Iraq

Obvious stereotypes within Iraqi media :Obvious stereotypes within Iraqi media Presented by Ashley L. Osborne


introduction :introduction Iraq is a country ravished by decades of continuous war, and the image of its people has been affected by it. The western world’s perception of the Iraqi people tends to be deeply rooted in stereotypes. We imagine ruthless terrorist dressed in rags and turbans, women with absolutely no rights covered in clothing from head to toe, children running around with guns, people living in caves and so forth.


television :television Iraq’s media has been making efforts to break these negative images and stereotypes of its people. Alsumaria TV, one of Iraq’s most popular satellite TV Networks, mission is “to show the world that Iraq isn’t a country where everyday people suffer and die, but rather a place where people live, work, get married and struggle to lead long and normal existence”. (Alsumaria TV)


Television :Television Iraqi entertainment television is very similar to U.S. television, with game shows, celebrity gossip, sitcoms, talent search, reality TV, and music videos and so forth.


Television :Television The female celebrities who host these shows fit the European standards of beauty with a hint of traditional flare. They tend to be very fair skinned, tall, slim, blonde as well as brunette.


Television :Television The male celebrities are usually tall dark and handsome. Their style of clothing is very westernized as well as their hair cuts.


television :television Iraq’s various governments over the years have been plagued by corruption. “Naam… Yakhfa Al Qamar” is a satirical sitcom that criticizes the past and present administrations through comedy.


Print media :Print media Iraq’s print media is infested with articles on the war and its corrupt politics. Topics outside of that are very limited. This dark humor cartoon by Muayad Naama, illustrates a car salesmen pointing out to the stereotypical terrorist which vehicle is best for car bombs. This illustration, and others like it, is used to make people laugh and take a break from sorrow.


Print media :Print media This Iraq war advertisement is makes a blatant statement about their opinion of the war being about oil. The subtext “we get to the point” plays largely on the stereotype, which in this case is rooted in truth.


Print media :Print media This illustration was published in Iraq’s Kitabat Newspaper along with the article entitled “Thank Allah the Virginia Killer wasn’t Muslim”. The article covers the Virginia Tech massacre with the author very grateful that the killer was not a Muslim, which would have added to their western world stereotype and resentment.


film :film Iraqi films have been heavily tied to the theme of war; this is due in part to the fact that most of their films are documentaries. Iraq in fragments tells the story of ordinary Iraqi’s in post war Iraq. It is a documentary that explores Iraqi society. The following link is a trailer for the movie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z39tD1wK6wA


film :film Voices of Iraq is a unique documentary about present day Iraq. Producer Eric Manes explained, "Without Iraqis as the directors, we would have seen Iraq and its people only through the filter of Western eyes. We certainly would not have had the access or the emotional intimacy that was captured in the film."


conclusion :conclusion Iraq’s media, similar to the media of most countries, has inevitably created its own internal stereotypes of its people. However unlike most countries Iraq also has to fight to shed the negative external stereotypes of its people.


Work cited :Work cited http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Entertainment-programs-iraq/1-1/index.html http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/about_us.html http://www.alsumaria.tv/picture_gallery.php?picc_id=5 http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.futureofthebook.org/sivavaidhyanathan/archives/iraq.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.sivacracy.net/2005/05/iraqi_cartoons.html&h=430&w=650&sz=57&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=marsMhEAu4beHM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3DMuayad%2BNaama%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7GGIH http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://blog.miragestudio7.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/n24_german_news_network_advertisement_01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.miragestudio7.com/2005/12/n24-iraq-war-advertisement/&h=638&w=450&sz=95&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=CEHI1UYcmj4dtM:&tbnh=137&tbnw=97&prev=/images%3Fq%3DIraq%2Bads%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7GGIH http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://watchingamerica.com/images/iraqvirginiacalgary_cartoon.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.watchingamerica.com/kitabat000006.shtml&h=504&w=504&sz=81&hl=en&start=10&um=1&tbnid=IR6R8FH2FKz0tM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3DKitabat%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7GGIH%26sa%3DN  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0492466/plotsummary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z39tD1wK6wA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voices_of_Iraq


