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Iraq’s Gypsies Struggle For Life After Saddam’s Fall
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With the disappearance of Saddam, gypsies are facing challenges to survive
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By
Imam El-Liethy, IOL Iraq Correspondent
BAGHDAD,
May 6 (IsalmOnline.net & News Agencies) – Iraq’s gypsies are
suffering continued harassment from nearby Baghdad tribes and were
forced to flee their homes when U.S. forces trundled into the Iraqi
capital and declared the downfall of Saddam Hussein.
Before
the U.S.-led war was unleashed on March 20, there were 10,000 gypsies
in Baghdad, whose reported practices of woman trading and selling
drinks left them as isolated as abhorred from locals.
Most
of them have been forced to leave their homes now that Saddam, who had
given them shelter, is no longer in control.
The
Iraqi leader allowed the bad-reputed gypsies to settle down in Abu
Ghreib district, 10 kilometers to the west of Baghdad, where the
Zawabei tribe, known for its religiosity and links to Iraq’s Islamic
Movement, is populated just as an act of revenge.
Settling
down the gypsies was a sort of reprisal be cause the Zawabei tribe was
known for strong connections with former president Abdel-Salam Arif,
tribal sources said.
“The
gypsies were straying from one place to another until the Baath Party
and Saddam came to power,” said Abdullah Taha, a Zawabei tribesman.
“We
are devout people, and Saddam wanted to tarnish our image by building
blocs for gypsies in our territories in 1979,” he added.
“They
were selling whisky and beer and trading women. We were concerned
about the safety of our children at this atmosphere,” said Ibrahim
al-Zawabei, another member of the tribe.
With
the disappearance of the Saddam regime, the country’s gypsies were
severely assaulted by nearby tribesmen.
“They
attacked us with bombs and weapons, forcing 136 families to flee
leaving their houses and money behind,” said Ahmed, a gypsy, in a
camp down the road to Baghdad.
Amal
Hassouna, a gypsy singer, boasted that one of her friends had an
affair with former Iraqi Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan, now on
the run after being listed as one of the 55 most wanted officials
hunted by the Anglo-American forces.
But
inhabitants of Abu Ghreib district denied they had booted gypsies out
of their houses after the Saddam regime collapsed.
“They
were defeated… they escaped on their own,” said Mohamed Bashir
Al-Bindeiri, an inhabitant of the area.
But
the runaway gypsies seem to have escaped the area out of fears that
they no longer are protected.
“They
were given shelter by officials of the former regime here in exchange
for presenting each one of them with women at dawn,” charged another
inhabitant.
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