Sami Rasouli Returns Home To Iraq
To Help His People
 |
An Iraqi-American Sami Rasouli wants the Americans to leave Iraq because it’s a colonial war and the country is not being rebuilt. Last
year Rasouli sold his popular restaurant in Minneapolis and journeyed to
Fallujah with the Muslim Peacemaker team to clean the city after the
battle. Nick Vander Puy from the Superior Broadcast Network reports. Click Here to Download this Radio Story as an mp3 file download takes a few minutes click here for 3 minute story of Sami's visit to mid-west in spring 2006 |
to see a web site detailing Sami visit, click here
 |
Sami Rasouli has sent a four minute "must watch" video here is the link to view the film
Not Bravery -
Just Tears |
| click here for a story about Sami's visit to mid-west in spring 2006 |
 |
 |
To see The images the US does not want you to see (very disturbing and very graphic) |
Calling the Iraq War a bloody quagmire, an Iraqi-American Sami Rasouli (Ray-sool-e) returns to his homeland to help his people. After emigrating to the United States from Najaf more than thirty years ago Rasouli worked as a cab driver and opened Sindbad’s Middle Eastern restaurant in Minneapolis. Then last year Rasouli sold his restaurant and journeyed to Fallujah with the Muslim Peacemaker team to clean the city after the battle. Nick Vander Puy from the Superior Broadcast Network reports.
During the past thirty years the people in Iraq have suffered untold horror. Wars with Iran, the United States and its allies, the tyrannical Saddam Hussein, and the United States sanctions regime have killed millions.
The opening song in this story “haya allah al fallujah” means “God Bless Fallujah.”
According to Rasouli the resistance in Iraq consists of three groups, ordinary patriots, Al Qaeda, and organized crime.
Meeting at the Catholic Workers Anathoth Farm in western Wisconsin, Sami Rasouli talks about his recent trip to Iraq.
“What I saw I saw Iraq in shamble. Unemployment rate high 60-70% Production facilities shut down Iraq completely without statehood. Security in the hands of violent groups and also monitored and patrolled by occupier forces.”
According to Rasouli the Iraq War was sold to the American public on bogus claims about weapons of mass destruction. Another reason some Americans went to war was the liberation of Arab woman. But it hasn’t worked out very well.
“Social problems. No jobs. Woman have no employment. And no men. Because men are dead mostly.”
“The rate of females
in Iraq higher than male so women need jobs, but they have no jobs provided
for them, unless they work for Iraq CIA, otherwise they have to be in the
street selling sex for money. And I’ve seen ’em in Jordan and Syria, when
they have the chance to leave and support their families, unfortunately.”
”Is this the democracy that the Iraqi are receiving? Is this the type of
liberation?”
The November 2004 American led assault on Fallujah was justified on the basis of getting rid of the gangster and resistance fighter Zaquawi. But after the first day of the battle the American commander announced Zaquawi had left Fallujah. But the Americans went on to kill hundreds of Arab fighters and bulldoze more than thirty thousand homes in Fallujah.
During Sami Rasouli’s recent visit to help clean up Fallujah he visited with a local Shiite spiritual leader.
“He wondered and elaborated and said, Sami, how come when the FBI were chasing Al Capone in the twenties in Chicago, the FBI didn’t need to destroy Chicago, but they went after Al Capone and his ring members, got them, and trialed them. What’s the difference? We know the history, Sami. It’s not about chaning regime, it’s not about weapons of mass destruction. They said, the US forces, they said Fallujah was the main export source of car bombs to other Iraqi cities. Now, after the second assault we don’t have pistol, but the car bombs are still detonated throughout Iraq.”
Not having regular electricity and sanitation in Iraq has taken a toll on Rasouli.
“Personally, I quit eating meat. Then I got infected by parasites because I kept eating unclean vegetables and fruits. Still I’m suffering from this as are most of the Iraq and are most of the Iraqis. Iraqi is unhealthy person today. Iraq has no future.”
“And there is no light at the end of the tunnel.”
Still, Rasouli plans to take some of the lessons he he’s learned from the Catholic Workers about low tech, subsistence living back to Iraq.
“When I go back I’ll live in the country, the Iraqi country. And probably then if I’m successful I’ll convey this basic old technology to build my house and teach the others. But most importantly I’ll teach the others to clean their dishes to use hot water and soap, if available, and use bleach. But most of the teenagers are sick and not healthy. But this is part of our campaign within the activities of Muslim peacemakers to teach others and self food and selves sanitized.”
I’m Nick Vander Puy for the Superior Broadcast Network
To hear a new story about Sami Rasouli's spring 2006 visit to Wisconsin click here
An Iraqi-American man Sami Rasouli., who just got back from the Iraq War, says most Iraqi people are in terrible shape after three years of occupation. Tens of thousands of civilians have died. There’s less electricity than before the war. The water is filthy. The sanitation is terrible. Many suffer from hepatitis. And it takes more than a day, usually, waiting in line, to get gasoline for the car. Rasouli thinks the American occupiers have destabilized Iraq, while the country degenerates into pillage, plunder, and mayhem.
Sami Rasouli is a former Minneapolis businessman who moved back to Iraq after living in the US for nearly thirty years.
Rasouli was born in Najaf in the predominately Shiite area of Iraq south of Baghdad. He originally came to the US in 1985 to seek medical treatment for his deaf son. He moved to Minneapolis where he opened Sinbad’s, one of the most successful Middle Eastern market/restaurants in the Twin Cities area.
After the March 2003 US invasion he felt he could no longer watch the conflict from the comfort of his life in the United States so he moved back to Iraq to help in whatever way he could. In collaboration with the Christian Peacemaker Teams Rasouli formed the Muslin Peacemaker Teams and also became active with Karbala Human Rights Watch.
CPT and MPT are faith based organizations attempting to apply non violent solutions to conflict and war. They claim that the Bible and Koran clearly direct both Christians and Muslims to embrace non violence and the pursuit of justice as a life ethic. Four members of CPT working in Iraq were taken hostage over two months ago and remain missing.
Rasouli, a Shiite Muslim, has traveled all over Iraq working with both Shiite and Sunni communities. One of the most difficult areas he has been in is Fallujah as the destruction of that city by US forces has created a tinderbox ready to ignite again at any provocation.
In addition to his lecture which includes both music and photos, Rasouli has been bringing an art show with him made up of works from various Iraqi artists. The art is for sale and helps to fund both the artists and the work of the Muslim Peacemaker Teams.
Click Here to Download this Radio Story as an mp3 file
Directions for Downloading This Radio Story
These stories have been compressed so that you
can listen to them on your computer.
You'll need to download the story, however...a process that takes a few
short minutes.
Please read all directions before actually downloading.
1. Hold cursor over link and click the right mouse button, then
click "Save Target As" on the menu that pops up.
2.
Then, select where you want to save the MP3 on your
computer and click "Save".
A dialog box will pop up and the MP3 will start downloading. It
will take a few minutes.
3.
After it is done downloading click
"Open" on the
dialog box or go and open the MP3 from where you saved it.
4. Make sure your speakers are turned on and listen to the story. Enjoy!