Jennifer Kemp: January 2008 Archives

The most recent Freedom Space took place in Baghdad on December 7th of last year.  It was a HUGE success.  What started out as a small gathering of 25 people has ballooned to a spectacular event of 300!  There were so many people wanting to attend, that it was necessary to book a room in a hotel.  Some had to be turned away due to lack of funding and some of the hotel staff kept popping in to see what was happening.  In the midst of such daily horror, these people gathered together to create something beautiful and hopeful--and they did.  During a recent chat with Yanar Mohammed, I was able to hear about some of the hi-lights: 

Freedom Space opened with a silent play (almost a pantomime) about the atrocities that invade the everyday lives of so many Iraqis.  The actors used their bodies to express their fear, anguish, sorrow and pain.  The audience was extremely moved--no one spoke during the performance.

There were 3 women poets present who read poems about love.   Saud al Shaheen, an older woman, particularly touched those present.  She recited a poem about an old lover with such passion and poingnance.  Because she spoke in a way that few women aren't allowed, many of the men said she spoke more bravely than they did. 

And another poet, Salwan Muhammadawi, also spoke of love.  Everyone felt their spirits lift with his words.

The next Baghdad Freedom Space event will take place March 8, 2008--International Women's Day.  Even more people are expected to attend.  Part of the goal will be to unite Sunni and Shiite poets and it will be hosted in al Fadhil (a Sunni area).  It will be held in honor of  Du'a Kahlil Aswad--a 17 year-old girl, stoned to death in April last year.  The footage of her stoning was aired on CNN in May.  This event will be a way of erasing those final horrible images of her death and give her a chance to be remembered as she was---a beautiful, young woman in love.