Characteristics of Journalism Foundations and Practices in Iraq :Characteristics of Journalism Foundations and Practices in Iraq By:Justin Milan


All is fair in love and… :All is fair in love and… After four years into the war Iraq still remains the deadliest country in the world for reporters. As a result, accurate and unbiased journalism has grown vulnerable at the hands of war. Now, the war itself has sparked a debate on how acceptable the journalistic virtues in Iraq really are.


All is fair in love and… :All is fair in love and… Journalistic coverage regarding the telling of truth, independent reporting, skepticism of official accounts, giving different sides of the story as well as showing sensitivity and understanding are areas of reporting that have been jeopardized within the Iraqi media due to ongoing war. Instead of delivering the truth, giving different sides of the story and showing sensitivity, the Iraqi media has transformed itself into a political tool used by the government to protect the countries personal interests.


Agenda Setting/Framing :Agenda Setting/Framing In Iraq, the agenda setting and framing is based off of the war. The Iraqi media demonizes the enemy and draws a distinct line between the good and the bad. For Iraq, Saddam Hussein, his recently fallen regime, along with both Sunni and Shiite Terrorists represent everything evil in the country. On the opposite side to that evil is the Iraqi Government(includes the media), which of course, represents everything good, fair, and just in the country. The United States is also on this side of the spectrum.


Agenda Setting/Framing :Agenda Setting/Framing Now that the country can decipher between who “good guys” are and who the “bad guys” are, their citizens can now “trust” the media. Once this trust is established between the Iraqi media and it’s people, the trust in turn falls victim to abuse through biased reporting, construction of the truth, sensitization, and many other unethical practices that fundamentally benefit the Iraqi Government and its image around the world.


Agenda Setting/Framing :Agenda Setting/Framing Through implementing their agenda setting and framing, the Iraqi media possesses a strong influence over the audience by their choice of what stories to consider newsworthy and how much prominence and space to give them. Agenda setting and framing in Iraq is fundamental to their ability to transfer important items on their mass agenda (Government interest) to the public agenda (Society’s interest).


Agenda Setting/Framing :Agenda Setting/Framing The Iraq war is a perfect tool for agenda setting in Iraq for the reason that there is so much classified information. Therefore the media is their only outlet to the issue. The media is their eyes and ears and since they do not have top secret clearance as ordinary citizens, the media in this case will possess complete power. Meaning that they can say and write whatever they wish and we have to “trust” their word for it because no one else can possess or attain the information that big media controls.


"The press may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about.” Bernard C. Cohen 1963 :"The press may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about.” Bernard C. Cohen 1963


Journalistic Shift :Journalistic Shift The need for change in Iraq’s approach to journalism and the media has grown more apparent as a direct result of the lengthy duration of the war. Newsroom managers throughout Iraq as well as other middle east countries have come to recognize the need for improved standards among the regions journalists. As a result, media training has now been transformed into a large and prosperous industry in Iraq, with governments and foundations as well as some of the media industry’s biggest names all contributing at this attempt of journalistic reform.


Journalistic Shift :Journalistic Shift To shape the Iraqi media into approaching Journalism in a more western way will definitely take a tremendous effort from both the Iraqi Government and the organizations that are involved. There are many aspects of journalism to build on in Iraq, but there are also significant differences that could potentially hold back and hinder a beneficial and intuitive process. The most significant difference of all is culture. The clash of cultures between traditional Iraqi journalists and the help from the west.


Journalistic Shift :Journalistic Shift Presumably the most significant contributor to this shift in journalism is coming from BBC. As a recognized and respected media company, BBC is now trying to deliver their journalistic values to the Iraqi people. Not only will they train the new journalists their virtues and values on journalism, BBC plans on training them in their native tongue. BBC believes that this unique process will play a fundamental role in bettering the transition from culture to culture. Speaking in the native tongue of the Iraqi journalists allows them as apprentices to have an open avenue of communication with their trainers as well.


