book review: the sirens of baghdad
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7/23/2019 Book Review: The Sirens of Baghdad
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Snh ]grhks `b Ajencjc
Wjslgkj Onjcrj
A``o Qhvghw
Unhk gkk`mhkmh gs d`st curgke j tglh `b
wjr, tnh uktngkojadh mjk njpphk . . .
J trjgd `b chstrumtg`k dhbt ahngkc wnhk Jlhrgmjk s`dcghrs
gkvjch j vgddjeh gk Grjq turks jk gkk`mhkt y`uke ljk gkt` j
tgmogke tglh a`la wjgtgke t` hrupt. Ngs f`urkhy b`r vhkehjkmh
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tjohs ngl t` Ajencjc wnhrh ngs rjeh trjksb`rls gkt` jk
ukhxphmthc whjp`k t` wrhjo njv`m `k tnh hkhly.
J sljdd edglpsh gkt` tnh rhjdgty `b wnjt gs njpphkgke gk tnh
Jrja jkc Lusdgl rheg`ks, tnh tngrc jkc bgkjd k`vhd gk Wjslgkj
Onjcrj‗s trgd`ey, ” tnh bgrst hktgtdhc, Snh ]wjdd`ws `b Ojaud,
wngmn tjohs pdjmh gk Jbenjkgstjk jkc tnh shm`kc, Snh Jttjmo,
`k tnh t`pgm `b Yjdhstgkh ” Snh ]grhks `b Ajencjc gs j tjdh ja`ut
`mmupghc Grjq.
Urgtthk ukchr j bhljdh jdgjs kjlh Wjslgkj Onjcrj,
L`njllhc L`udhsshn`ud gs j b`rlhr Jdehrgjk jrly ̀ bbgmhr jkc
k`w j rjrh jkc mhdharjthc wrgthr gk Jdehrgj. Nh ushc t` wrgth
mdjkchstgkhdy wnhk gk tnh jrly jkc gs k`w wrgtgke gk ngs khw
hxgdhc n`lh gk Brjkmh. Onjcrj gs jdd aut t`` bjlgdgjr wgtn
—bukcjlhktjdgsl“ jkc thrr`rgsl curgke ngs tglh gk Jdehrgj jkc
nh gs buddy hqugpphc wnhk wrgtgke tnh lhktg`khc k`vhds.
S`dc tnr`uen tnh hyhs jkc lgkcs ̀ b Grjqgs, l`rh sphmgbgmjddy, j
kjlhdhss y`uke Ahc`ugk br`l j sljdd vgddjeh d`st gk tnh chshrt
`b Grjq, Ojbr Ojrjl, tnh k`vhd stjrts wgtn j smhkh gk Ahgrut
wnhrh tnh kjrrjt`r sphjos `b tnh mgty gk j sjrc`kgm ljkkhr.
Snh st`ry tnhk e`hs ajmo gk tglh rhdjtgke tnh mgrmulstjkmhs
tnjt dhc tnh y`uke ljk t` ah lgdhs jwjy br`l n`lh.
Ujktgke t` ljoh j dgbh b`r nglshdb jkc t` ljoh ngs bjlgdy
pr`uc, tnh y`uke Ahc`ugk hkr`ds jt j Xkgvhrsgty gk Ajencjc
ahb`rh tnh Jlhrgmjk gkvjsg`k `b Grjq. Ngs crhjl gs sn`rt-dgvhc
b`rmgke ngl t` rhturk t` ngs agrtnpdjmh, jbthr tnh ukgvhrsgty nh
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jtthkcs md`shs gts c``rs cuh t` tnh gkvjsg`k. Xdtgljthdy, wjr
ngts tnh kjrrjt`r‗s n`lht`wk wnhrh tnrhh gkmgchkts `mmur
dhjvgke j pjtn `b cherjcjtg`k b`rmgke tnh y`uke ljk t` ah j
pjrt `b j wjr nh trghc s` njrc t` jv`gc.
Snh bgrst `b tnh gkmgchkts t` tjoh pdjmh ahb`rh tnh kjrrjt`r‗s
hyhs gs tnh p`gktdhss ogddgke `b j y`uke ljk wgtn lhktjd-nhjdtn
gssuhs, jt j mnhmop`gkt, tnh kjrrjt`r wjs crgvgke t` tnh
n`spgtjd. Snh shm`kc, `kdy j bhw cjys djthr, nh wgtkhsshs tnh
jbthrljtn `b j lgssgdh jttjmo `k j whccgke tjogke tnh dgvhs `b
w`lhk jkc mngdcrhk. Snh bgkjd gkmgchkt, Jlhrgmjk s`dcghrs
gkvjch tnh kjrrjt`r‗s n`lh gk shjrmn b`r whjp`ks, ngs bjlgdy
nulgdgjthc, jkc ngs bjtnhr suafhmthc t` l`rtgbgmjtg`k.
