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Baghdad crowd lauds donkey
28/04/2003 14:08 - (SA)
Baghdad - Joyous crowds in Baghdad celebrated Saddam Hussein's birthday in a brand new way on Monday, pasting photos of the former strongman on a donkey as they heaped scorn on his brutal 24-year reign.
"For the first time in my life, I won't be forced to attend Saddam's birthday ceremonies. He was a dictator, he was nothing but a donkey ruling over Iraq," said Ali, 24.
The young man, speaking in the Sadr city suburb formerly known as Saddam city and home to about two million Shiite Muslims, said most Iraqis had been "faking joy on Saddam's birthday each year because we were plain afraid".
"We'll bring the donkey flowers and a cake this afternoon," said Hassan al-Hussein, 27, who helped organize the ceremony here.
Crowds of young boys were clapping their hands in appreciation as a man planted a banner and a colorful plastic tree by the donkey.
"April 28, it's your birthday you loser!" read the sign. Saddam turned 66 on Monday although his whereabouts, if he is even still alive, are unknown.
Pictures of Saddam and his two equally feared sons, Uday and Qussay, were also on display.
"We won't kill the animal although he represents Saddam the criminal, because donkeys are as oppressed as we were for years," said al-Hussein.
Unmoved by the feast to come, women were casually dumping piles of rubbish in the middle of the street, which was flooded with green, fetid sewage.
But not everybody was in the mood to mock the toppled dictator.
"More important things are on my mind frankly," said Hassan Khusai, 35.
"We want our rights as Shiites to be secured, we want an indigenous government to rule over Iraq," he said, slamming US-backed opposition leaders such as Iraqi exile Ahmed Chalabi.
Others were still clearly afraid to speak their minds.
"Maybe it's good he was toppled...but we had enough to eat under Saddam, now it's a mess," mumbled Samia Aziz, 40, checking over her shoulder as she spoke with a fearful look in her eyes.
"A lot of people still believe Saddam is alive and that he's coming back, maybe even today on his birthday," said Mohammed al-Hussein, 37.
"I personally believe Saddam is dead or left the country, but you have to understand that a culture of fear was cultivated for decades by the old regime," he said. - Sapa-AFP
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