Journalistic Shift :Journalistic Shift Many skeptics believe that this attempt to change journalism in the Middle East is merely a waste of funding but others have hope. Jaldeep Katwaala, a project manager for BBC training operations said this when asked about BBC’s involvement in the Iraq media market “I think that we have a philosophy really of doing no harm. In that sense we are trying to deliver BBC values, BBC journalism, professionalism.”


Uses of Propaganda in the Media :Uses of Propaganda in the Media Kristina Montes


Slide 28 :This is an example of Middle Eastern War propaganda. This was taken from a video that showed different pictures from the war. I think this was put in the middle of the video to influence Iraqi patriotism. Iraq at War


Electronic Media :Electronic Media Most media in Iraq is government owned. The government does not permit independent broadcasting. The government controls all radio frequencies. There were radio license fees in 1936, but because of license evasion, the government abolished this tax in the 1940’s.


Television :Television This is an Iraqi Television news introduction.


Television :Television 25 television stations were broadcasting in Arabic, Kurdish, Turkmen, and Assyrian. The most popular television stations were the independent al Sharqiya and state-owned al Iraqiya. Baghdad Television is owned by the government, therefore making their propaganda and views on political and social issues more bias. The government promotes national culture by instructing writers and creators of programming to produce domestic programming that reflects government ideology and policy.


Iraqi Radio :Iraqi Radio This picture illustrates Iraqi soldiers listening to the Iraqi radio stations in a time of war. They are listening to the Iraqi Government-owned radio stations.


Radio Stations :Radio Stations There are three radio stations in Iraq. All of which are government owned. In addition to music, the stations serve as the official voice of the government. All the revenues they get from commercials are automatically submitted to the Finance Ministry and are not used by the station for budget expenditures.


Iraqi Newspaper :Iraqi Newspaper The Iraqi newspapers serve as the voice of different state institutions and government organizations. This goes to show that propaganda executed by government will always be in their favor and always make them look good. Since the government owns pretty much every form of media in Iraq, everything is always in their favor.


Sources :Sources http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.psywarrior.com/3045IraqRadio.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.psywarrior.com/RadioLeaflet2.html&h=582&w=450&sz=58&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=U6ATza3GZM-IZM:&tbnh=134&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Diraqi%2Bradio%2Bstation%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DN http://rockhawk.com/iraq.htm http://iraqataglance.blogspot.com/alsabah.jpg http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZDumvkO15TU http://youtube.com/watch?v=saaB6P4PZhc&feature=related Just Added:Hurrat, Khalid S., and Lisa I. Leidig. Mass Media in the Middle East. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood P, 1994. 96-108.


Globalization of Regional and Local Media of Iraq :Globalization of Regional and Local Media of Iraq By: Michele Meyer


Globalization: :Globalization: To extend ideas, customs, institutions, and attitudes to other or all parts of the globe In Iraq globalization is interpreted as “Awlaama” Globalization of Media consists of television programming, news, internet, etc.


Media in Iraq :Media in Iraq There are approximately 80 radio broadcast stations and 21 television broadcast stations, as of 2004. There are approximately 4.85 million radios and 1.75 million televisions in Iraq. The main source of communication in Iraq is the Iraqi Broadcasting and Television Establishment (IBTE) Most of Iraq’s transmitters are located in Baghdad The IBTE was dissolved after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein After Saddam Hussein’s overthrow, there was a new broadcasting system called the Iraqi Communications and Media Commission.


Media in Iraq :Media in Iraq The Public Broadcaster is called the Iraqi Media Network, which currently operates radio and television Other radio broadcasting systems are called; Radio Sawa, AFN and BFBS. The sole Iraqi internet service provider is called Uruklink Major telephone communication system is called Orascom Telecom There are currently 23 newspapers in Iraq today, the main newspaper is called Azzaman.


