Mayada: Daughter Of Iraq

by Jean Sasson

Mayada was born into a powerful Iraqi family. One grandfather fought alongside Lawrence of Arabia. The other is acclaimed as the first true Arab nationalist. Her uncle was Prime Minister for nearly forty years, her mother an important politician. When Saddam Hussein and his Ba'ath party seized power, and instituted his reign of terror, Mayada found herself alone in Baghdad, a divorced parent of two children, earning a meagre living printing brochures. Until one morning in August 1999 she was summarily arrested and dragged to the notorious Baladiyat Prison, falsely accused of printing anti-government propaganda.

There she was thrown into a cell with 17 'shadow women'. Like latter-day Sherezades, these women passed their days, while waiting for the next interrogation and torture session, telling each other their stories. They were eager to hear Mayada's stories of her privileged former life, of the history of her proud family, of kings and queens, of meetings with Saddam himself.

Not only the story of a woman intimately connected to Iraq's cultured, ancient history, this book is a powerful witness to the terror and horror wrought by Saddam on the lives and souls of its ordinary citizens.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Middle East, Memoir, History, Politics, Biography Memoir

427 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 1995

About the author

Jean Sasson was born in a small town in Alabama. An avid reader from an early age, she had read all the books in her school library by the time she was 15 years old. She also began her book collection at age 15. When given the chance to travel, Sasson accepted a position at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, and lived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 12 years. She traveled extensively, visiting 66 countries over the course of 30 years.

Jean started her writing career in 1991 when she wrote the book, THE RAPE OF KUWAIT. The book was an instant best-seller, reaching #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. When the Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington heard that soldiers sent to free Kuwait did not know why they were there, the Embassy sent 200,000 copies to the region. Later Sasson wrote PRINCESS: A TRUE STORY OF LIFE BEHIND THE VEIL IN SAUDI ARABIA, which is the story of a princess in the royal house of al-Sa'ud. The book was an international bestseller published in 68 different editions (also staying on the NYTIMES bestseller list for 13 weeks). Later Sasson wrote two sequels (DAUGHTERS AND CIRCLE). Please visit this link to read an interview with the author about her book "Princess": http://reith-jerevinan.blogspot.com/2....

Other groundbreaking books followed: MAYADA, DAUGHTER OF IRAQ; ESTER'S CHILD; LOVE IN A TORN LAND; GROWING UP BIN LADEN (please visit this page to read an in-depth interview with Jean Sasson about "Growing Up bin Laden" http://www.thedailybeast.com/contribu... and FOR THE LOVE OF A SON.

In March 2012, an e-book short was released: AMERICAN CHICK IN SAUDI ARABIA, which consists of the first three chapters of Sasson's autobiography. On the second day of release, the book reached #1 on Barnes & Noble biography bestseller list. Jean's latest release is YASMEENA'S CHOICE, a heartbreaker of a story about two women (one Kuwaiti and the other Lebanese) kidnapped to be raped & tortured by the Iraqi special forces in occupied Kuwait. (Please visit this link to see an itnerview with Jean Sasson about her newest book "Yasmeena's Choice: http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainmen...).

