Against the world Media ..(with more pics)
The thing that bothers me so much is the MEDIA, all the Medias, American's, Iraqi's, Arabians'..., they DO NOT show the real life in Iraq, specially the citizens' real state of affairs, they always show an old woman with Abaya, a dirty child, or an old man wear ripped dress (Dishdasha) & slipper . Showing that these people represents the Iraqis! Don't you see that often?!
Even when there is a questionnaire, the media do not ask a doctor, nor an engineer, teacher or any educated citizen, they do not go to a university or a hospital. They go to indigent neighborhoods & ask a cadger or a sloven woman & make the people round the world believe that we are all like that, it is unfair at all, why do the Medias do that?! I think they do that for certain purposes, maybe to make the other people feel sorry for us?! I got many E-mails saying that they had been shocked when they saw my sister & my brother's photographs. Well it is not weird at all; all the children in my family and in other families look beautiful, clean, & healthy.
Few months ago I got an E-mail from a reader, he said that he was surprised when he saw the number of the Iraqi bloggers who write in English, So many people in Iraq speak English (it's the second language here, we start taking English lessons in the 5th class primary school), I take private French lessons every Friday as well. I would like to learn other languages in the future.
This bad image that most of the people have for the Iraqis, related to the untruthful Medias , I wish I can start my own media , but unfortunately , I don't have that much money , maybe in the future , who knows ?!!
Few weeks ago I was reading some articles wrote about Iraq, they contained some pics for Iraqi children who were dirty , I do not think that they ever had a shower, they were wearing ripped clothes, and shoeless, I got so mad , the people who might read this article would think that ALL THE CHILDREN IN IRAQ LOOK LIKE THAT .
I talked to my mom about that many times, then I decided, it is a problem, although my diminutive voice can't do much, definitely I can't change what the medias did for years ,I don't have a TV channel nor a famous magazine , BUT I can make a very small change , & it is better than nothing , I can write about that & publish pictures too , I thought that will be great ,effective and that will be fun….
I can part the Iraqi citizens into 2 divisions:
1- The people in villages:
Most of the people in the Iraqi Arab villages are negligent to cleanness, and slovens ( like what we see in the Media), but there are villages like:
Al- Kosh , Bartila , Talkeef , Karakoosh , Bahzany , Bahsheeka , Karamles etc , most of their citizens are Christian, they are nice ,with medium education …….
Most of the people in Kurdish villages, are amazingly beautiful, well-dressed, and live in a sanitary nature ….
-The people in cities:2
The majority of the people are nice looking & educated, but there might be some, more horrible than the people in the villages!!
You see I don't generalize, you can see different varieties of people in my country, educated or not, good or bad, sparkling or dirty…..
I think now you have a better image, & I want to improve it with some pics for my house, the nature, you can see pictures for my brother, sister, & relatives' kids ….
My house is clean, organize, & it is nice for an average Iraqi .
We spend lovely time together in our living room.
Dining room .
My mom's silver collections. They were her grandmother's.
Wooden collection.
We cook our delicious Iraqi meals here.
I think I washed the dishes once here; I should help my mom more! .hehehe
My sister's bedroom.
She obviously likes to own toys..
My room clean, organized, & lovely likes me!
My room in the New Year evening.
My moppets, we sleep together in the night, but I wake up almost in the floor in the morning.
Here where I shine to you from!
Mariam , with our relatives .
My brother Yosif is playing in the garden, it's fun !
Mariam , Janeen , Waseem & Yosif in our garden .
Isn't she lovely? Does the Media show children like her?
Mariam's birthday, wasn't fun without friends in her age.
Lovely motel in Shaklawa .
Kaly Ali Bek , one of the gorgeous places.
A market in Bekhal
Bekhal waterfall in Kurdistan , It's gorgeous , just like it's people.
Valid sunshine's Media …
posted by Sunshine @ 9:03 PM
46 Comments:
Dear Sunshine, yes, you are opening the eyes of those in my country and in other countries as well. It is nice to see the photos of your home (and your cute little brother). Your home is far neater and more organized than either my bookshop, from which I type, or my very rustic cabin in the woods.
And your moppets are precious! I bookmarked your blog some weeks ago and will continue dropping in. Best wishes to you and your family.
