Iraq: Out of the desert into Mosul (closed)

[Ray]

Ray---

At the beginning of the sectarian violence which really started in late 2005 not as many thought in mid to late 2006---I sat with him once and discussed the increased ethnic violence and the barbarian results we were seeing in both the Shia and Sunni communities.

He said something that has always stuck with me. He said---hey Shia and Sunnis are Arabs and as Arabs they will not negotiate a problem if each one believes themselves to be correct---they will beat each other to a pulp and when both are on the ground and can barely move then and only then will they negotiate what in the end is what they should have done in the first place.

That is right. More than they hate others, they hate each other i.e. Shia vs Sunni. See what is happening in Pakistan, which is one of the better nations with some democratic and legal sanctity.

It was a regular problem in India, especially during Moharrum. I got caught in one such gunfight.

However, by the Grace of God (any God) it is thing of the past.