Jean's 12th book, PRINCESS, MORE TEARS to CRY has just been released and is available in the English language in most countries. Foreign editions will be available throughout the next year. Jean Sasson's official website is: www.jeansasson.com.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mayada Al Askari was born in Iraq, in 1955, to a prominent Iraqi family, and is the granddaughter of Jido Sati, an important Iraqi politician and statesman in the first half of the 20th century, and of former Iraqi Prime Minister Jafar al-Askari.
This biography tells of her experiences growing up in the hellish cage of Baathist Iraq under Saddam Hussein's rule of fear.
Mayada was born, grew up, was married in, and gave birth to two children in Iraq.
She detested the Hitler of the Euphrates Saddam Hussein, and her one dream in life was to live to see the end of his rule.
The author Jean Sassoon visited a children's ward in a Baghdad hospital with Mayada, and knew that Saddam, who brought on the wares and sanctions, was the reason for these children's suffering. Saddam was so eager to lay the blame for infant deaths on the sanctions that he was known to hold back medicine from the hospitals- he might, for example, allow only one cancer drug to be issued for leukemia patients, who clearly required tow or three different drugs to battle certain cancers.
Saddam was also known to have placed empty baby coffins on the street to inflame world opinion against the United States (The international left lapping up Saddam's propaganda with enthusiasm , while never one uttering a word against his genocidal reign of terror).
Mayada ran a printing shop and was arrested on false charges that opposition material had been printed with her facilities.
She was imprisoned in Baladiyat, the headquarters of Saddam's secret police which also served as a prison cell.
Here she was tortured and witnessed deaths and maiming of the women in her cell by the most horrific tortures.
Many of these were imprisoned for no certified reason at all, and another was imprisoned, for example, for organizing a litter cleaning campaign, as this was then seen as an implicit criticism of the Saddam regime's administration.
Every woman was taken at least once a day for a torture session.
These women were beaten, whipped, burned, mutilated, dismembered, and gassed and electrocuted.
One method used was to insert a pipe into the victim and burn their insides with gas.
Were where the hypocritical 'anti-war' activists who hysterically pour venom against President George W Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair for liberating Iraq, when Saddam was torturing his own people and murdering hundreds of thousands of others.
When American forces humiliated Iraqi Baathists, involved in terror, while doing nothing like what Saddam's cohorts did to thousands, the international left and media broke again into hysteria, but where were they when Saddam was involved in perpetration of these horrors.
In true Orwellian style they compared President Bush and Blair to Hitler when it was so clear that Saddam was the Hitler of the equation, and millions of Iraqis were jubilant at Saddam's downfall. The book, through detailing Mayada's conversation with some of her fellow prisoners, relates the cruelty of the Saddam Hussein family, including Saddam's torture and starvation of a pet dog, tied up next to a pool of water while being killed with thirst, all the while being given electric shocks by Saddam's sadistic son, Uday.
Everyone who has ever had an interest or comment in the Iraq War or who says that they do not know why President Bush removed Saddam would do well to educate themselves on something of Saddam's excesses.
This book gives us an insight but it is only the tip of the iceberg of the horrors perpetrated by the Saddam regime.

[W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jean Sasson has written half a dozen books on Saudi Arabia. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait,she also wrote a short book,The Rape of Kuwait.

The problem with her books always is that they either look like fiction or a mixture of fact and fiction,at best.

In case of this book,it also looks like propaganda and an exercise in Saddam bashing.It was published not long after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

While Saddam was no doubt bad,Jean Sasson's books are completely silent about the US invasions of the country and their impact on Iraq's long suffering people.

Apart from debatable factual accuracy,this book was pretty boring too.

[Candice Sanderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the hardest books I've ever read! I put down this book so many times because I was either crying to hard or just felt too sick to continue reading. Very powerful and heartbreaking. I think I was actually a little depressed while I was reading this book and I'm happy to have closed it but I can't ever forget this story and yet I know it's just the very tip of the iceberg in describing the atrocities of everyday life for Iraqis!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did so many Iraqis risk their lives by putting their finger on the ink pad, to vote for a new government? Read this memoir of this lady's life, prior to the war and you will soon understand the hideous events that were taking place under Saddam Hussein. Well written and very interesting.

[Patille Madaghjian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book has truly opened my eyes to see how much women suffered in the Middle East, especially in Iraq. Mayada is the granddaughter of the most famous and respected leaders in Iraq; Jafar Pasha Al-Askari, who was the Defence Minister and Prime Minister of Iraq, and Sati Al-Husri, who was one of the first Arab Nationalists and also a government minister. Her family is treated like royalty and so Mayada had lived a privileged life. Her world crumbles when she is taken to Baladiyat prison for a crime that she has not commit. She was said to print leaflets at her printing shop against Saddam Hussein. Under the cruel and agonizing reign of Saddam Hussein, Iraq had suffered a great deal, and most people were taken to prison for no reason and were tortured brutally.

I was truly appalled at how Iraqis were treated in prison. I was so shocked at how the guards acted like animals and beat the prisoners. I cannot even begin to describe how the poor “shadow women” in cell 52, where Mayada stayed, were tortured. The women were hit continuously with a whip, beaten up, burned, electrocuted, raped...the list goes on. I could hardly believe that these women survived! I know if I was in Baladiyat, I could never have survived that kind of torment! I really admire these women’s’ will and struggle to survive just so they can see their beloved families again. They were truly brave. I recoiled in horror at the descriptions of their wounds; their backs would look like a mess of freshly cut flesh with blood oozing out. But what really touched my heart was the love these women had for each other. They would encourage each other to stay alive and keep praying so that they can see their families once again. Samara was the one of the “shadow women” who gave all the others the will to survive. If it was not for the friendship of Samara, I think Mayada would never have survived. Not only did the women, along with other prisoners, bear the physical scars of their torture sessions, but their minds can never rid the memories either. They are mentally scarred for life! Mayada will never forget her time in Baladiyat, even though she was only there for a month, while the other women had been there for years. I was torn by the stories of the Iraqis during Saddam’s reign. The sudden disappearance of a husband, wife, son, daughter, mother or father would cause a loved one to swirl into a nightmare. They would not know if their loved one was dead, imprisoned, or kidnapped, and they would not know why. They would get no notification whatsoever. I was completely heartbroken by their suffering and desperation to find their loved one or just know if they were alive. Iraqis lived in constant threat of imprisonment or death if they said or did anything opposing to Saddam. My heart really went out to these innocent people. This book has opened my eyes to the misery and distress people felt under the reign of this vindictive, evil dictator.

