** Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches ** Fear Overshadows Eid Festival

*BAGHDAD, Jan 14 (IPS) - What should have been a joyous four-day Islamic
holiday for Eid al-Adha which Iraqis began to celebrate Jan. 10, has
only highlighted the suffering under U.S. occupation.*

The feast of sacrifice which begins on the tenth day of the Islamic
month of Dhul Hijja is celebrated as a commemoration of Prophet
Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son for God.

Eid festivities in Baghdad used to be an occasion for family reunions,
where everyone turned up in their best. But sky-rocketing fuel costs
have driven up the price of food, clothing and everything else, and Eid
could no longer be the same. The frightening lack of security did much
to dampen the holiday mood.

"I hope that everybody finds happiness in these days, even our enemies,"
Salma, a 15-year-old student told IPS. "Because these are days we wish
good to everybody, even though we are not free to go where we like due
to the security situation or the obstacles that are put up to secure our
city, as they say."

Salma, who did not want to give her last name added, "I wish for God to
forgive their sins against these peaceful people. Eid is the day we meet
our relatives, yet on this one we are missing so many of our friends and
relatives."

U.S. Brig. Gen. Donald Alston estimates that at least 500 Iraqis have
been killed since the Dec. 15 elections. Over this period, at least 54
U.S. soldiers have also been killed.

"Nobody will allow us to leave our homes now," 17 year-old student Salam
told IPS after a roadside bomb exploded just blocks away from his home
in central Baghdad. "Everybody is afraid they might be kidnapped just
like our relative who had been kidnapped for two weeks."

Salam said his relative was released after 4,000 dollars ransom was
paid. Now, he said, no one will allow children to leave the house.

Salam's uncle who had traveled from Amman to join them in their Eid
celebration had his car robbed at gunpoint.

"They held guns to me and my mother's heads," the 50 year-old man told
IPS. "They then pushed both of us out of the car along with my daughter,
and took our car. We tried to catch them but they went away very fast.."

He added: "How can we love the country if we can't enjoy the pleasure of
celebrating Eid with our family?"

Those meant to provide security are themselves not safe. Two policemen
died and five were wounded when a car bomb struck their patrol in Baquba
on Friday. In Iskandariya, Iraqi police found the body of a blindfolded
policeman with his hands tied behind his back. He had been shot in the
head.

"There is a big difference between here and Amman," his 14 year-old
daughter Maessa told IPS. "We are free to go wherever we want there but
here we should stay in our homes. Everybody here is afraid we will be
lost, even during Eid. What kind of freedom have the Americans brought
us? The freedom to steal, kill and humiliate everybody. And deny their
rights to live as humans?"