In dispirited Baghdad, boredom fills the gaps between violence

[Robbien]

By Tarek El-Tablawy and Omar Sinan, Associated Press, 7/20/2004 13:41

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) Along the banks of the Tigris River, a young man high on despair and cheap whiskey stares blankly into the evening sky. This is the highlight of his day. Still, Hussein Ali tells a man beside him, death would be welcome.

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Its buildings are crumbling or pockmarked by bullet holes. People are as likely to be jolted out of bed by a car bomb or a mortar shell as an alarm clock. Ambushes and kidnappings are rife, jobs are scarce. The power is out almost as much as it's on. Add to that the closure of many of the riverside restaurants and cafes, amusement parks, theaters and cinemas, the looted museums, the decrepit zoo, and Baghdadis have few entertainment options. The chaos has not only crushed their spirits, many say, it has left them bored to death.

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''We don't let her out of the house that much,'' said Jaafar Mukhtar, a 45-year-old father of four, referring to his oldest daughter, 16-year-old Shaimaa. ''Before, she used to go to her friend's house, have dinner there, study there. It was safe,'' said Mukhtar, sitting with his wife and Shaimaa on a bench in front of an ice cream shop one evening. ''We worry about her now. The lack of security has opened the door for all the scum of this city. God forbid some drunk guy get an idea and something happen to her.''

Shaimaa is conservatively dressed, in a long skirt and head scarf. But even at 7 p.m., the air is still broiling, and sweat pours down her face while ice cream drips over the sides of the cup. The teen says she has had to change the way she dresses to avoid drawing attention. ''Iraqi girls are modern, fashion-conscious,'' she says. Pointing to her shawl, she adds: ''We're being taken back now. It's too hot to wear this. I take it off at home, but I'm tired of staying home. I'm bored of all of this,'' she says as her father gives her shoulder a supportive squeeze.

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/202/world/In_dispirited_Baghdad_boredom_:.shtml