The Iraqi Marshlands and the Marsh Arabs: The Ma'dan, Their Culture and the Environment - Rilegato

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0863723330 ISBN 13: 9780863723339

Casa editrice: Ithaca, 2010

Riassunto

The people of the Iraqi Marshlands are heirs to a culture that can be traced back thousands of years, and prior to the 1970s (i.e. before they were systematically desiccated by Saddam Hussein), these marshes comprised the largest wetland ecosystem in the Middle East.

It is also a site considered by many scholars as the inspiration for the biblical Garden of Eden in the Bible and the Koran, as well as the site where the Great Flood occurred, and the birthplace of the patriarch Abraham. The Iraqi Marshlands are therefore an area of major significance in the history of the three monotheistic religions: Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

The Iraqi Marshlands and the Marsh Arabs will be the definitive text for all those wishing to develop an in-depth understanding of a rich cultural legacy and lifestyle that survives today only as a fragmented cultural inheritance. The book clearly and compassionately illustrates how, until recent decades, the economy and lives of the Ma'dan (Marsh Arabs) that spans over five thousand years remained similar to the ancient practices of their Sumerian forbears, and how the current marsh dwellers with their impressive reed houses (mudhif) and long canoes (mashufs) are our only link with this rich cultural past.

The book is also a moving testament to these forgotten people, whose habitats, villages and very lives were progressively snuffed out by the Iraqi government during the repressive reign of Saddam Hussein. It highlights precisely how and why Saddam methodically tried to destroy these wetlands, and explores the enormous international efforts now underway to restore them. Finally, the book also demonstrates the inevitable environmental consequences of Saddam's massive destruction of the marshes; the extinction of endagered species of birds, animals and plants that were endemic to the marshes and are found nowhere else.

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Recensione:

The Iraqi Marshlands for thousands of years have sheltered one of the world s major wetland cultures fabled as the original Garden of Eden, site of Noah s Ark, and birthplace of prophets. Saddam Hussein and his minions attempted to destroy the region, and, with its destruction, eliminate the inhabitants whose existence was regarded as a challenge to the dictatorship. Dr. Kubba, a distinguished architect who obviously regards the Marshlands as a world treasure, has enlisted a whole team of collaborators to detail the past and present of the marshes. The account begins with the Sumerian occupation of the region; the Epic of Gilgamesh provides details about the Arab and Ottoman eras, as well as the influence of the Indian Sadd al-Hindiyah endowment and the British and Hashemite influence. None of these occupiers had the effect that Saddam Hussein had. He was successful in destroying the ecology of about 90% of the area. Many of the occupants were Shi a; therefore, the allegiance to Hussein was suspect. Huge engineering projects carried out on his orders, such as the Mother of Battles River Canal, the Loyalty to the Leader Canal, and the Fidelity to the Leader Canal, resulted in desertification.What could not be drained was poisoned, killing the fish and water buffalo. Helicopter gunships strafed any signs of life, as well as dumping napalm and phosphorous on remaining villages. Professor Joseph Dellaponna, an international expert on water rights, accuses the then Iraqi leadership of genocide: What makes this a crime under international law was its purpose. And I think the purpose was fairly clear, which was to destroy a culture and to destroy a people. And that s genocide. The pollution produced a legacy of dysentery, diarrhea, and bilharzia. Professor Dellaponna says that the enormous ecological consequences can be described as ecocide (p. 17). The Marshland culture cannot be described as conventionally Shi a. Inhabitants made pilgrimages to the tomb of the Jewish Prophet Ezra, north of Basrah, whose shrine is ornamented with Hebrew calligraphy; a visit to the shrine allegedly cured illness. Another belief was that heaven was an island in the marshes, Ufaidh, protected by Jinn (p. 35). Religious customs were influenced by the presence of Sabean Mandaeans, for whom the most important prophet is John the Baptist rather than the Christian and Muslim prophets. The Mandaeans and other ancient Marsh communities fled into exile and have not returned; their cultures have largely disappeared. Dr.Kubba suggests that one of the greatest ecological losses has been of wildlife: The Iraqi Marshes and wetlands provide one of the most important watering areas for the many migrating waterbirds from Siberia and Northern Europe. They offer migrating birds, such as ducks, geese and coots, and wintering bird of prey, such as raptors, a resting place, warmth, available food, and protection (p. 126). With the change in Iraqi regimes and a reflooding of part of the wetlands, some birds have returned. However, the long-term prospects remain highly uncertain. This useful and comprehensive volume does not suggest a happy ending and a return to the Garden of Eden. Sometimes, damage is irrevocable and sadly, that is what many readers will conclude. There are ample suggestions made by Dr. Kubba and his colleagues for what can be done in the way of amelioration, but not, they admit, any clear way forward for a real solution. Sadly, the book is dedicated to Nada al-Jaboori, one of the collaborators, and to an innocent victim killed in the melee surrounding an assassination attempt on Iraqi officials. Her death, like that of so many others, adds to the poignancy of an excellent if necessarily depressing account of a horrific episode. Spring 2012 Rich --Digest of Middle East Studies, Volume 21, Number 1

L'autore:

Sam Kubba is an award-winning architect whose practice includes projects in the US, UK and Middle East. The other contributors are all experts in their field.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Ithaca
• Data di pubblicazione: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0863723330
• ISBN 13: 9780863723339
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 286
• Redattore: Kubba Sam