It is so wonderful to hear from you Sunshine. I have been worried about you and your family. I agree with you about the media. I read a lot but can never be sure if they are being honest with us or not.
Your home is lovely.
Thank you for your post. Please remember that we love and care for you, your family and fellow country people.
Thank you for your post. I will do what I can to disseminate it!
Sunshine,
I wanted to let you know that I am very proud of you for staying so strong! I am saddened to hear of your Uncle's death. I think that you are an incredible young lady that will do many great things! I am happy to hear that you continue with school. That shows so much devotion! Keep smiling and shinning!
~*Emilee
I think you do a great service to Iraq - you and all the other bloggers. I come here every day so I think I have a good idea what Iraqis are like - well some of them anyway. I agree the media ideas can be different. For one thing the only "civilised" Iraqis we can see are some politicians. And we know from our own TV what a false impression tnat can give!
Take care
starliz
Thanks for all you do to set the record straight, Sunshine. :) I WISH my girls kept their rooms as neat and organized as you and your sister do. You have a lovely home. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I agree with you about the media. The impression I get from TV & magizines is just what you said. All they show is the dirt and filth. You have done your country a big favor by showing that not everybody and everything in Iraq is like that. Show us more.
I AGREE with you 100% about how the media misleads people into seeing what they want them to see. I think that is how a lot of the problems in Iraq got started. From what I have read on other blogs there were no problems between Shia and Sunni's until the media started the problem by reporting that there was one day in and day out. So it became a problem.
It happens here in the U.S. as well. But what really bothers me, is the amount of people that believe what the media report. I can sort of understand people not knowing what Iraq is like if they don't live there. But people here in our own countries, that see how we each live,they still believe what the media reports. I live in the south and we talk with a southern accent. But when something happens in the south, the reporters find the most uneducated person with the worst accent and gets them to speak. So that leads the rest of the country to believe were all uneducated and talk like that. It just is not so. I think it happens everywhere. But if the people would stop allowing the media to control their lives and open their eyes and see things for themselves, the media would stop having the power they seem to have over people. As you can see by my long post this is also something I am passionate about.
Thank you for your post. Keep educating people with your posts. It will catch on eventualy.
Sunshine,
Oddly enough, one of the most informative video news pieces about Iraq I've seen was shot by C-SPAN!
All Americans know that C-SPAN is that cable channel that shows hours and hours of (often) boring political speeches from senators and congressmen.
They sent a video crew to Iraq. They basically set up a camera in various places in Iraq and just showed life unfolding. Because they are C-SPAN and they don't care about ratings, they just let the camera run for long periods of time.
It was interesting because you did not see explosions. You just saw normal Iraqis going about normal life.
This coverage from C-SPAN was probably the most enlightening of all videos I've seen from Iraq in the last 3 years.
Dear Sunshine,
What a nice and neat house you have! Media is always like that. And you did clear things up. Glad you write again, me kind of nervous not hearing from you.
Take care!
Sunshine-
You are your own media!!!
This is the whole reason you are one of my favorite blogs posted on my blog. You are a real person not "filtered" by the media. I want to learn more about you and your country. You have opened my eyes.
I loved what you said about the media only putting indigent people on the news. It happens here too! When something happens here they NEVER get a doctor or teacher they get the person in the bathrobe and with their front teeth missing.
Your home is fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing it with all of us!
Keep on Shining!
Heather-Anne
""""it is unfair at all, got so mad , the people who might read this article would think that ALL THE CHILDREN IN IRAQ LOOK LIKE THAT.
BUT I can make a very small change"""
Yes Sunshine, I couldn't agree more. And I applaud your efforts for bringing up such critically vital topic for discussion. Presenting a false and unrealistic image of the Iraqis is absolutely unfair, much less unethical, particularly since it concerns the pride and dignity of a whole nation.
But sweetie, it seems that you too have erred, doing exactly the same as the people you are criticising!!!
Now where did you get this "Christians with medium education" thing, sunshine?
Besides their distinguishingly characterized civility, Christians of Iraq were all too renowned for possessing a highly honourable level of education.
