Iraq Is Back!

Iraq Is Back!

Baghdad, Iraq

The cavernous room adorned with the symbol of the past – the seal of Saddam Hussein on the ceiling, in the carpet, on the lights, in the walls, and it all seemed strangely appropriate as an amazing even took place.

Officially it was the "First NGO Cooperation Conference", put on by the Iraqi Government to encourage the non-profit sector.

Unofficially it was a modern day miracle!

The session began as most such conferences do with the various speeches beginning with the Minister of Displacement, the Honorable Abdul Samed R. Sultan who spoke about a new beginning and forgetting the past and moving forward.

In a sign that there is still some way to go, the Government Sponsored conference was opened by a 15 minute recitation of "verses of the holly Koran" and the Prime Minister was a "no show" in spite of being on the official program.

The main event ended with four non-profit organizations giving slide presentations of their work in various areas of the country.

A typical conference!

The real "show" was after that.

In a truly amazing series of events the Ministers and various dignitaries sat in a circle while the representatives of the fledging groups gathered around ostensibly for a "question and answer" time.

For all those who still doubt that albeit slowly, Iraq nearly six years later is going to make it, the dramatic events taking place in one of Saddam Hussein's special halls was answer enough.

Person after person stood up and chastised the various Ministries for incompetence, demanded help for their particular area and in some cases actually shouted at the Minister in charge.

In a dramatic departure of what would have happened a few short years ago the Minister sat quietly listening and occasionally replying.

Ali one of the participants put it well. "Most don’t realize this, but under Saddam Hussein this would have been completely impossible. To speak up about something you think in a public place itself was not allowed. To speak as we are doing to a government minister would be immediate prison or worse."

The secretary to the Minister of Migration herself was moved. Asked how she thought the event was going she said "We still have many problems but the way the people have all come, how they have freely shared their feelings and ideas. It is amazing!"

Another participant Amir said "we still need to work more on getting religion out of government. The long reading of the Koran at the beginning was not necessary, but we have come a long way!"

Is Iraq going to make it? Can Democracy ever take root in the troubled soil fertilized by 35 years of the hellish dictatorship of Saddam Hussein?

It sure looks like it!

For all we like to take pride in our accomplishments I don’t think we have yet arrived at the place where the director of the IRS is ready to sit and take the ire of taxpayers for three hours and meekly respond . . . which was exactly what was taking place as the Minister in charge of granting non-profit status did.

Does Iraq have a long way to go! You bet! Will she make it? Nobody knows.

At the same town, the cavernous hall of Saddam Hussein with his special crest as it always was above, below, on each side "watching" the proceedings seemed to provide the answer.

Iraq is back, stronger, more confident – not walking yet, but crawling very, very fast, just about ready to take its first steps, alone and free in over 35 years.

Was the sacrifice of over 4,000 brave young men and women who gave their lives and nearly 40,000 who were injured worth it? Did America do the right thing?

The answer is self evident.

Iraq is back, and she will never forget who stood up to the dictator when nobody else would.

Ken Joseph Jr.