As violence and killing continues to escalate in Iraq, peacemaker Sami Rasouli, who is both a U.S. and Iraqi citizen, came to St. Joan of Arc to tell the stories of the people of Iraq who have been alienated by war. He also came to raise money for families left destitute by bombs, senseless killing, and corruption.
Last fall, Rasouli, a former Twin Cities restaurant owner and opponent of the war in Iraq, left Minneapolis to return to his homeland. He wanted to form a Muslim Peacemaker Team (MPT) which could begin the job of cleaning up war-torn Iraqi cities. He knew this job would be massive, but in just six months he has managed to overcome a number of impossible situations and has made a small but positive start in rebuilding of one of the oldest civilizations on earth.
Rasouli first had to gain the trust of old friends in his hometown of Najef and then convince them that his peacekeeping efforts were possible. Eventually, fifteen Shii Muslims became the peacemaker team and agreed that along with helping to rebuild Iraq, their mission over the next five years would be to promote unity among various factions in the country.
They wanted to start with a modest peacemaking gesture. Members asked for help from the Iraqi National Guard, from a Christian peacemaker team and from Iraqi citizens to rebuild a house or mosque in the Sunni city of Fallujah. "It would be a symbolic cleanup to demonstrate unity," Rasouli said.
But the task was much harder than expected. The team first met resistance from a Sheikh in Fallujah who mistrusted any effort involving Christians. "We have been destroyed twice by the U.S. Christian army," Rasouli reported his saying. The opposition of the Sheikh along with the fears of the Allied Central Command and mistrust of Iraqi citizens was tough to overcome. All groups feared the others were their enemies. However, after much negotiating, the peacemaking coalition finally was able to start, and the work of rebuilding a house in Fallujah began on May 6.
The physical and psychological destruction of Fallujah is massive, Rasouli says. There is a lack of electricity, a lack of security, a lack of sanitation. There is little employment, and disease is spreading in the hot months of summer. He says many families have no man to bring food to the table and women have turned to prostitution. A majority of teenagers are without education or jobs so they have become violent. Thousands of displaced citizens of Fallujah must produce passport-like badges every time they wish to enter their own city. "Why did 300,000 people have to leave their homes? Why were 30,000 houses destroyed?" Rasouli asks. In 1920, he points out, "the police were chasing Al Capone, but they didn't destroy Chicago to do it."
The immense costs of rebuilding are what brought Sami Rasouli back to Minneapolis. He will be here for several weeks raising money for his efforts. St. Joan of Arc, along with Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) and Twin Cities Peace Campaign-Focus on Iraq sponsored his presentation on Tuesday, June 21, which was attended by over 300 people. Rasouli also brought over 50 pieces of art by Iraqi artists which were sold through a silent auction that evening. Contributions will go to the families of the artists and to the rebuilding efforts of MPT. Parishioners can send donations to the Muslim Peacemaker Team in care of Joan of Arc.
Audience members asked Rasouli if there is light at the end of the tunnel. Is there an exit strategy for the U.S. and its occupation of Iraq? Rasouli believes that insurgents will cease their activities only if a political strategy is adopted as the initial step. "Violence diminishes democracy. Solve the political problem first," he says. "There must be a Palestinian state that all the world will recognize. [When that happens] everything will fall into place and the United States can withdraw gloriously."
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