If not all, then at least three quarters of the children of just about every single Christian family in those villages you mentioned must have acquired at least a bachelor degree.
I know you're way too young, but, sweetie, writing is a huge responsibility, particularly since such erroneous conclusions will mirror negatively upon the image of one slice of the Iraqi society that has always been highly looked upon for being erudite
My advice to you is: do your homework well next time, sunshine. If you’re lacking in references then just ask. I will be more than happy to provide you with more accurate figures.
""""So many people in Iraq speak English (it's the second language here, we start taking English lessons in the 5th class primary school), I take private French lessons every Friday as well. I would like to learn other languages in the future.""""
One more correction, sunshine:
Having always been the favourtie pick of elite Iraqis, Christian schools, renowned for decades for being reputable, posh and unaccessible to the majority of the willing, were and still are teaching English from year one in Primary schools. French likewise, was taught in nunnery schools way before the government started teaching it in its few handpicked public schools.
That’s another reason why the majority of Iraqi Christians speak relatively good English.
May
Sunshine,
I saw a guitar in one of those pictures and a keyboard.
You, your sister and little brother should record a song for us and the rest of the world to hear!
grayday101 Wrote:
"""this assertion is astonishing. I doubt that can be said of any country, even the US or Europe"""
Primarily, I won’t take “astonishing” as a cynical remark, but approving rather. Iraqis after all, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or else, were by and large celebrated the world over for their obsession with education and knowledge. Education has always been for free. Iraqi numerous universities graduated over the years hundreds of thousands of students in various fields of knowledge and science. Had the coalition governments realized this fact earlier, the rigorousness of today’s reality would have been surely averted.
Grayday101 wrote:
""I have Googled your statement every way possible, and came up blank. See the USAID report on education in Iraq here:
http://tinyurl.com/fq6k9""
what a naïve approach Grayday, looking for such statistics over the net? Christian community in Iraq has always been a vulnerable minority that has been marginalized for decades. Iraqi Christians worked out their affairs through their own churches and self-founded-and-funded social institutions.
And no, I wasn’t patronizing, Mr. Grayday, don't go assuming now. Sunshine was mad at the media for the negatively externalised images of Iraq and Iraqis, and I was annoyed for the erroneousness of info provided. She and I are Iraqis after all. We can work the matter out between us. And I don't thing Sunshine is in need of a laywer. Simple as that…
Troll?
Absurd….
حبيبتي شموسة
لا تزعلين من صراحتي
ومثل ما نقول بالعربي
الاختلاف في وجهات النظر لا يفسد للود قضية
يعني انا وانت نظل عراقيين واحباب وقلوبنا على بعض
واللي يوجعكي اكيد يوجعني
وانا اعتذر اذا اذيتو مشاعركي
وهاي مثل ما قتشوفين
قداحكي معاكي بالمصلاوي
يعني انا وانت مو بس عراقيين ولكن ايضا مصالوي مثل بعض
مع حبي وتقديري
اللكي ولماما
مي
Dear Sunshine,
First, I am glad you are writing and that I was fortunate to find your blog. It is, with few exceptions, as you say with media, which is why more people are driven to the internet and alternative media here in the US and I belive eleswhere in the world. Apparently, the media belives that unless it is bad news, or depressing news, it is not worth their time. You have a lovely home, (if only my home looked one-quarter that neat!) Thank you for sharing! You may be young, but you make an excellent teacher and give hope to the future.
Hello Sunshine,
I am an occasional reader from Finland. I just wanted to say that your house is not that much different from inside that what we have here. Perhaps the colours are a bit different, but especially the kitchen looks very familiar. Perhaps the media is obsessed in portraying Iraq as extremely poor nation.
I know how that is. It happens even here in the U.S. because most national news organizations are centered in New York. Whenever they come down to Arkansas, Oklahoma or Texas (very far away) they always choose the dirtiest, ugliest, fattest, most ignorant people they can find to do interviews, and always in the WORST environments. That's one of the reasons why I don't trust the media.
Thanks for showing us those pictures...that furniture is BEAUTIFUL...whoever made it needs to export it.
