Trading jokes - at Saddam's expense
For so long Iraqis were scared to even think negative thoughts about Saddam Hussein, let alone mention those thoughts out loud.
But now the former dictator has become the butt of many national jokes and trading cell phone messages mocking him has become a source of entertainment and a new sign of freedom in Iraq.
The funniest part of the jokes is that they mimic Saddam's signature voice and imitate him as if he is talking to the Iraqi people or his ministers.
"Saddam and Democracy" ridicules the former leader with an imitation of his harsh voice and colloquial language coming out of a cell phone saying, "The American people say there is no democracy in Iraq. Of course, we don't have it! What do you want? That an Iraqi can say ‘I hate Saddam Hussein’ only to have his head chopped off in a wink? Ha Ha Ha."
Mahmoud, is a taxi driver, but like many Iraqis, he is home every night by 8 p.m. because of the curfew that goes into effect at that hour. He explained that because of those safety restrictions, he spends most of his time inside with his family and the cell phone jokes are a constant source of amusement.
"It's a strange time! Who could imagine Saddam Hussein one day would be the most interesting joke on Iraqi mobile phones?"
Mahmoud added that before, even if one were inside one’s own home, "Who would dare to say something wrong about Saddam? Back then we came to believe in the proverb that says, ‘The walls have ears.’"
Mahmoud's wife reminded her husband that in former times Saddam dominated the nation’s airwaves and its minds.
"During Saddam's regime there were no satellites in Iraq; they were prohibited. We had only three Iraqi channels: the Iraqi channel run directly by the government; Al-Shabab channel owned in part by Uday (Saddam's son); and a sports one. Saddam was on the TV all the time, so when there was a speech by him that meant all the other channels would cover it," she explained. "We weren't able to switch off the TV in front of the children, because we did not want to appear as though we hated or did not love Saddam Hussein."
With three daughters, the youngest of whom was just seven years old at the time of the collapse of Saddam’s regime, Mahmoud and his wife had learned to be cautious about expressing their opinions on the dictator – even among family.
But now, that’s all changed.
"I think this is the peak of the freedom and democracy we got after the collapse of the former regime, to criticize and talk freely even against the new Iraqi government," said Mahmoud.
Caricatures, slogans, comedy series and sometimes even demonstrations, now allow people a freedom of expression that many had never know – perhaps the one breath of fresh air in Iraq since the collapse of the former regime.
* The names of NBC local journalists in Baghdad are not being used in order to protect their identity and security.
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