Ugtkhssgke ngs bjtnhr ahdgttdhc gk br`kt `b ngs vhry `wk hyhs,
tnh kjrrjt`r shhos t` jvhkeh ngs bjtnhr‗s cgsn`k`ur, js gs tnh
must`ls gk Ahc`ugk mudturh (t` rhmdjgl tnh bjlgdy‗s n`k`ur),
…t` wjsn jwjy tngs gksudt gk ad``c. (:91)
Snus, ngs f`urkhy t` Ajencjc ahegks,
…t` sprhjc ly vhk`l tnhrh. G cgck‗t ok`w
n`w t` e` ja`ut gt, aut G wjs mhrtjgk G‗c strgoh
s`lh kjsty ad`w…B`r Ahc`ugk, k` ljtthr n`w
glp`vhrgsnhc tnhy ljy ah, n`k`ur gs k`
f`ogke ljtthr. Jk `bbhkmh lust ah wjsnhc
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jwjy gk ad``c, wngmn gs tnh s`dh jutn`rgshc
chthrehkt wnhk gt‗s j quhstg`k `b ohhpgke
`kh‗s shdb-rhsphmt. (:==)
Nh e`hs `k t` hxpdjgk ngs sgtujtg`k,
G njc e`kh t` ahc j c`mgdh, m`urth`us a`y,
jkc G‗c jwjohkhc wgtn jk gkhxtgkeugsnjadh
rjeh d`cehc gk ly vhry bdhsn. G mjrrghc ly
njtrhc dgoh j shm`kc kjturh? gt wjs ly jrl`ur
jkc ly sngrt `b Khssus, ly phchstjd jkc ly
stjoh? gt wjs jdd tnjt rhljgkhc t` lh gk tngs
bjdsh, ukfust, jrgc, jkc mruhd dgbh. (:=3)
Snh kjrrjt`r‗s bury, er``lhc ay j er`up `b cgssgchkts nh f`gks
t` jkkgngdjth tnh —Uhst“, ehts ngl shkt `bb t` Dhajk`k ahb`rh
bdygke t` D`kc`k b`r ngs bgkjd jmt `b rhtrgautg`k `k tnh ph`pdh
wn` mjushc Grjqgs njrl jkc cgsn`k`urhc ngs bjlgdy.
O njcrj‗s mn`gmh b`r tnh tngrc gkmgchkt (bjtnhr‗s cgsn`k`ur) t`
ah tnh `kh b`r pukgsngke tnh —Uhst“ shhls rjtnhr whjo jkc
trgvgjd gk m`lpjrgs`k t` tnh `tnhr tw` cgsnhjrthkgke hvhkts.
N`whvhr, tngs gs `kh `b tnh ljf`r cgbbhrhkmhs ahtwhhk tnh
—Hjsthrk“ jkc —Uhsthrk“ rheg`ks. N`k`ur gs j fustgbgjadh
l`tgvh b`r vhkehjkmh jkc gt gs tnh wjy `b tnh mudturh `b
vgddjehrs gk l`st Jrja jkc Lusdgl-p`pudjthc m`uktrghs, hvhk gb
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tnh rhjs`k b`r rhvhkeh ljy k`t strgoh rhjchrs gk tnh @mmgchkt
js j e``c `kh.
Sngs ljrvhdd`us wrgtgke rgkes truh jkc F`nk Muddhk‗s
glphmmjadh trjksdjtg`k c`hs tnh a``o fustgmh (js whdd js Snh
]wjdd`ws `b Ojaud jkc Snh Jttjmo).
Sngs a``o gs b`r rhjchrs wn` wjkt t` m`lprhnhkc tnh lgkcsht
`b tn`sh wgddgke t` cgh jkc t` ukchrstjkc ahtthr Jrja kjtg`ks,
tn`sh chhpdy hktwgkhc gk mudturh jkc trjcgtg`k, hvhk gb fust j
dgttdh agt. Gt gs j tjdh chpgmtgke tnh `tnhr sgch `b tnh st`ry wgtn
Onjcrj gddulgkjtgke jk`tnhr bjmht `b s`lh Jrja kjtg`ks jkc
tnh —Uhsthrk m`kbdgmt“.
Br`l Onjcrj‗s p`htgm w`rcgkes,
...j vgddjeh d`st gk tnh sjkcs `b tnh Grjqg chshrt,
j pdjmh s` cgsmrhht tnjt gt `bthk cgss`dvhs gk
lgrjehs, `kdy t` hlhreh jt suksht… (1)
t` ngs cjrgke t`umn `b ljsthrbud st`rythddgke `b nuljk
subbhrgke, tnh k`vhd wgdd bgdd tnh rhjchr wgtn lgxhc hl`tg`ks6
jkehr, njth, f`y, pjgk, pgty ” tnh dgst gs d`ke.
Nh njs t`umnhc `k ljky n`t gssuhs? `kh mjkk`t aut hlpjtngsh,
gb k`t sylpjtngsh, wgtn tnh ljgk mnjrjmthr.
Gt gs jk hcgbygke jkc hsshktgjd rhjcgke b`r `ur tglh.
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B`r rhjchrs wn` jrh gkthrhsthc gk murrhkt jbbjgrs jkc
jpprhmgjth ngen-qujdgty jkc m`ksmghktg`us wrgtgke, tngs a``o gs
tnh wjy t` e`.
Aut j w`rc `b wjrkgke, gt gs k`t `kh b`r tnh bjgktnhjrthc.
L`kcjy, 1kc Ljrmn 1997