Marsh Arabs - Iraq

April 2004
As waters begin to flow back into Iraq's burnt-out marshlands, many hope that it will also revive a dying community.

Life for the Marsh Arabs has been a question of survival since Saddam drained the wetlands in the 1990's. Once seen as the 'Garden of Eden' the land is now a salt-encrusted wasteland. "Have you seen our houses -- are they fit for human beings?" asks tribesman Abdul Bari. His village has no hospital and school and his people are locked in a bloody feud with those of the neighbouring villages. The only resource found in abundance here is the huge stash of weapons used in local conflict. The schemes to re-flood the marshes are not always deemed top priority. "What can water do for us? We have no use for it," says a mother of 14. But returning exiles see the restoration of these lands as a symbolic gesture towards peace. "It was a temple to God, the only place where I felt peaceful," reminisces Azzam, a returning ex-pat. His 'Eden Again' project is an attempt to recreate the past for future generations. But it won't be easy. "It's not as simple as turning on the tap," he says. It will take some clever engineering and nature's own growth for restoration to work. "I dream of having a computer in each of these huts,".

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Marsh
• Arabs
• Minority
• Iraq
• War
• Terror
• US
• Occupation
• Bush
• news
• documentary
• current affairs
• journeyman
• journeyman pictures

[kurdiboss]

I can't believe that some people call saddam a martyr, if u don't give a shit about kurds and other minorities look at what he did to his own kind !

[satoofi93]

Oh Sumer..they all killed you.

[milekrizman]

Marsh Arabs are descendants of Sumerians. We will flood the marshes again. And Marsh Arabs will speak Sumerian again as they did 5000 years ago. Marsh Arabs are in fact arabized Sumerians.

[declaration963]

i think this channel could disable it's comment section, too many 12 years old underage kid who swearing and rant because they're know nothing.

[NorthCitySider]

@harrignos

Yes Kebabs were Persian but became famous in the entire middle east, and later the world. But what else do they eat besides Kebabs?

[harrignos]

@NorthCitySider Hummus is more a Lebanese+Palestinian/Israeli thing, also some Egyptian. Eastern Mediterranean. Kebabs are persian origin i believe, and yes are eaten in Iraq.

[NorthCitySider]

@iraq49 Do they eat Humus in Iraq or only Kebabs?

[OhMaDayzz]

Why does JourneyManPictures never have subtitles when people are speaking another language? Do they expect all of us to understand Arabic, Chinese, Persian, etc?

[iraqi4ever1234]

Yeah! I-R-A-Q-I!

[kahuq1]

It is a dishonest propaganda material by the evil vested interests.