Once Upon A Time …

” Britain merged the Ottoman provinces Baghdad, Basra and Mosul into a new state of Iraq, inhabited by three different groups of people: Shi’ites, Sunnis and Kurds. Under British rule, the new Iraqis were subjected to more taxes than under Ottoman rule. Nationalist revolt rose against the new British rulers in 1920.

To crush the Iraqi national-liberation movement, Churchill, secretary of state for war, introduced new military tactics with massive bombing of villages as the original “shock and awe” doctrine, revived eight decades later by the US military. Churchill ordered the use of mustard gas, stating:

“I do not understand the squeamishness about the use of gas. I am strongly in favor of using poison gas against uncivilized tribes.” Source

Relevant link:
Imperial parallels: Iraq
British Colonialism and Repression in Iraq: Winston Churchill, as responsible cabinet minister in the early years, saw Iraq as an experiment in high-technology colonial control.
Gertrude Bell: The Uncrowneded Queen of Iraq
When Oil and Water Mix: … “One drop of oil,” said Georges Clemenceau, the Prime Minister of France in the second half of World War I, “is worth one drop of blood of our soldiers.” … … … One has to wonder how many more millions have to be slaughtered before the collective consciousness of humanity is stirred into action. Has the ongoing stench of the genocidal concoction obscured our compassion? Perhaps the fatal potion brings with it another message – shame? Or perhaps even a glimmer of hope that there is still time. Soraya Sepahpour Ulrich

Kamshots

12 Apr 07 – Man with a briefcase
Saadi street-Tehran

Photos, courtesy of Kamshots Shirin!

9 Apr 07 – 2 sacks to deliver
Molavi street-Tehran

Kamyar spent Nowruz in Iran. Here are his latest pictures.
His photo gallery consists of three sections:
Tehran-black and white
Tehran-Colour
Oxfordians

Click on the pictures to see the actual size

25 Mar 07 -Ghahveh Khaneye Azari
Raah Ahan-Tehran

2 Jul 06 – Persian love
Darband mountains-Tehran

And this is what Shirin has written in the about page:

Kamyar Adl‘s first ever memory is looking up from his pushchair at the sun shining through the leaves on the trees that danced in the wind. He liked that.
Kamyar says, ‘I became obsessed with 35mm cameras when I was a teenager after playing with my Brothers Nikon EL2 and its 50mm 1:1.4 lens.’ Some years later when his brother left Iran for LA, Kamyar and the poor ownerless Nikon became inseparable. After finishing school Kamyar spent a short while at Azad University studying photography but he soon left to do his military service in some desert near the Iran Iraq border.
Kamyar never went back to university but he did some photography jobs here and there one of which being taking photos of old doors and windows in downtown Tehran for a famous Iranian architect.
Then at the age of twenty five ‘I got married to the love of my life Shirin and moved to England’ says Kamyar (at this point Shirin has a very big grin on her face and misty eyes. She thinks about making Kamyar’s favourite dinner for him, Khoreshteh Bademjoon)
‘But don’t write that.’
‘Why?’
‘Because it’s cheesy.’
‘No it’s not.’
‘Yes it is. And it’s also kind of Bollywood. I work in a factory remember? The guys at work will crucify me if they read this.

… Kamyar currently works as a rectifier at BMW Plant Oxford. He does not get much Khoreshteh Bodemjoon and he often finds that when he goes to take a bath, the water is cold.”

2 Jul 06 -Stockmore Street
Oxford
Photos, courtesy of Kamshots

23 Oct 06 –JR In Action, St Clement’s
Click on the pictures to see the actual size

Xmas In England

Shirin wrote: This year in an attempt to build bridges between Christians and other faiths, celebrating Christmas openly has been frowned upon.
Oh yeah, that ought to do it! That is going to build bridges between faiths alright. Bridges that they can then cross to reach the people of other faiths…and kick their heads in!

–Why aren’t we having a Christmas tree this year Mummy?

–Well little Johnny, you know what a Muslim is?… read more