Erasing History

Felicity Arbuthnot

Who is erasing Iraq's history? A visitor only has to be in the country minute's before someone informs them: 'We are the cradle of civilisation' and launches in to the pride and passion of historical jewels and archeological wonders stetching back seemingly beyond time. They are not Sunni, Shia, Christian, Turkoman, Yazidi jewels, they are Mesapotamia's and have been proudly nurtured since the mists of time. Samarra's great golden domes, destroyed on 22nd February last year, a Shia shrine in a largely Sunni city, had been tended and protected by residents for centuries. The southern holy cities of Najav and Kerbala were places where Iraqis of all or no religion, demanded to take visitors. Before the invasion it was unthinkable to even wonder whether a host, driver, shopkeeper was of a particular religion, sect. They were Iraqis, intermarried, living mostly side by side. From the day all Iraq was reduced to an intensive care unit (9th April 2003) 'mission accomplished', patient critical, suddenly there were 'Sunni'.'Shia', 'tribes',in the US and UK lexicon...

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