests when creating the new Iraqi government. Their voices were largely excluded. But these broken promises have not stopped female activists and politicians from braving threats and harassment and the backlash of a war in which they were used as part of a fictitious cause.

In the foreword Cynthia Enloe explains why Al-Ali and Pratt’s book is so necessary, “It’s happening. The country, the complex, dynamic society that is Iraq, is becoming ‘Iraq,’ just as the complex, dynamic society that is Vietnam has become merely ‘Vietnam.’” Nadje Al-Ali and Nicola Pratt’s gendered analysis of the war and historical documentation of women’s activism will contribute to the growing pool of knowledge that separates the orientalist notions of “Iraq” from the diverse and complicated country that has room for a future for men and women alike.

Written by: Lizzy Shramko, May 15th 2009

My Country, My Country

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 23:16:00 +0000

Directed by Laura Poitras

Zeitgeist Films

I admit that I popped My Country, My Country into my DVD player with genuine trepidation. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this film and had prepared myself for the agonizing boredom that is inflicted by a truly awful movie. Fortunately, My Country, My Country was a captivating and heart wrenching tale that exposes the truth behind war. When we watch the evening news, we see images of soldiers, tanks and insurgents, but what we seldom see is the toll that is levied on the people living under these conditions on a daily basis. These are regular people who are forced to survive in an unimaginable situation. After watching My Country, My Country, I have a deeper understanding of the hardships that the people of Iraq face every day.

Although I enjoyed this movie immensely, I must admit that there were elements that made my blood boil. Before I elaborate, I would like to state for the record that I was never in favor of George Bush’s decision to invade Iraq. However, my respect for the men and women of the armed forces is unwavering. The various scenes that portrayed U.S. servicemen and women as bloodthirsty warmongers left a very bad taste in my mouth. I don’t doubt that there are a few bad apples among our military personnel, but I believe that the majority are descent individuals serving their country.

If you can keep an open mind and understand the political intent behind the negative portrayal of our military, you will find a deeper empathy for the Iraqi people after watching My Country, My Country. Regardless of your feelings about this war, you will be mesmerized by the exquisite cinematography that highlights the beautiful landscapes in Iraq. At the same time, you will be horrified by sights of a war torn country, as well as some of the apparent injustices being levied on the Iraqi people. My Country, My Country left me with many questions needing to be answered by U.S. officials. In the end, it is a movie well worth watching, but be prepared to have your feathers ruffled.

Written by: Becky Barry, April 5th 2007