Escape from Saddam

                  Escape from Saddam was by far my favorite text that we have read so far!  Kudos to Katie for choosing it for us.  The story was so engaging that I could not put it down!

                  The most surprising part of the story for me was the first chapter, “The Interrogation.”  It was horrifying to see how the arifs were trying to turn their soldiers into brutal beasts.  It is terrifying to see soldiers being forced to interrogate/ torture their fellow soldiers.   It also seemed like these practices could be counter-productive.  Isn’t the fact that soldiers in a unit are united as comrades- or even as brothers- one thing that makes them more effective when fighting an enemy?  Forcing soldiers to fight against each other takes away their desire to fight to protect each other. 

                  Another thing that surprised me was the fact that the soldiers got to visit their homes once a month.  This seemed odd, compared to the awful brutality of the base where Sarmed was stationed.  Maybe these visits were necessary to keep the soldiers sane, but it did not seem as though the base cared much about the soldiers sanity.

                  The part of the book where Sarmed is imprisoned for no reason contrasted well with the chapters we read from the book about Guantanamo.  Some of the scenes could have even been interchangeable.  Is this what they mean when people say that you have to fight your enemy with their own weapons? 

Tuesday's Class

                  It was a pleasure to have Ms. Eraqi with us in class on Tuesday.  I loved hearing about all of her experiences, especially about her experiences in Cairo.  I also loved hearing her personal stories about her family life here in the West, and about how she is part of many different cultures at the same time.  Thank you, Sara for inviting her!

                  Let me try to better explain what I was trying to say the other day during our discussion about Does My Head Look Big in This? and about headscarves in general.  I remember a woman making the comment that she felt that it was relatively easy wearing the headscarf in America.  I was somewhat surprised to hear this comment.  I wondered if this is true because many Americans do not seem to care about what other people are wearing; they seem to not befriend people based on looks.  But then, I also see the reverse happening in America, especially among “higher” classes and certain groups of people, where one’s clothes and possessions are all that matter.  But I wonder on the whole how Americans do with accepting other cultures.  Traditionally, we are a “melting pot” (though that is debated by some), and I believe this makes it easier for people from all over the world to fit in.  Although people are going to be curious (as Dan mentioned in class, I think), most will also be accepting.

                  The other issue I was contemplating about the hijab being accepted is whether it is just a piece of material or whether it is a symbol of a whole realm of ideas- and even an entire religion.  First, I do not think anyone should be punished for wearing a hijab, because in reality it is only a piece of cloth, and is not intruding on anyone else’s rights.  But it cannot be denied that the hijab is also a symbol of Islam, even if it not worn by every Muslim woman.