Dear Sunshine
Love your blog and your mother's wish she would post more. The twists the media puts on things what ever side they are on, requires people like you to challenge them. The truth can only be freed by keeping the information flowing. If either side suppresses free speach all will lose . bE CAREFULL , TAKE CARE OF YOUR SELF, FAMILY AND FRIENDS and work for the life you want and deserve.
Hi Sunshine,
You have a lovely home, bnicer than most of our American homes, I think :)
The media always presents one side of the story. At least, that's what they've been doing s long as I can remember. They decide which case has merit, and then they present that case, and only that case. Sometimes they decide based on what they think the viewers are interested in, and sometimes they make their decisions to support some sort of agenda.
It seems to be universal too. I'm not aware of any news outlet, anywhere in teh world, that I would *really* call reputable.
On most issues, you can try to find the reality by cross-checking multiple news sources... but when it comes to Iraq, all it seems that gets reported (by anybody) is the bad.
Anon 1:42:
Iraqi numerous universities graduated over the years hundreds of thousands of students in various fields of knowledge and science. Had the coalition governments realized this fact earlier, the rigorousness of today’s reality would have been surely averted.
The coalition governments did realize this. That's why the decision was made that democracy in the Arab world had the best chance to take hold in Iraq. They were right in that assessment, in my opinion.
I'm not sure how you think the current situation could have been averted - I have some theories of my own - but I think your baseline assumption is flawed. I'd say the miscalculation that was amde was about how religious the avergae Iraqi is. Iraq was thought to be a secular society, and I don't think that's turned out to be true. I think that's been the biggest problem faced in Iraq, and one that is insurmounatble. Religion is not compatibile with democracy. The west learned that the hard way, centuries ago. It's not a lesson we need to learn again, and I think things might have been done differently if the powers that be had known important religion is in Iraq.
Sunshine,
There is a saying that goes; "Sunshine is the best disinfectant".
You are part of the media from Iraq. With out your posts I wouldn't know anything about the schools nor family life in Iraq.
I know you are busy and can't devote much time to blogging, but I appreciate what you have done so far, and hope my support will encourage you to enlighten and to disinfect the world with your sunshine.
Thank you for the wonderful pictures. I sit here smiling from ear to ear. What beautiful scenery. I'm so glad you have had the calling to open the eyes of the world Sunshine! Bless you.
Lovely home and beautiful pictures.
It all looks wonderful to me. Mariam is a beautiful girl. Did she turn 9 years old on her birthday?
Thank you Sunshine for everything you post. It is always so fantastically beautiful.
Peace Be Upon You Sunshine. Thanks for sharing. Your special.
Peace.
I definitely prefer to read your blog than to watch CNN or other "big media" outlets. Thanks for sharing the photos! The pics of the waterfalls are beautiful!
Salaam Sunshine!
The pictures are beautiful! Your siblings are cuties! :) I love reading your blog. Need to polish my Arabic. One day I'm going to visit Iraq to see all these beautiful places myself!
Wishing peace in Iraq and the whole world!
Thanks for putting up some pictures, Sunshine. You're a credit to your generation.
Sunshine: You have a lovely home and family. Thank you for sharing them.
Your comment about the media was very accurate. As I was looking through the pictures, my 13-year-old daughter looked at the one of Mariam and asked who she was. I replied, "An Iraqi girl."
My daughter's instant response? "It can't be - she's wearing jeans!" She assumed all Iraqi women and girls were required to wear dresses and skirts. She was also quite impressed by the fact that your kitchen is far more modern than our own.
Hi Sunshine, This is Elham from Iran. It's good to see that all of Iraqies are not living the way they show on TV. I agree with you, Medias are not showing the truth. It's the same with Iran and Iranians.
Be successful & go on your good work.
With her short hair and jeans, Mariam could easily pass for an American girl.
You are really amazing, Sunshine. Even with all the tragedy in your life (like your Uncle S's death, I'm so sorry for that as an American, I hope your family is continuing getting justice and an investigation) yet you still sound so optimistic.
You are right that the media doesn't show anything but the images they want us to see. If you go to CNN, or Fox News or MSNBC (the major news channels in the US), they prefer to talk about the politics of Iraq rather than its people. Reading Iraqi bloggers and how intelligent they are (especially since they are writing not writing in their native language and especially since so many, like you and Raghda and HNK and Dalia are still in primary school) is not something we see in the media. You are doing a special service by telling us how it is.
