TV

Demodictatoriyah: New Online Cartoon Criticizes Maliki’s Clinging to Power

Posted on by treasureofbaghdad

A new online satirical cartoon,  depicting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and his competitor Ayad Allawi arguing about who rules Iraq as a Prime Minister has emerged on the Web recently.

The cartoon, entitled “Demodictatoriyah,” is made by a recently-launched Facebook group, called “Only for Iraqis.” It is posted on the group’s YouTube channel which has more than 100 subscribers already since its launch on October 11.

The cartoon is the latest criticism on how Iraqi politicians failed to establish the new Iraqi government since the parliamentary elections held more than seven months ago.

The slate led by Maliki trailed one led by a former interim leader, Allawi, by 89 seats to 91. In the seven months that followed, neither side was able to pull together a coalition that would allow them to create a new government. But on Oct. 1, Maliki struck a deal with a Shiite faction that had previously opposed him, putting him within striking distance of a majority in the new 325-member Parliament. (Read the full New York Times coverage here for more on this election)

This development helped shape the online cartoon which obviously is anti-Maliki. It starts with the Pink Panther famous music, followed by Maliki walking to a stage to recite a poem. In it he, threatens and mocks Allawi while the event is broadcast on TV. In the background, people are heard clapping, while Maliki recites the poem. However, when he finishes a man’s hand pauses a cassette player which apparently was the main source of the cheering and clapping audience.

The cartoon is hilarious. The sarcasm in it is to the point and expresses my views and the views of many Iraqis who did not vote for Maliki’s slate.

Here is the translation of part of Maliki’s poem as heard in the cartoon. It’s the closest I could do but you’ll get the point:

The [Prime Minister] seat is mine
Everybody should go away
If the people object
I swear with my mother’s soul I will exterminate them
The party that does not want us
We don’t want it either
We are about to finish the oil
And I’ll make you [Iraqis] broke
But whoever voted for me
I will give him more than he stole
And those voted for the other man [Allawi]
Let’s see how useful he’ll be to them

Enjoy the cartoon!

Aljazeera goes live in Washington DC

Posted on by treasureofbaghdad

I’ve long been a huge opponent of the Arabic version of the Qatar-based Aljazeera, a channel I call “Fox News of the Arabs” whose propaganda and hatred-filled sentiments are widely obvious. AJ incites the Arabs/Muslims against the West and Fox does the same with the Americans against the Arabs/Muslims.

However, when Al Jazeera English was launched in November 2006 I started following it to see if it is similar to its sister channel, Aljazeera Arabic. Surprisingly, I saw that it was completely different, in a good way. The standards were high and were similar to that of the BBC World.

On July 1st, AJE has finally made its way to the Washington DC area, after signing its first major U.S. cable deal with non-commercial MHz Networks last week. The channel is now available to 2.3 million subscribers, in addition to 140 million worldwide.

While watching it online most of the time, I became more interested in AJE when I noticed the variety of news the channel presented. Their documentaries and reportage are extremely helpful. They opened the window to viewers to see what is happening in the world, unlike U.S. TV news networks that have failed to do this basic journalistic task.

Now that I have AJE 24/7 on my cable TV channel list, I’ll watch the network even more closely and see if it is adhering to the basic ethical element in journalism, objectivity!

Instead of Roses, Iraqi throws shoes at Bush

Posted on by treasureofbaghdad
I’m sure you all have seen what happened yesterday when the Iraqi reporter threw his shoes at the soon-to-leave American president. I have to say I was surprised. I had mixed feelings and didn’t know if I should laugh or not.

Professionally as a journalist myself, I found what the reporter did was extremely wrong. Journalists have their voices and pens (and now the internet) to express whatever they want to protest against. However, I was kind of relieved. As an Iraqi citizen, I believe Bush deserved this ending that the entire world will remember and cherish. I mean what the wrong the man had done was huge. His failure to prepare for an invasion aftermath caused Iraqis and Americans hundreds of thousands of souls, not to mention the destruction of an entire country, the millions who have migrated and the creation of terrorism in Iraq. Well, you know the rest. There is no need to go into details here.

