Post-Shabaniyah

I'm writing this from the comfort of the business lounge at Kuwait's Queen Alia Airport...ahh. Fast Internet, tiled floors, private bathrooms, good food....the luxuries in life. Things that have struck me in my few short hours in Kuwait....the crispness and whiteness of the men's dishdasha's (clothing) - everything in Iraq is dirty and tired and worn but here...although the weather is dreadful and within one minute of stepping outside powder like sand is in every crevice of your body...everyone looks crisp and clean. The women dress similarly...some in full black hijabs with everything but their eyes covered, but many in more modern dress with only their hair covered - but sign abound that while women may have certain rights here there is my no means gender equality...for example, an announcement for a wedding in a ballroom at the hotel i was at said reception for "Mr. Abrahim Muhammad and the daughter of Mr. Haider Saied"....it would be such a mental shift for me to define myself - make my identity - as the daughter of William Pfluger.

In about 30 minutes I will be boarding a flight to DC...14 hour flight and I wisely decided that the 15,000 miles it took to upgrade to business class was well worth it. I'll be in DC for a few days, then central virginia, then some beach somewhere, then back to virginia, then to Krista's wedding in New York. I am excited about so many little things...having a bed bigger than a single with a real mattress...going for a run that isn't a continuous .4 miles loop on rocks...feeling grass under my feet....and RUFUS!!!!

Right now I am halfway through my tour in Iraq. What have I accomplished? Well, I've developed solid relationships with a few NGOs in my province and with the Chief Judge. I've provided many offices (govt. or NGO) with $25,000 worth of office supplies (copiers, computers etc). I've gotten a judge accepted to a international visitors program to go to the states and learn about US courts. I'm close to securing money for two new courthouses to be built in my province. I've funded and advised a group of women lawyers who are providing free legal help and advice to women throughout the province. I've done assessments on the courthouses in my province and helped coordinate funding to get them the security upgrades they need. I've helped host a domestic violence workshop in the neighborhood near our base. I'm sure I could think of a few more things....and looking at this list it looks like i've done okay for my first six months (especially given that it takes you several months just to figure out what exactly is going on here and form relationships). Here is my problem....i want things that are sustainable after the U.S. is gone. It is very important to me to leave behind some projects that will continue to benefit Iraqis after I/we are gone..and that will be the focus of my second six months. Getting my women's group long-term funding or finding a way to make them sustainable...making sure the courthouses are actually being built...

The pictures above are from the Shabaniyah pilgrimage to Karbala - as I've said before Karbala is very very important in Shia Islam. Over the last two weeks over six million pilgrims came to Karbala to visit our two holiest shrines (I believe they are for the martydom of Muhammad's two grandsons but i could have that i bit off). We weren't allowed to leave the base for the two weeks so the pictures are from our local contacts. It is very good news that pilgrims are able to come to Karbala for Shabaniyah - it wasn't so in the past - and this year there was very little violence - I think one or two roadside bombs went off on the road from Baghdad to Karbala and killed some...and i know that is a terrible loss but the fact that there was so little bloodshed is a very good sign :)