Balance between Military & Media :Balance between Military & Media The relationship between Military and Media has always been a no win situation During Vietnam Media had free access which worked against the U.S. Military Grenada, Panama, and Desert Storm were considered good for the Military but bad for the Media because they were not covered up close In 2003, it seemed as though a perfect balance between Military and the Media was found, due to people from different Media fields from around the world were introduced into the coalition.


Satellite Broadcasting :Satellite Broadcasting The middle East was first introduced to Satellite Broadcasting in 1991 during the Gulf War The first satellite station was CNN This brought on the beginning of 24-hour satellite news coverage But it also caused dissatisfaction with terrestrial TV news Satellite TV is considered a medium of cultural globalization


Reasons for Regional Satellite TV Broadcastings Success :Reasons for Regional Satellite TV Broadcastings Success The ability to reach all types of audiences (literate and illiterate) Satisfy the desire for home based entertainment Important role in uniting people who were separated by war, migration, and exile


Declining Media Coverage of the War :Declining Media Coverage of the War In 2007, the War in Iraq accounted for 10% of network news In 2008, it dramatically decreased to 3% On cable networks it went from 24% to 1%


Media Coverage :Media Coverage Democrats generally think the media is accurate Four out of ten Americans agree that the news medias coverage of the Iraq War is accurate A majority of Americans believe the news medias coverage of the situation in Iraq is generally inaccurate Some think the media portrays too negative a picture Two-thirds of Republicans think coverage is too negative Positive Negative


Work Cited :Work Cited Amin, Hussain. “Satellite Realms: Transnational Television, Globalization and the Middle East.” The Middle East Journal 56.4 (Autumn 2002): 724(3). Academic OneFile. Gale. Florida International University. 16 July 2008 < http://find.galesroup.com.ezproxy.fiu.edu/itx/start.do?prodId=AONE > McLane, Brendan R. “Embedded: The Media at War in Iraq.” Parameters 35.2 (Summer 2005): 172(2). Academic OneFile. Gale. Florida International Univerosty. 16 July 2008 Newport, Frank. “Majority of Americans View Media Coverage of Iraq as Inaccurate; Most likely to say coverage is too negative.” Gallup Poll News Service (Jan 4, 2007): NA. Academic OneFile. Gale. Florida International University. 16 July 2008 < http://find.galesroup.com.ezproxy.fiu.edu/itx/start.do?prodId=AONE > Ricchiardi, Sherry. “Whatever happened to Iraq? How the media lost interest in a long-running war with no end in sight.” American Journalism Review 30.3 (June-July 2008): 20(8). Academic OneFile. Gale. Florida International University. 16 July 2008


Slide 46 :Multicultural and Ethnic Media By: Tiffaney McCullough


Slide 47 :Ethnic media is growing very rapidly all over the world. Some countries are able to keep up with the changes in communication and information technology, while other countries are getting adjusted to this new age of technology, like the country of Iraq.


Slide 48 :The current media situation in the Arab world is very different from its past years. The media in Iraq has made major improvements by taking advantage of the new information and communication technology. This “new wave” of media has arrived, represented by Arab satellite channels, online newspapers and magazines, and the news websites on the Internet.


Slide 49 : During Saddam’s rule, the media was a way of glorifying his regime. Anyone who insulted or criticized the President could be sentenced to death. Saddam’s son, Uday, dominated the media with his newspapers, television, and radio stations. Satellite dishes were banned and you could be fined and sent to jail if you were caught using them. Non-Iraqi newspapers were banned, and the Internet was controlled by the government. During Saddam’s rule…


Slide 50 :These restraints put a lot of dangers on journalists, most of the time it went as far as death. During Saddam’s rule…


Slide 51 :During Saddam’s rule… Media freedom existed in Iraq, but only what was allowed by the government. Journalists were only able to express what they were ordered to. In this picture, it shows how journalists were dictated to capture the burning of Israeli and American flag. This was very appealing to the Iraqi leaders.