When I finished the book, I could not believe that Mayada did not know what happened to the other “shadow women” of cell 52. Who died? Who survived? I will never know, and that is what deeply saddens me.

I recommend this book to everyone because it truly opens your eyes and mind to what our world is. It can be a vicious place for many innocent people who just want to be with family and friends and have a good time. All they want to do is be educated and be happy. Is that too much to ask for? I will never know how these innocent people of Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s rule survived because of how much they suffered physically and mentally. All I can say to this book is “wow.” I am speechless. I am really astounded by how the magnificent women of cell 52 struggled to survive physically and mentally just so they could see their children and family. My heart goes out to these extraordinary women.

[Tmcdouga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this book. Based on a true account, this book handles some difficult topics, such as the hardships of being a woman in Iraq and the terrible, excessive and unnecessary torture going on in the prisons of that country. While the importance of these themes should not be belittled, I feel the style of writing does not do the story justice.

The book attempts to be a personal memoir, based on real events from the life of an actual Iraqi woman that the author met in Iraq. But it never truly achieves that goal. The story chugs along rather slowly, recycling a cookie-cutter format throughout the book:
(1)A description of the current condition of the jail cell and its inhabitants.
(2)Mayada worries about her children or reminisces about her family.
(3)Mayada somehow "finds the strength" to tell everyone a story about her past.

Possibly the most frustrating part of this format, was that many topics or characters were introduced in her reminiscing and then re-introduced in her storytimes, as if we had never heard of the people she is talking about. There is so much redundant information that shows up in the book, and it makes reading the book rather tedious and boring.

Again, I think the content of the book is extremely interesting and definitely worth reading. It is very interesting to get a lot of personal details, particularly about Saddam and his inner circle. It really just is the format that ruins the flow of the book. I would recommend it to someone with a dedicated interest in Iraq or the Middle East, but there are better books that deal with the topics of women in the Middle East or accounts of torture that are much more rewarding for the casual reader.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so captivating that I blew through it in one day (in fairness it was raining outside though : ) ) I still think that A Long Way Gone ruined me so that no depressing memoir will ever disturb me again, this book came close. It's Mayada's account of being stuck in an Iraqi prison. She was lucky and had little torture and got out quite quickly but hearing what her cellmates went through was terrible! It's worth a read to understand why we put troops over there - regardless of whether or not they should be home by now - and how insanely lucky we are. My swollen sunburnt nose seems not quite the social catastrophe I thought is was now!

[Hazeanni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon reading this, I felt the necessity to say a prayer to those tortured Iraqis. The cruelties inflicted were so horrible, beyond words. Seemed, no one were safe there. Gender, age or social status didn't prevent anybody from being tortured inside those prisons, which were a daily affair. It's all a fair game for those jailers.

With the liberation of Iraq; I hope this nation will eventually heal from those wounds and trauma. Though, I think it will be a very long process of recovery; considering the history of modern Iraq and the psychological impacts.

It's a good tact and diplomacy on the author's part; to alternate the imprisonment account, with the history of Iraq, of the family of Al Husri-Askari and of Mayada herself.
- Most of all, it made the imprisonment account bearable to be read, till the end. It served as a good distraction. If not, lots of readers would be so horrified, that they stopped reading altogether. Because some of depictions were even more horrible than those of French Revolution.
- It served as a background. So, readers will understand the impact of continuous chain of events in Iraq; and got the message, Mayada and Sasson tried to convey from this story.
- It showed how and why their lineage gained everlasting respects from most Arabians' walks of life. That's including, from the late President Saddam Hussein himself, who granted exemptions to descendants of Sati Al Husri from joining the Baath Party.
- Of how innocence, and by being a law-abiding citizen didn't spare you from being arrested.

Mayada doing lots of reflections during her time in Baladiyat. She felt, the presence of Al Husri linage in Iraq were giving sorts of credibility to the government, of the way Sati Al Husri had envisioned and approved. It became imperative to her that once released, she will escape from Iraq altogether and denounced this government. Hence, the reason why this book published. Mayada had known the author in 1998; when her service as a translator was acquired by the press centre of Ministry of Information, for Jean Sasson who was travelling alone in Iraq during summertime.

