Baghdad Day celebrations amidst security obsessions
BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Baghdad is celebrating its 21st Day amidst an atmosphere of obsession about lack of security. “I really miss the true life of Baghdad. Although the city has been torn by terrorist operations, armed activities, death squads, assassinations and forced displacement, the image of Baghdad I used to see is still haunting my mind,” Rajaa Mohammed, a Baghdad resident, told IraqiNews.com.
Local residents have been celebrating the Baghdad Day since 1987. “It is true that security improved remarkably, but most of the streets, even whole areas, are still closed with concrete blocks and entry into or exit of these areas and streets are taking place through checkpoints,” Mohammed said. The Iraqi government and U.S. forces are using concrete barricades in a bid to curb suicide attacks and armed operations. Some of these barricades were removed after a relative improvement in security conditions but still several areas are closed.
Naiem Hussein, another resident of Baghdad, told IraqiNews.com that these blocks have provided protection from car bombs and death squads’ attacks but now they are restricting the people’s movement and hinder their businesses. “These blocks should be removed so that Iraqis would believe there was actual improvement,” he said.
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq and Baghdad province. With a municipal population estimated at 7,000,000, it is the largest city in Iraq. It is the second largest city in the Arab world (after Cairo) and the second largest city in southwest Asia (after Tehran). Located on the Tigris River, the city dates back to at least the 8th century, and probably to pre-Islamic times. Once the center of Dar al-Islam (the abode of Islam), Baghdad has been a center of violent conflict since 2003 because of the ongoing Iraq war.
Baghdad‘s population is a mix of Sunnis and Shiites. It is mainly divided into two sides: the west (al-Karkh) and the east (al-Rasafa). The city of Baghdad was built during the time of Abu Jaafar al-Mansour, the 2nd Abbasid Caliph, on the River Tigris in the Muslim Hegira calendar year of 145 (762 on the Gregorian calendar) in a circular shape. The planning of the Circular City of Baghdad was deemed a new trend in Islamic architecture and construction of cities.The city remained a capital for the Abbasid Dynasty until the city of Samarra was built, which became later the capital city of the Islamic caliphate. Later on, Baghdad once again became the capital of the Abbasid caliphate until it fell to the Tatars in 656 AH.
Citizen Raad Mohsen, a resident of Baghdad‘s western intersection of al-Karkh, said he has never visited the eastern intersection of al-Rasafa for nearly two years although he has relatives and friends there. Ali Ahmed said Baghdad has returned to its beautiful days once again. “The popular Abi Nawas street has started to be crowded with people again and the Baghdadi fish restaurants are open again,” Ahmed said. “The National Theater in the heart of the city is now giving a theatrical performance each evening.
The recent bombings in Baghdad are just another attempt on the part of the armed groups to say they are there and to spread frustration in the people’s hearts,” he told IraqiNews.com. The government and commanders of security agencies in Baghdad had said the security situation in the capital is remarkably improving since the Operation Fardh al-Qanoon (law imposing) was implemented. “The Iraqi interior ministry has started a few days ago its preparations to receive the security responsibilities in Baghdad from the Multi-National Force (MNF) after already receiving control in the areas of al-Kadhemiya, al-Salihiya and al-Karada,”
Maj. General Abdelkareem Khalaf, the head of the ministry’s National Command Center, had said in statements to IraqiNews.com. Maj. General Qassem Atta, the Fardh al-Qanoon official spokesman, said security i