Tuesday, March 28, 2006

 

Riverbend Nominated for British Literature Prize

From Reuters:

The anonymous female author of an Iraqi "blog", whose Web site entitled "Baghdad Burning" mixes humor, despair and acerbic political commentary, has been nominated for a major literary prize in Britain. [...] In her first entry, she wrote: "I'm female, Iraqi and 24. I survived the war. That's all you need to know. It's all that matters these days anyway". Soon afterwards she explained how she lost her job in a computer software company when it was deemed too dangerous for her to go to work. The online diary was collected and issued by Marion Boyars Publishers in 2005, and that book has made it on to the longlist of the annual Samuel Johnson Prize for contemporary non-fiction, the winner of which wins 30,000 pounds ($53,000).

Comments:
Oh, River.

When the invasion started, she was able to post at least once a day. Now she's lucky if she can post once a month.

And she still can't work outside her house, or even go out without a veil and two male family members escorting her. She used to be able to go to work in jeans, by herself, without fear.

But of course the wingnuts keep claiming that Iraqis are better off than they were before.
 
She should win. Her blog is some of the most important writing being done today. She should win more than one award.

The enslavement of women in Iraq will be one of the enduring evils brought about by this invasion.

I remember during Bush War I that someone wondered why the United States and the West always sided with the theocrats and the petty, royal despots over anyone who made even slight modernizing moves. It was on the News Hour. I wish I remember who it was. I believe it was that guy who was offed by the Iranians after he supported Rushdie.

Women in the West have to start supporting women struggling for any progress in the middle east. The boys certainly aren't going to start doing it. They never have.
 
This boy bought her book. :-)
 
"But of course the wingnuts keep claiming that Iraqis are better off than they were before."

That's because they want women in the U.S. to be in the same situation as the women in Iraq.
 
RiverBend, Best Blog Ever.
 
A little about RIverbend's background and interview here:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4C5B8EE6-F99C-4AB9-84B6-40F7F8F9B656.htm
 
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