It also dawned upon her, that she and family members received benefits by association with Dr Fadil Al Barrak as well. He was a director general of secret police. She recalled her advancement on journalism career. 3 times she received reward from the president for her articles. She was the first to be granted interview by the secretive Chemical Ali. More or less, interventions of Dr Fadil smoothed the way for her.

For so many years I had ignored this book. How wrong I was about it.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book--Mayada's story is worth telling; however, I realized very quickly that Jean Sasson's writing style made me want to question parts of the story. Sasson writes in such a way that if seemed to me like I was hearing more of Sasson's voice and not much of Mayada's (which I suppose can't be helped since Mayada didn't write the book). I constantly wanted to ask if Mayada was really thinking the things that Sasson writes about--like the color of the sky when she's taking a walk, etc. It seemed to me like it was sentimental filler. Also, the book was strongly opinionated, but sometimes I wasn't sure if I was hearing Mayada's opinions or Sasson's. That being said, this didn't hinder the importance or the horror of Mayada's story. I did feel like I learned a lot about the mindset of people who were under Saddam's oppressive regime; and the part about the torture was so difficult to read that at times I had to put the book down. It was somewhat traumatic for me. I was relieved and encouraged when things finally worked out for Mayada in the end; the fact that I had enough emotional connection to Mayada to feel that tells you that the story was told well. It's a good read, but I do prefer the following books to this one:

Between Two Worlds
Sharon and My Mother-in-Law
Lipstick Jihad

[Asma · Rating 3 out of 5]

الكتاب من ناحيه المحتوي كان فضيع بكل ما يحتويه من القصص، مثلت العراق افضل تمثيل لدولة الاستخباراتيه درجه اولى!
كل شي تحت السيطره ،الكل مراقب، كل حديث ولو كان تافه مادام جُر فيه اسم القائد فهو جريمه يعاقب عليها القانون!!!


مياده العسكري روت لنا قصتها وعلاقتها وعلاقه عائلتها -خصوصا امها - بصدام و عائلته
تُسجن لمده اقل من اسبوع للاشتباه بها في اثاره فتن تحريضيه ضد الرئيس ف تتعرف في السجن على السجينات و تسرد قصصهم في الكتاب

بشكل عام الكتاب يُصور الحال العراقي في ظل حكم صدام و ناقش قضايا مهمه حدثت و اعتقلات والتعذيب

لكن للاسف هناك بعض النقاط كان مصدر ازعاج لي خلال القراءه وهي:
- اسلوب الكتابه للاسف كان ضعيف جدا لدرجه لم اعيش القصص واحسستها مجرد سرد بدون روح برغم انها كان يدمي لها القلب قبل العين من فضاعاتها،
- كثير الكلام الانشائي العديم الفائده ، لم استحمل كثره المداخلات و جمل الحوارات الداخليه ، كثيره و ممله بدون ادني شعور لها، لدرجه اني كنت طول الوقت ابحث عن زبده الموضوع و اتجاهلها
- انا من النوع الذي يعيش و يفضل ان يكون الضمير في الكتاب هو المتكلم (الانا) وليس ضمير الغائب ، طول قراءتي وانا اقول ليت مياده العسكري هي من كتبت الكتاب بنفسها و لم تعطيه لجين ساسون لتكتب القصه، مياده صحفيه وكاتبة قصص متأكده انها كانت تستطيع اخراج الكتاب بأسلوب اكثر تأثير و قرب للقلب

في النهايه الكتاب جميل بقصصه الفضيعه القليل التأثير بسبب اسلوب الكتابي!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant and eye-opening look at life in Iraq under the rule of Saddam Hussein. Mayada's chilling story offers a first-hand look at modern Iraq's turbulent history.
Mayada, a member of one of Iraq's most distinguished and privileged families, was whisked away from her office one morning by the secret police and thrown into one of Saddam's notorious prisons for a crime she did not commit. During her brief imprisonment, her life was changed forever by the courage of "the shadow women," fellow prisoners who demonstrated compassion for each other through unimaginable deprivation and torture. This is not a pleasant story, but it is worth reading.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an eye-opening first-hand account of a woman who was from a revered Iraqi family. Her family connections, however did not save her from being taken prisoner and tortured by Saddam's regime. It's worth reading if you want to know more about Iraq's dark history under Saddam. An easy read in that it's one woman's story - a difficult read from the point of view that it's absolutely horrifying what people suffered under Saddam, Uday and Qusay.

[Bebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable! I always knew that things were grim, but I guess I wasn't macabre enough...It's amazing that humanbeings can do this sort of thing with one another! It helped me understand Iraq's history a little bit more...I never realized that it wasn't that long ago that the breakdown of the empire happened and how drastically it affected that area of the world!

[Catheron · Rating 3 out of 5]

At Foster Library. A very eye opening book about the horrors the Iraq people have had to endure living under Saddam's reign. If Bush had made this book mandatory reading for all Americans, he would probably have received more support for the war.

[رواية · Rating 5 out of 5]

ميادة فتاة عراقية من عائلة مرموقة جداً، أمها كانت تعمل مع منتج بريطاني لإخراج فيلم عن الحرب من أجل الخليج في العراق.

كان جدها أحد أركان الجيش العثماني، وعين ولده جعفر وزير للدفاع في الحكومة العراقية الوطنية، أغتيل برصاصة في ظهره. درست ميادة في كلية الطب في الجامعة الأمريكية بلبنان، وعاشت طفولتها في سفريات في أوروبا، إلا أنها تزوجت بجارهم العراقي سلام الهميص ، وهو ذو عقلية عشائرية، لم يستمر الزواج بسبب عدم التوافق الفكري. و تطلقت منه بعد إنجاب طفلين

والدة ميادة كانت المدير العام للأبحاث والدراسات في مكتب العلاقات العامة التابع لمجلس قيادة الثورة، وبعد أن تقاعدت عاشت في الأردن، ولكن ميادة بقيت في العراق.

والدتها من الطبقة المخمليّة، وفي أحد المرات تحدث معها صدام في أحد الحفلات، وأبدى إعجابه بوالدها ساطع ، إلا أنها لم تعره إهتماما ، لأنها لم تكن تعرفه أصلاً.

جد ميادة هو ساطع الحصري الذي تم نفيه من العراق بسبب أفكاره القومية من طرف الإنجليز، وبعد انسحابهم من العراق رجع إليها.

كان جدها متفوق في الدراسة، وتم تعيينه من طرف السلطان العثماني حاكماً لأحد المناطق العثمانية في يوغوسلافيا.

كان مجال اهتمامه الدراسي هو النزاعات القومية للشعوب.

تزوج ساطع من امرأة تركية، وهي ابنة وزير البحرية العثماني التي ولدت سلوى أم ميادة.

قامت ميادة بفتح مطبعة تنشر الكثير من المطبوعات في مواضيع مختلفة، و تم تكريمها من طرف صدام عدة مرات …
إلا أنه تم اعتقالها في أحد الأيام بسبب نشر مطبوعات ضد النظام. تصاب ميادة بالصدمة، وتحاول الاتصال بمعارف العائلة لمساعدتها، وخلال وجودها في السجن تروي ميادة الكثير من القصص المروعة للسجناء معها في الزنزانة، وأيضاً قصص أخرى لبعض المعارف الذين سجنهم النظام أو تم تصفيتهم من طرف صدام.

الكثير من القصص كقصة الجارة التي تم سجن ولديها التوأمين، واستدعاءها لأخذ جثثهم بدون إخبارها عن السبب، وقصة المهندسة صباح التي قبض عليها بتهمة اختلاس موارد الدولة، وهي من قامت بتطوير برنامج للتنقيب لمساعدة الدولة.

الكثير من القصص عن زوجة صدام ساجدة ولصوصيتها ولصوصية عائلتها، وقصة الجراح صائب شوكت وزوجته جليلة الحيدري الذي تم ابتزازه من طرف خال صدام ليبيع أرضه، وهو جراح مرموق للغاية، تم سجنه وإهانته بسبب قطعة أرض.

الكثير والكثير جداً من قصص ترحيل العراقيين بسبب التبعية الإيرانية، كتاب يحوي الكثير من المآسي التي حدثت إبان النظام المقبور، أنصح بقراءته بشدة.

[Ernest · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Mayada Al-Askari. Mayada comes from a long distinguished Iraqi family. She grew up amongst the rise of Sadddam Hussein and his eventual control of Iraq. At first, her work as a journalist was praised by the authorities. As time went on, she found herself a divorced mother of two printing non-political brochures. Then in 1999, she became a target of Saddam’s secret police. Thrown in a cell with 52 other women, this biography details her background, history, tales of growing up in Iraq and the life stories of the women who shared her cell.

This was a difficult book to read, not for the language but for the descriptions of what happened. At several times, I was forced to put the book down, only able in small doses to comprehend the brutality and depths to which not just the secret police acted but on a larger scale how humans, including women, could be treated in such a cruel and degrading manner. It was very confronting to read of the lives of people who had suffered under Saddam, as opposed to larger scale descriptions of the wrongs.