When I saw the video, all I could think of was what Bush will do for the rest of his life after he leaves the White House. Will he ever be respected? Remembered for at least a good thing he did? Now, the republicans will say, “But he removed Saddam!” and then I’ll reply, “and brought hundreds of Saddams instead and destroyed an entire functioning country.”

One of my colleagues at work who is not a supporter of Bush said despite his opposition to Bush, he started feeling sorry for him. I told him he shouldn’t. This man- whether he intended it or because he’s stupid- has been nothing but a bad thing in this world. I don’t even think he really understands how gravely disastrous what he has done in harming Iraqis and Americans. Thanks to Obama the world started believing in America again.

The reaction in the Arab world was expected. Extreme happiness and appreciation to what the reporter did. Iraqis have even created a facebook group right after the incident, praising the reporter and calling him “hero.” This morning, the number of the group members was around 900. Now it’s far more and is increasing. Also, a crazy Saudi wealthy man offered to buy the shoes for $10 Million. In addition to that, Arab people started exchanging jokes via email and cell phones. One of the jokes reads, “A new presidential order says no journalist attends a press conference wearing shoes.”

Anyways, now Bush has one last thing to have the world remember him with. If I were him… Nah, I’ll keep this to myself. lol

Proud and Grateful

Posted on by treasureofbaghdad
Last night my employer the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) held its annual Awards Dinner. Several awards were granted to some outstanding journalists who covered wars, disasters, and government abuse all over the world.
The International Center for Journalists is a non-profit, professional organization that promotes quality journalism worldwide in the belief that independent, vigorous media are crucial in improving the human condition. Aiming to raise the standards of journalism, ICFJ offers hands-on training workshops, seminars, fellowships and international exchanges to journalists and media managers around the globe.

At the Awards Dinner, pioneering editor and free-press champion Aliaksei Karol of Belarus and human rights investigative reporter Frank Nyakairu of Uganda received Knight International Journalism Award. And the London Bureau Chief for The New York Times John F. Burns received the ICFJ Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism. Christiane Amanpour presented the keynote address and ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos was the master of ceremonies

In honor of Burns, the ICFJ decided to offer a financial award to an Iraqi journalist who covered the war and proved excellence in his/her career. When the ICFJ Vice President asked me my opinion during the preparation for the dinner, I couldn’t but think of Jehad Ali. As a cameraman for the Iraqi state television, Al-Iraqiya, Ali roamed the streets in search of stories along with the channel’s reporters. One day and as he was going to work a group of armed men cordoned off the street and started shooting at him. As he fell wounded, one of the insurgents wanted to finish him off. Bullets penetrated through most of his body leaving him very close to death.

I knew about Ali through the CPJ which posted his journey from Baghdad to the United States to have certain surgeries that cannot be done in Iraq due to the collapse of the health and medical system there. Although we are an organization that basically deals with training opportunities around the globe, I thought that by giving Ali the award we would be saving his life to bring him back to his job. That, I considered, was similar to training him to work again.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2108584&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1
Jehad Ali from Dave Mayers on Vimeo.

When Jehad’s name was announced in the Awards Dinner, I felt very proud. It was not because I chose him, but because there are people who do appreciate the danger and the risk Iraqi journalists are going through every day in their lives. I felt proud because I’m from a country where people are brave, a country that has journalists like Ali, Salih, Othman, Khalid, and many others.

Now with Ali receiving his award in honor of John F. Burns, it has become an annual thing where every year an Iraqi journalist is going to have the opportunity to receive a fund to be trained in journalism. This left me extremely happy and grateful to all of the efforts that are being done to make journalism in Iraq move towards the right path of quality journalism.

blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

Infrastructure and jobs or entertainment programs?

Posted on by treasureofbaghdad
From today’s Washington Post:

The Defense Department will pay private U.S. contractors in Iraq up to $300 million over the next three years to produce news stories, entertainment programs and public service advertisements for the Iraqi media in an effort to “engage and inspire” the local population to support U.S. objectives and the Iraqi government.

All I want to say here is that Iraqis do not need entertainment programs to support U.S. objectives and the Iraqi government. They need electricity, clean water and jobs. When these things are provided, they will love the Americans and their government to death.

blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com