Iraqi Refuges, a vast blank awaits their journey’s end.
“I need to get a job and a home.” Is the cry of refuges stepped on the border of Iraq? A small part of the millions of refuges who ran away from Iraq have returned. They face uncertainties throughout Iraq and Iraqi Government confesses their inability to manage the reverse exodus that has come down sudden like a flood. The publicized bus from Damascus, Syria to Baghdad to carry them by Government, published with tall talk, finished after two or three runs. Thousands of Sunni Muslims are denied aid, as they do not register their names out of fear. The Shiite led Government and ‘Aid Organisations’ distribute emergency and structural issues strictly to Shiite only, is the floating complain in Iraq. Supplying house and creating job still are remained unresolved that is unaddressed also. Where as Iraqi Government had trumpeted the return of refuges as their win of resume of security and reliability. Even the American Government is not sure if Iraqi Government can feed and house the returnees. They expressed deep concern about how Iraq manages the potentially explosive limbo. Their dwindling savings bought and carried their passage along with day-pass. They found nothing except a question how would they get a new job and home in a hunted and tortured city reshaped by Great War. According to migration experts, most of the refuges were forced to come by zero funds and expired visa. Most of them lived on their gold-stock and small savings. The theory of new found security is nothing but empty sound rang by Iraqi Government. It is a question of million rupees how Government manage the people who will reclaim their houses after returning to Iraq. The fear of property disputes to or attempt to return homogenized neighbourhood can start new waves of sectarian attacks.
With the return, the refuges might face the beginning of their new troubles. Having returned when they would find their homes either destroyed or occupied by others, by displaced persons a chance of new bloody affair might be a problem for administration, because the Government committee, which decides property disputes, is charged with hearing only cases that predate the invasion of 2003.
Nora Mashim and war widow with her four sons and three daughters took shelter at a three roomed abandoned house of Haifa Street with a family of twelve members of Baghdad .She even did not know what future had kept for her to experience. She used to live with her husband at Saydia in her old peaceful house before the war began. Mr. Khadom, a bus driver was killed by insurgents in the beginning of 2006. Their house, in a word, total neighbourhood, in southern Baghdad was annihilated by attack of explosive. Their own old area had become as dangerous as other places of Iraq She is not sure how long she would stay or could be able to stay in her newly sheltered occupied apartment. Nora is a Sunni; it will be a bagger description to say. She has been suffering from the questions, ‘Where and How.’ Hamdiya A. Najaf, the official with the Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration confesse with a sigh of despair, “ The all branches of Government are needed to be involved and we need a fruitful urgent rehabilitation plan to meet the reshaped problems. Our Government has been overloaded with property dispute cases from Saddam Hussein’s age, when thousands had been forcibly relocated. Those problems were hunting us till to day and we are failing to resolve them. We do not have the provisions to minimise them.” The astounding housing problem extends to millions. People left their houses but stayed in Iraq. More than 350,000 people abandoned one area for another. Shiites to the east and Sunnis to the west are moving into evacuated houses. Now the total Iraq is shrouded in a billowing black abaya, a signal of mournful situation. Expresses what will be future of Iraqi citizen. A methodical killing operation initiated by gunmen broke through the every door of Huriya, a neighbourhood in north-central of Baghdad and killed at least four to five in average from every house. One may find by luck one five to six years old boy as an alive male member of the family. Until last December armed Shiite militiamen washed away minimum 150 families and the lucky survivors , mostly women and children, fled to Ghazaliya in western Baghdad where they sheltered themselves in the apartments belonging to Shiite families who had left for eastern Baghdad. This musical chair has been going round with the luck of hopeless common- place Iraqi. The suspicion, only suspicion plays in the eyes of each other, Shiite and Sunnis look each other with jaundiced eye .So the Government’s aid programs are viewed with deep doubt. To apply for food or other programs one will have to return to native for registration with the local council and they fear to do it. To go to there is a panic for them. The Shiite led and dominated Government has made every entitled for $ 123 a month. But no Sunnis dare register his name because of getting punishment. In very rare cases vanity blocks to apply to Government for alms they used to pay to others normally. Another fear is that, if the occupied house- owners come back refuges have nowhere to go and may be killed if try to go back to their own property. This apprehension appears into the mind of Shiite and Sunnis both. The housing –problem in Baghdad is taken a severe shape. Many displaced are renting refuges’ homes and others move to by force or secretly to safer place. But most people have nowhere to move or back, either their houses are damaged or areas are still burning with unsafe confusion. Another problem is that if once refuges after returning in large numbers find unknown enemy occupied their homes who have come from another part of the land, the law and order must be hampered. Dr. Said Hakki, the Director of the Iraqi Red- Crescent Society heralded,”The Iraqi Government is highly aware of this fear. And if this people become desperate we are going back to square one” He told this in Gen. David H. Petraeus’s, office, the top American commander posted in Baghdad. American military authorities do not want to get involved in property dispute. The Iraqi Government ignores the problem of his own men. To start an emergency plan for making homes and handling the propriety problem the ministers of Iraq should take hot-foot stepping but is of no avail Nuri Kamal-Al- Maliki, the Prime Minister, has the power to find a solution remains dumb. Ms.Najaz. the migration officer confessed her inability to get him connected. even in phone. Most of the Iraqis are armed and hot tempered who are accustomed to fight with each other for prosaic matter. So if they discover another person, especially of another class. In their homes, a bloody affair must be expected that will be enough to disturb the areas. According to migration officials, the local courts fail to resolve the property problem though the courts claim opposite. The courts are overloaded with backlogged disputes and if courts move to positive settlement very, few of their verdicts are enforced. The lucky sheiks or council members are few who get the help of that type. The mob-style-street- killings and kidnappings made the middle- class Iraqis fled from Haifa –Street, the most recent turbulent areas in Baghdad. Death may springs on any one at any time is the fear looms large there. When squatters descend on some apartments, they are displaced from other neighbourhoods. Every feel pity for other but hopeless to do anything. The philanthropic organisations working there have very little thing to do for displaced refuges. No one helps to negotiate the return of refuges or their settlement for rehabilitation. The U.S.A. And their Allied are pointing their fingers to Iraq –Government shrugging shoulders and Iraqi Government downs their burden saying it is the business of others. The both party want us to will have got negotiate between ourselves. The sky of Iraq is covered in dark deep black clouds of uncertainty, fear, faithlessness, confusion and aimless searching of blank future. Neither the U.S.A. nor Iraqi present Government are seen ready to care take the charge of common-place Iraqis. So, the fate of Iraq is hanging in the balance.
previous article: Who’s afraid of circumcision?
next article: Truth commission
Leave Your Comments