Although this book was published in 2003, the subsequent actions involving and ongoing international focus on Iraq does cause one to critically examine one’s own thoughts, feelings and attitudes to the actions in Iraq. It is ultimately the people, including the women, of that nation who will live out the consequences of the actions that anyone, including they, choose for that nation.

This is a confronting biography. Directly telling Mayada and the other women’s stories, it is not only a chilling and at times despairing look into life in the time of Saddam, but a despairing demonstration about the lack of humanity and love that humans can show towards one another. It is one thing to read about the sufferings that people as a group face. It is a much more difficult thing to read their personal, individual tales.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have any doubt that going into Iraq and releasing the people of their evil dictator was wrong, then read this book. I had no idea how hard it was to live in that nation, the constant fear and mistrust of everyone (even your relatives). If you had a disagreement with someone, they only had to report you to the secret police on a trumped up charge and you would be put in a prison to be tortured until you admitted to something that you were completely innocent of. I am so grateful to have the freedoms I take for granted, wow, amazing eye opener!!! It is a very personal story of Mayada, a well to do Iraqi and her experiences. An easy and quick read.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again Jean Sasson has mastered telling a difficult story about a woman in the Middle East. If you choose to read this book, understand that the torture under Saddam Hussein is graphic and horrifying. Women, Men, children and babies were all tortured. Mayada has an amazing family ancestry and you were able to really appreciate the history of Iraq. If you want to understand life in Iraq, this is an excellent resource.

[shougbinr]

This book has truly moved me. It opened my eyes to life under the rule of Saddam Hussein; it is brutal. People were taken away from their families for no reason and were imprisoned for years. It seems like death was the best escape from all the brutal torment the prisoners went through. They were whipped, electrocuted, beaten , raped, and much more. This book reveals the truth about living in Iraq through the eyes of an imprisoned woman who went through hell to survive.

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a look into the lives of a group of women unjustly imprisoned during Saddam Hussein's regime. I sincerely hope that the women from cell 52 and all the other innocent people held in those prisons lived long enough to see freedom.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel the need with the war in Iraq to understand the mindset of the Iraqi people. This book is one women's biography under Saddam and although definitely not light reading, very well written.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

obviously, this is one woman's side of the story, but it opened my eyes as to the things that paople face in other parts of the world and under dictator rule. and she was one of the lucky ones.

[Sueann allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

From this book, you get an inside perspective on life with Saddam Hussein. It is a quick read and is very interesting.

[Rabab Al.aswad · Rating 4 out of 5]

