Pepe Escobar – “Karbala is the way to Al-Aqsa”: a diary from Iraq

by Pepe Escobar, The Cradle [8-30-2024 published] Pepe Escobar(bio).

(Pepe Escobar's observations are always relevant, since he has spent many years living in the various countries he reports on and has endeavored to understand how their people think as well as the various government & business stake holders. He has also studied the histories of these countries. Unlike the West, he doesn't try to impose his ideas on the groups he works with, which is one of the reasons he has access to so many relevant insights. This stop in Iraq is very relevant, since it shows their incredible progress from the unspeakable horrors from more than three decades. Notice the ramifications of the "Iraq First" policy and how Iraq is building good political & business relations with many relevant countries. — RAD)

BAGHDAD and KARBALA – Getting to Baghdad today is an electric shock for any visitor who remembers the recent and gloomy Iraqi history.

There are practically no checkpoints, apart from sensitive government areas. There aren't those horrible concrete blocks from American occupation times, which force a slow slalom every few minutes. No unpredictable feeling of danger that can strike at any moment. The lush greenery thrives throughout the capital. Haifa Street was rebuilt practically from scratch. The trade is in turmoil, from the non-stop action of Karrada to a complex of restaurants on the banks of the Tigris called (very appropriately) a thousand and one nights.

After more than three decades of unspeakable horrors inflicted on the cradle of civilization, Baghdad exudes a sense of normality for the first time. This has a lot to do with the new administration, led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who has been in power for just over two years.

Last week, the Prime Minister's Office sponsored a one-of-a-kind conference entitled “The road to the Al-Aqsa Flood ”, inviting popular bloggers and influencers from the Arab world – Palestine, Kuwait, Jordan, Sudan and Lebanon, among others – and only a few Westerners. The bloggers were all young; most had never been to Iraq and therefore had no memories of Shock and Awe and the occupation – at best, some vague memories of the ISIS years. They were all amazed by the hospitality, dynamism and, above all, by the hope now rooted in the life of Baghdad.

The Iraqi government has proposed an attractive idea, linking a serious discussion on all aspects of today's Palestinian tragedy not only in Baghdad, but also at the Arba'in in Karbala.

Arba'in marks the 40° day after Ashura, the Shiite rite that honors the martyrdom of Hussein Ibn Ali, nephew of the Prophet Muhammad, brutally murdered together with his whole family by the Umayyad caliph Yazid Ibn Muawiya. For Shiite Muslims, this dishonorable massacre represents the latest incarnation of injustice and betrayal, considered fundamental evils by the religious sect.

It's all about resistance – without explicitly mentioning the Resistance Axis. The martyrdom of Imam Hussein in the battle of Karbala was – in Baghdad today – directly linked to the ongoing Israeli genocide of tens of thousands of Palestinians, in a “21st century Karbala”.

Twenty-one million pilgrims on foot

Flying just before sunset on a Soviet helicopter from a military base on the Tigris in Baghdad to a mini-base in Karbala, about 10 kilometers from the magnificent sanctuary of Hazrat Abbas, is a surprising experience.

The unstoppable commander Tahsin, in Karbala, had ordered the pilot to follow the route of the Arba'in pilgrims, one of the many axes that cross Iraq and lead to the sanctuary.

The feeling is that of a long cinematic rundown. Files and rows of pilgrims, mostly dressed in black, with their backpacks, carrying banners, walk at a brisk pace, crossing a set of stalls, refreshment points and mini-restaurants, mixing with the volunteers who offer free bottles of water and drinks to quench their thirst on this spiritual but arduous journey during the torrid Iraqi summer.

As we approach Karbala, the crowd thickens. It is a sort of mobile feast of the community spirit. Spontaneous songs sprout, marked by a contagious rhythm, and above all there is this incessant push to continue walking, to try to get as close as possible to the sanctuary.

We are told that it is absolutely out of the question to approach the sanctuary – the road is packed with people, body on hand. The best option is therefore a place five kilometers away: a sort of Palestinian mini-complex with an exhibition of military deeds in Gaza, a conference space, a mini-mosque, a small replica of Al-Aqsa and even a road sign: “Al-Aqsa Mosque, 833 km ”.

The Karbala-Al-Aqsa link in the heart of Arba'in could not be more graphic. It is as if the spirit of Imam Hussein is veiled over every soul along these 833 kilometers.

This complex was one of the focal points of this year's commemoration. The flow of pilgrims from all over the Muslim world is incessant – and many stop to pay homage. Nearby, Commander Tahsin introduces us to an anti-ISIS leathery fighter from Anbar province, who now oversees an Iraqi kebab kiosk, preparing delicious food for free, “in the spirit of Imam Hussein ”.

Returning to Baghdad at night, the pilot turns around the dazzling lights of the Hazrat Abbas shrine, a show worthy of a Mille remix and one night. Later, the direction of the sanctuary confirmed that as many as 21.4 million pilgrims had come to Karbala for the Arba'in.

Meeting with al-Sudani

Prime Minister Sudani receives foreign guests for a special meeting in one of those proverbially monumental marble-filled palaces from the Saddam era within the protected Green Zone of Baghdad.

Quiet, calm, collected, speaks authoritatively not only of the Palestinian situation, but also of his vision of a stable nation, illustrating his policy “Iraq First ”. It is about sustainable development, investments in education and new technologies, affirmation of sovereignty and, in foreign policy, of an accurate balancing work between the United States, the EU, Russia, China and Arab / Muslim partners.

Iraq is suggested to move to the next level and to consider joining the BRICS. Premier Sudani takes note.

The message is clear: Iraq is finally on the path of stability and normalcy. Previously, a government official had observed: “Daesh [ISIS] made us go back many years. Otherwise, we would have made even more progress. ”

According to Dr. Hussein Allawi, one of the Prime Minister's main advisers, ISIS has been reduced, at best, to a few hundred fighters on the edge of the Syro-Iraqi desert, protected by local tribes. The threat appears to be finally contained, despite the efforts of the United States to magnify it.

But what makes Allawi really excited are the ramifications of the “Iraq First ” – policy and a number of investment opportunities. As for energy, for example, China buys almost half of Iraqi oil production; it is one of the main operators in various oil fields; and it also diversifies into projects such as oil in exchange for schools, helping Baghdad on the education front.

Iraq is at the forefront of China's ambitious and multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in western Asia. The main focus is on the $17 billion Strategic Development Road: a transport corridor from Basra to Western Europe, which must be completed by 2028, and then be connected to the BIS – a route that will end will prove much cheaper and faster than Suez's existing one.

A visit to the Abu Hanifa Mosque seals the Advent of New Baghdad. It is here that the first mass march against the Sunni and Shiite occupation began in 2003, only nine days after the fall of the statue of Saddam Hussein in Tahrir square, caused by the United States. The bombed minaret has been rebuilt, the mosque is now in impeccable condition and an annex with precious Sufi objects has been sponsored by a Turkish cultural foundation.

The cradle of civilization is slowly but surely reborn.

Relevant Resources

Pepe Escobar: Incredible Rebuilding of Iraq & Complex Issues Surrounding Arrest of Telegram CEO in France [8-28-2024]

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