Slide 52 :The levels of press freedom and plurality were under strict, almost total dominance of the government and political rule in Iraq. The current form of Iraqi journalism was formed under the mobilization model, and it still has those same ideas rather than those of the “democratic” model. Some of these ideas have now been changed and Iraqi journalism has brought on a very important factor to determine the direction of the development of its journalism.


Slide 53 :After Saddam’s rule… The Coalition Provisional Authority established Iraqi Media Network, which started al Sabah newspaper and also started many radio & television channels. Many newspapers appeared replacing the old newspapers. A new era in media began in Iraq.


Slide 54 :After Saddam’s rule… There were 105 daily and weekly publications and also 90 radio and television stations in Iraq. Political rule began to realize the importance of media and how this media could help enforce new freedoms.


Slide 55 :Once banned under Saddam, satellite television is watched by almost 70% of Iraqi people. Some of the television stations are AL-Iraqiya, Al-Sharqiya, Kurdistan Satellite Channel, and KurdSat.


Slide 56 :There are more than 100 newspapers and magazines in Baghdad. Most political parties owned the newspapers, television, and radio stations. Some of the press are Al-Sabah, Al-Zaman, Al-Mada, Al-Mashriq, Al-Dustur, and Al-Manarah.


Slide 58 :Soap operas and comedies are popular in Iraq. These television programs allow the Iraqi people to get away from the dangerous society they live in. A popular program is Caricatura. It’s about children kidnapping adults or a police officer trying to bribe drivers. Iraqi viewers enjoy this program. The rise of satellite broadcasting has helped with the Iraqi media production . Since the huge increase in the number of satellite channels and broadcasting hours has led to imported movies and programs.


Slide 59 :The media in Iraq has overcame many obstacles, but it is still in need of balance between professional media coverage and media freedom. Media in Iraq was originally made for the government, which was not built on justice, freedom, or equality. Some political figures feel that the Iraqi people are losing their identity as a culture by having influences of different cultures in their media. The Iraqi people need to agree on a common definition of Iraqi identity, in order to expand to higher planes in the media.


Slide 60 :Work Cited Borden, Anthony (2003, June 20). Chaos in the Iraqi Media. Retrieved July 25, 2008, from www.iwpr.net Web site: http://www.iwpr.net/?p=icr&s=f&o=167786&apc_state=heniicr200306 Johnstone, Diana (2002). Fools Crusade. New York, NY: Monthly Review Press. Lewis, Jeff (2005). Language Wars: The Role of Media and culture in global terror and political violence. Ann Arbor, MI: Pluto Press Sakr, Naomi, & Al-Othman, Fahd (2006). Arab media in the Information Age.Abu Dhabi: The Emirates Center for Strategies Studies and Research.


Slide 61 :A Seed in the Desert Al-Jazeera’s Presence in Iraqi Media Presented by Jessica Washington


Introduction :Introduction From 1997, when Al-Jazeera first opened a bureau in the Iraqi capital, the network covered events in Iraq more extensively than any other Arab news station. The biggest Arabic news channel, MBC, had no one at all in the country. By questioning everything, Al-Jazeera has opened a window to issues long avoided and restricted by regimes in Iraq, and throughout the Middle East. Since Iraq was friendless in the Arab world , Al-Jazeera’s presence in Iraq sparked suspicion. This fact became evident later on, when Al Jazeera was forced to close its office in Baghdad. (see slide titled Closing-Up Shop) Nonetheless ,the Iraqi people regard the new Iraqi television as similar to that of the former regime because both are "propaganda" television, and give no useful information about events in Iraq. For a less biased take on current Iraq events, the Iraqi people turn to the satellite television channel, Al-Jazeera.


