A woman's week of Independence...

Layla Anwar, An Arab Woman Blues

...Dissent is not allowed in our new democracy...Maliki, Al Hakim and Muqtada Sadr style...a very sophisticated democracy imposed by Teheran and Washington D.C. And if per chance you are caught fighting for your so called rights and gathering in public places, you shall be taken like your Iranian neighbors and imprisonned and preferably flagellated. Am I clear now?Do as I tell you and stop this frown and grimacing in my face, it brings bad luck. Cheer up you are liberated...Good boy. Now sing and dance for me and celebrate your manhood in the new Iraq. It is your day after all. Yalla do it now. I only have a few days left before the week is over. And please hurry up, before a "sophisticated" Iranian Fatwa bearing an Iraqi stamp - with Sistani's, Hakim's and chubby Muqtada's face (and his drill boys) - on it , lands on my head... Or what do you think, should I seriously consider seeking political asylum in Siberia? Do come and visit me there, same time next year and we can celebrate together, my womanhood in exile...on International women's day...

continua / continued