I must say though I'm a bit jealous though, your home looks cleaner and neater than almost every American one I've ever been in...especially my own!
Hi Sunshine,
I stopped by to check out the blog once again to see if you updated and you did, good job. You are right about the media displaying those type of images about average iraqis as being dirty & poor. I love the pictures you took it gives us all a more personal look on your daily surroundings. I sent you an email but I never heard from you so I am thinking you didn't receive it..
Anyway ukht hope everything is well with you and the family. Drop me a line sometime. مع السلامة
Hi Sunshine,
I love your site. Yours is a voice that should be heard by more people. And with that in mind...
Would you be willing to be interviewed on our talk radio podcast? I am trying to find Iraqi bloggers who want to have their voice heard. If you are interested please let me know.
Thanks
Matt Ready
mattready@gmail.com
http://www.vaestro.com
Hi Sunshine, Wow your home is neat and clean. I as an American don't believe everything a newschannel shows. Your pictures show another side of the Iraq that we rarely see. Keep it up Sunshine, be proud of your family and country. You have a beautiful home! Take care, keep writing Sunshine. I check your blog every day almost to see how you and your family are doing. Thanks for being a courageous kid! Anna's Mom
I think it is sad that other bloggers must argue between what she has posted. It is her opinion of a girl of her age. In America we call it the 1st Amendment Freedom of Speech. She did not ask for a critique of her writing. I ENJOY her blogs all the time and am glad to know that she has the courage & spunk of a child her age to raise her voice to be heard. ANNAS MOM
OHHHH your little brother is sooooo cute!!! and your sister,i love your room btw it rox, kina like mine, but cleaner :P hehe
how come there werent any pics of u
?
Sunshine: Don't forget that for security reasons you should not post your picture on the blog. Like everyone else I would love to see you but your security is more important.
Sunshine, thank you so much for your words and your images. THIS is your media, blogging is your medium, and I appreciate hearing from you each and every time you post.
What a lovely and beautiful home, Sunshine! It looks much cleaner and nicer than my apartment. :) I don't blame you for being frustrated at the media showing pictures of rural and poor Iraqis like they represented the whole country, either. Unfortunately, that's part of what the media does: pick out the extreme and present it as the norm. Keep shining your light!
Anonymous 5:01:
I live in the south and we talk with a southern accent. But when something happens in the south, the reporters find the most uneducated person with the worst accent and gets them to speak. So that leads the rest of the country to believe were all uneducated and talk like that.
My best friend is from Oklahoma. She doesn't have much of an accent. When I asked her about it one time, she said she had worked really hard to lose it, because "if people hear a strong southern accent, they think you're a hick." An unfortunate example of regional stereotyping....
Sunshine,
Just heard of another car bomb in Mosul.
Hope you and your family are OK.
Very nice pictures :-)
Thanks for posting this.
you have no idea how this means to me.
I'm going to share this with my friends in our squadron.
Dear Sunshine, am Sami, an iraqi youngman, 28 years old, I like your writings and you are right about how the media, intentionally or not, makes false impressions sometimes about a country... And I notice how you dare about the others percept the picture of our country .. and that tells me how much you like Iraq ...but am not ok with you in one important point and that is how you percept yourself the other iraqis from different culture than yours... you do not like ABAYIA .. you mention the word ABBAYIA too much with disgrace, and also DISHDASHA and other things ... well Sunshine this is the culture of a large sector of iraq population, who are also nice and there is nothing to disgrace about them... arab villages as you mention them are beautiful especially many of them are around rivers covered by palms... Sunshine you got to know more about other cultures in Iraq ...
dear sweet sunshine, of course they have shown some negative reflections but noone really sees that there are more than those people there, noone truly knows the real challenges of how someone lives their life on a daily bases a challenge to stay alive becuz of the danger the country faces each day just for you to get a eduacation so in many ways u have opened americas eyes to the real truth.best wishes to you and your family you are a very talented and special girl, stay strong in time countrys will b as they should have been as one and without the violence
god bless you
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the kids are so beautiful!!!!...u are right..this is definitely what the media doesn't show!!
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