Up Close and Personal :Up Close and Personal Al Jazeera has front row seats to all that occurs in the Middle East, Iraq in particular, with its tumultuous political situation. In the run up to the war, the number of staff Al-Jazeera had in Iraq was increased from three to more than 30. Many times, footage aired on CNN of the war in Iraq, bears Al Jazeera’s logo underneath CNN’s. Josh Rushing works for Al Jazeera English as a military and current affairs correspondent.


Programming :Programming Programs with Audience Input Opposite Direction Open Dialogue No Frontiers More than One Opinion For Women Only  Al Jazeera Platform  News Programs Al Jazeera This Morning   Between the Lines    Economic Bulletin News Bulletins  Today's Harvest  Today's Interview       Weekly File


Internet :Internet The war in Iraq is the first Internet war. An increasing amount of people are turning to Aljazeera.net expecting the same type of Iraq exclusives that appear on the Al-Jazeera television channel Unfortunately, only an estimated 36,000 Iraqis (0.1% of population) have internet access. Therefore, Al-Jazeera’s reach relies heavily on its television channel. Internet Café in Iraq


The Price of media liberalization in Iraq :The Price of media liberalization in Iraq


Accusations :Accusations Al Jazeera has been accused of: Being Osama Bin Laden’s network of choice In the words of Saudi Arabian authorities "serving up poison on a silver platter” Being an instrument of Iraqi intelligence Being linked to the Iraqi resistance Inciting violence against US troops in Iraq


Censorship :Censorship A simple cartoon says it all… By Khalil Bendib


Closing-Up Shop :Closing-Up Shop On September 23, 2003, Iraq suspended Al Jazeera from reporting on official government activities for two weeks for what the Council stated as supporting recent attacks on council members and Coalition occupational forces. On August 7, 2004 the Iraqi Allawi government shut down the Iraq office of Al Jazeera, claiming that it was responsible for presenting a negative image of Iraq, and charging the network with fueling anti-Coalition hostilities.


Slide 70 :On a lighter note…A heavy metal band from Iraq has been building a steady international fan base. The group was forced to flee Baghdad during the war, and though they're now seeking refugee status in Turkey, their ultimate goal is to jam back home. Below a segment from “Al-Jazeera This Morning” gives us a glimpse into the lives of the band mates.


Conclusion :Conclusion Al-Jazeera has challenged the world of journalism with its controversial approach to journalism. It has called for greater political openness and fought against Arab leaders who wish to intervene in Al-Jazeera policy, nudging Middle East media back to the stone age. Thanks to Al Jazeera the Iraqi people have a voice, their stories are being heard not just in the Middle East, but in the West as well.


References :References Miles, H. (2005). Al-Jazeera: How Arab TV News Challenged the World. London, England: Abacus. El-Nawawy, M., Iskandar A. (2002). Al-Jazeera: How the Free Arab News Network Scooped the World and Changed the Middle East. Cambridge, MA: Westview. Al Jazeera English –AJE. (2003-2008) Corporate Profile. Retrieved July 20, 2008 from http://english.aljazeera.net/aboutus/ Al Jazeer TV: Arabic News Satellite Channel. (2007) Al Jazeera TV Popular Programs. Retrieved July 20, 2008 from http://www.allied-media.com/aljazeera/


Iraqi Pop Culture :Iraqi Pop Culture Music: Kathem Al Saher, "Atfal Al Iraq Al Hazina Bi Ai Thanb Yuktaloon" (Children of the heartbreaking Iraq, for what fault are they being killed)


Clothing :Clothing Traditional clothing for men include: Dishdasha- Normally ankle-length, and white Kaffiyeh- a white or checked square scarf usually folded into a triangle Agal- a circular black rope used to hold the kaffiyeh Traditional clothing for women include: Abayah- a long black cloak worn over a dress to cover up completely the woman Asha- a black head scarf Foota- black chin scarf