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جين ساسون كاتبة أميركية لها العديد من الأعمال التي لاقت جدلاً واسعاً في الدول العربية والإسلامية. أشهر أعمالها رواية "سلطانة، قصة أميرة سعودية" تتحدث فيها عن بنية المجتمع السعودي من خلال سرد سيرة ذاتية حقيقية لأميرة سعودية من الأسرة المالكة مقربة من ملك سعودي سابق، ومدى الانحلال السياسي والاقتصادي والاجتماعي في هذه الأسرة، والتخلف الذي تعانيه هذه المملكة في شتى الميادين. وكتاب نشأة بن لادن وميّادة ابنة العراق.
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أيُ وجعٌ هذا الذي نثرت ملحه جين ساسون على جراحنا الدفينة؟؟ العراق الجريح وبلد السلام الذي لم يرى يوماً السلام.. بلد الأمجاد والعروبة والميادين والأحزان.. لا يمر اسم العراق دون وجع وطعنة قاسية في خاصرة الزمن، ماذا يكتب التاريخ عن العراق وماذا يترك!؟.
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ميّادة ابنةُ العراق الصحفية المعروفة بقلمها المحايد، تنحدر من عائلة عريقة معروفة في العراق ولكل شخص من عائلتها له بصمة تركها في عراق السلام، هي حفيدة جعفر باشا العسكري الذي أسس الجيش العراقي وكان من أهم وأكبر قاداته، وحفيدة ساطع الحصري مؤسس الفكر القومي العربي وذو معرفة بنوري باشا السعيد ووالدتها أيضاً لها نفوذها، ولكن كل هذا النّسب العريق لم يكن درع واقي لِـ ميّادة ليحميها من شرارة الاعتقال والزج في السجن ظلماً في ذاك العهد الذي ترأسه صدام حسين ونظامه البعثي الذي دمّر أرض العراق وقتل شعبها جوعاً وعطشاً وسلب ومجازر لا تُعد ولا تُحصى.
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زنزانة ٥٢ الرقم الذي لازم أسرة ميّادة وبات نذير شؤم بسبب الأحداث التي حدثت مع هذا الرقم بالذات، هذه الزنزانة التي جمعت ميّادة مع نساء الظل المفقودين لا يعلم أحد عن مكان تواجدهم، ولا أحد يعلم هل هم أموات أم أحياء أو مهجرين أو أسرى، لكل واحدة منهنَّ حكاية كالعلقم، وفيها من الظلم مافيها، سردت لنا جين الواقع المر الذي عاشه هؤلاء السجناء خلف تلك القضبان.
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حكايات مرعبة، تعذيب وصرخات في حلكة الليل، واغتصابات دون شرف ولا دين، سب وشتم ولعن وتكفير، وعذاب نفسي، شتّى أنواع القسوة وجدتها في عالم السجون، الجلادون في كل مكان هم كما هم لا يختلفون إلا بجنسياتهم فقط، قلوبهم أقسى من الحجر، لاهم ببشر ولا هم بحيوانات، بل لا يملكون مسمى لأنهم بلا إنسانية ولا رحمة ولا دين. عشتُ لحظات مؤلمة في ظل هذه السيرة التي ترويها لنا لسان حال كل من مكث خلف تلك القضبان، ولسان حال العراق الجريح. ما أقساه من زمن، هاهي العراق اليوم تنزف من جديد، وتستغيث ولاتُغاث، وتعيد المأساة نفسها بين كر وفر، وبين صمت العالم، ولا صوت يغيثهم سوى من ينعق بالطائفية حتى يُضعف من قوة الشعب، ويسبب التفرقة بين صفوفهم، ويزرع الفتن والحقد في النفوس وينثر الملح على الجراح وهو يتفرج من بعيد ويضحك كالثعلب الماكر وهو يرى بعض الأصوات التي تستجيب للأسف لِأمثال هؤلاء. هذه الحرب الطاحنة التي كانت تشتعل سابقاً في أرض العراق هاهي تعود مجدداً فليت الشعب يتعظ ولا يقع في الجحر مرة أخرى ومتى يعود السلام لهذه الأرض التي أرهقتها الحروب والمعاناة؟! كل طاغية يأتي يُدمّر ويقتل ويعتقل ويشتت الشعب ويتركه يتيماً ويرحل، متى ينتهي ظلم الأنظمة وترتاح شعوب الدول المضطهدة أما آن للصبح أن يأتي؟؟!.
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هذه السطور جعلتني أقرأ العراق عن قُرب، وأراها بعين كل الشعوب المضطهدة والتي تعاني ماتعانيه هذه الأرض الطاهرة. مبكية هذه السيرة، تجعل القارئ يغرق في بحر من الهم والوجع والبكاء، لا تصف الكلمات ما عشته ولمسته في هذه الحياة القاسية التي مكثتُ فيها طويلاً، هكذا حياة يصعب علينا تقييمها لأنها واقع والواقع صعب التقييم لا رقم يفيه حقه. على الرغم من حجم الألم والقهر والقسوة والحرمان والظلم والفساد والقيود التي كسرها صمود وشموخ هذا الشعب وبالرغم من كل العذاب الذي تحمله سطور وطيّات هذا الكتاب إلا إنني أحببته كثيراً ولغته جميلة وسلسلة وتلامس شغف القلب وتصل إلى عمق المشاعر وتستنزف كل قوتها، فعلاً هكذا كتابات تحتاج إلى جرأة أصحابها، ولقلم مبدع في إيصال الواقع المر والمرعب والمأساة كما هي بحيث تصل للقارئ بشكل كبير ويشعر كأنه هناك كان معهم في كل لحظة ليعرف العالم بعض ماعاشه الشعب من مأساة لا تُوصف.
كتاب أنصح به مليء بالأحداث والشخصيات👌👌
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#الاقتباسات الجميلة كثيرة ولكم بعض منها👇
