Iraq Diary: After Arbaeen, Iraq’s quiet return and lingering worries
Baghdad itself has seen a stunning transformation. Roads are being constructed, skylines reshaped. Chinese language, American, Iranian, and Turkish firms all compete to depart their mark. However amid this flurry of improvement, one query lingers: the place does India stand?
Adil Abdul Mehdi, Iraq’s former prime minister, doesn’t mince phrases: “India has conceded its standing as a regional energy to the People and Chinese language. The resistance forces are gaining floor, even because the US and Israel dominate the narrative. India as soon as had affect — beneath Nehru and Indira Gandhi, it was a revered voice in West Asia. However beneath Modi, India has allowed the US to come back to its borders and let China encircle it. Now, China, Iran, and Israel are the one actual gamers within the area. Indian firms could revenue from reconstruction, however they’ve chosen to face behind Israel.”
In Najaf, Al-Mujtaba, a neighborhood resident, echoes the identical sorrow: “India beneath Modi has misplaced the respect it earned by means of Gandhi and Nehru. No sane thoughts can assist what Israel is doing in Gaza. Persons are being denied the suitable to stay. Netanyahu is doing what Yezid did to Imam Hussain and his youngsters in Karbala. While you stand with that form of cruelty, you lose your soul — and your respect.”
These aren’t simply political critiques, they’re reflections of heartbreak. Iraqis bear in mind who stood with them in occasions of want. They bear in mind who spoke for justice, and who stayed silent. In a area the place reminiscence runs deep and wounds take generations to heal, standing on the unsuitable facet of historical past isn’t only a misstep, it’s a betrayal.
A voice from India: Priyanka Gandhi and the ache of Palestine
In a world the place silence usually feels louder than phrases, Priyanka Gandhi has chosen to talk. Repeatedly, she’s raised her voice in opposition to the heartbreaking violence unfolding in Gaza. Her newest publish on X wasn’t simply political — it was uncooked, pressing, and deeply human.
She wrote of the unimaginable: over 60,000 lives misplaced, almost 18,500 of them youngsters. Youngsters. She spoke of hunger, lots of already gone, thousands and thousands extra in danger. After which she mentioned what many really feel however few dare to say: “Enabling these crimes by silence and inaction is against the law in itself.
It’s shameful that the Indian Authorities stands silent as Israel unleashes this devastation on the folks of Palestine.”
In Karbala, Iraq, the place grief and resistance are woven into the soil, her message resonated deeply. Abu Muhammad, a Palestinian activist visiting the sacred metropolis, mentioned quietly: “Not less than somebody in India is conscious of the occasions in West Asia.”