Culinary Arts :Culinary Arts Iraqi Beverages Iraqis usually drink tea all day Shinina is a type of yogurt that is drunk midday for lunch. Appetizers Traditional appetizers usually consist of soups, salads, and boiled peas, beans and eggs. Main Dishes Main Dishes come in 3 categories: Rice- Plain white rice or Stuffed Meat- Beef, Chicken, or Pork Meats are grounded, diced or with bone


Consumption :Consumption Iraq's main source of income is petroleum. The two main oil fields/mines are: Near Ar Rumaylah Near Mosul and Kirkūk However, agriculture also helps stimulate the economy The 3 main crops farmed in Iraq are Wheat Barley Rice


Sports :Sports The most played sport is Soccer Over the past decade, Iraq has been a champion soccer team with several titles; 2007 AFC Asian Cup Champions 2006 Asian Games Runner up Gainedd 4th place in the 2004 Summer Olympics


Literature :Literature Iraqi poets are among the best in the Arab world. Most poets brought out important issues through their poems Badr Shakir al-Sayyab and ‘Abd al-Wahhab al-Bayati dedicated much of their poetry to Iraq’s society and much of its politics. The most famous and respected novelist was Dhu al-Nun Ayyub, whose stories mostly revolved around social issues.


Arts :Arts Iraqi artist and sculptors are ranked as the best in the Arab World. The first generation of Artist came in the 1940’s Baghdad is enriched with open-air sculptures and monuments. Most of which glorify Hussien.


Iraq: The Land :Iraq: The Land Iraq is a barren desert, yet with vast rivers and mighty mountains. Iraq can be divided in 4 parts: Mesopotamia- A delta plain housing the Euphrates and Tigris rivers the upper river plains- Lies between the upper Euphrates and Tigris rivers the northeastern mountains- Home of the Zagros Mountains the western and southern desert- Part of the Syrian Desert


Spirituality :Spirituality Muslims make up 96 percent of Iraq’s population. About 60 to 65 percent of the Muslims adhere to the Shia branch About 40 to 35 percent are from the Sunni branch The rest of the 4 percent of the population is Yazidis and Christians.


Cuneiform Writing :Cuneiform Writing The latest cuneiform inscriptions date from the 1st century ad. Cuneiform writing, which originated in southern Mesopotamia, was mostly likely written by Sumerians-Lived on Iraq. The code of Hammurubi was the first set of laws written in Cuneifrom


Invention of the Wheel :Invention of the Wheel The oldest wheel known to man was discovered in Mesopotamia in 3500b.c. The oldest use of the wheel was as a potters wheel. The first use of the wheel as transportation was in Mesopotamia in 3200b.c.


Architecture :Architecture Most of the best architecture in Iraq is found in Baghdad. There are several buildings dating from the period of British rule. There are also a few buildings of the Ottoman Empire left. Yet there are several mosque left and are preserved like the gold-domed mosque in the suburb of Kazimayn. Home of 2 Shia imams – Spiritual leaders


Music :Music Jewish singers are a main influence to Iraqi music. The 4 main types are: Maqamat- Classical Arab music Monologat – Include humor in their songs Pestat- Poetry sung to music Budhiyat- hymnlike type of music Pop Iraqi music was created in the 1970’s It was a mixture of cultural music with European Pop Quick Facts The Most Popular Station until the Saddaim Hussein was “Voice of Youth”.   Station played rock, hip hop, and pop music.   Due to international economic sanctions songs were imported via JORDAN.


Slide 86 :Popular Artists         The Corrs are a Celtic folk rock group from Dundalk, Ireland. Westlife is an Irish pop band that was formed on July 3, 1998. They were signed on by Simon Cowell and are currently managed by Louis Walsh. Iraq has also produced a major pan-Arab pop star-in-exile Kazem al Saher, whose songs include "Ladghat E-Hayya"---The Snake Bite, which was banned by Saddam Hussein for its racy lyrical content.