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{إن التاريخ لا ينام ولا يغفل عن حدث.. فعندما سيكتب المؤرّخون عن صدام حسين مستقبلاً.. ستكتب الصفحات تلو الصفحات عن إخفاقاته، وعن إرث من الحجارة حاول أن يخلدها من خلال القصور التي بناها على أكتاف الفقراء والجيّاع ومن دم وشقاء الشعب كله.}
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{كلنا في سجن كبير اسمه العراق ولا يسعنا إلا أن ننتظر دورنا للدخول إلى المكان الذي كنت فيه أخيراً.}
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{أنا حرة في هذ العراق السجين.}
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{إن سماع صوت تعذيب الآخرين يكون أشد وقعاً على النفس من أن تكون أنت نفسك تحت التعذيب.}
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{إن صوت المظلومات يشق عنان سموات النفوس الخيرة، ربما يضفن على ركام الأذى حطباً لنار تحرق وتزلزل جبال الطواغيت وقلاع ظلمهم الأسود القاتم الشائن.}
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{وهل ثمة لون ناصع البياض في وجه الظلم، ووجوه القتلة؟}
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{باقٍ وأعمارُ الطغاة قصارُ.}
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{الاستذكار، دفعة مخدر، ربما تسكن الأوجاع إلى حين، وتجعل خيالاتنا السعيدة صنو وقائع لا نريد لها أن تمحى. لكن ذاكرة العراقيين لم تعد قياساً قيمياً دقيقاً لأية استرجاعات، فهي مشوشة بخليط عجيب من الوقائع الما فوق الفنتازية، وقائع يستحيل تقبلها ووصفها ووضعها في أية خانة توصيف أو تصنيف للمعقول أو مقارباته، فهي لا معقولة بالمطلق، جملة وتفصيلاً.}
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{حين يفقد المرء الأمل على الأرض يتوجه إلى السماء نشداناً للخلاص وكأن ألف ليلة قدر ممكنة التجلي مادام لم يفقد إيمانه بالخالق.}
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{لقد تفنن العراقيون في بيع ما يملكون.. إذ انتزع بعضهم حتى شبابيك بيته وأبواب غرف نومه وأسرّته كي يبيعها في مقابل الغذاء والدواء لأطفاله، ناهيك عن بيع المثقفين والأدباء مكتباتهم التي جمعوها عبر عمرهم كله، وراحوا يفترشون بها الأرض في شارع المتنبي مثل الباعة الجوّالين أو المتسولين.. تأخذهم الصفنات ويذبحهم الحياء!}
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{ليس هناك من ألم أكبر وأعمق من النظر إلى وجه طفل جائع تعجز عن إطعامه!}
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{يراهن الجلادون على ضمير المعتقل ومشاعره في هذه الحالة فقط كي ينهار، أما ضميره الوطني فهو أشد ما يكرهون ويحاربون.}
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{كل الذين حلموا بالحرية ودافعوا عنها، وكل الذين سحقتهم آلة القمع بلا مبرر ولا سبب إلا لأن آدميتهم تتحدى عبر الصمت فتفزع الطغاة في منامهم، فالصمت مقاومة من نمط آخر حين يثير قلق الطغاة، حتى الصمت له أسلحته، حتى الصمت!}
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{تهدّم الوطن تدريجياً بدل أن ينهض، وتفرق البشر وصاروا بين الأسر والموت والشتات، ثم مات النسل وتشوه وجفّ الضرع ونضب ماء الحياة.}
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{من يدخل هنا لا يخرج كما دخل، سيكون مشوه الروح، أو مشوه الجسد.. أو سينتزعون روحه من جسده ويمحون ذاكرة أيامه وأحلامه.}
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{هل اشتكى منك كتاب وأنت تقرأ فيه حتى وإن رميته هنا أو هناك!؟ فحين تعود إليه يفتح لمقلتك وقلبك صفحات كنوزه برضا تام وطيب خاطر.}
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{الداخل غائب إلى أجل غير مسمّى.}
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• ملاحظة: كل قارئ ينتقد ما يقرأه بحسب وجهة نظره الخاصة دون التقليل من شأن الكاتب، فلا يحق لِـ أحد مصادرة حق القارئ في نقده سواء كان بالإيجاب أو بالسلب ولا الاستهزاء بخيارات أحد القرائية لكل قارئ ذائقته، ولا تعتمد في خياراتك على أراء الآخرين بل أعطي نفسك فرصة لتقرأ وتحكم بنفسك، فما يعجب غيرك ليس بالضرورة يعجبك والعكس صحيح. وأي تشابه بين مراجعاتنا كـ قرّاء فهو محض صدفة لا غير.
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#البحرين_تقرأ #رباب_تقرأ #اخترت_متنفسي_بين_كتاب_وقلم #لكل_منا_عالمه_الخاص_وهنا_عالمي #ماذا_قدمت_لك_القراءة؟ #القراءة_نور #اتحدى_مصاعب_الحياة_وألمي_بالقراءة #لا_وحدة_مع_الكتاب #بادر_بالقراءة_واخلق_جيل_قارئ #أقرأ_لأن_حياة_واحدة_لا_تكفيني

[ola · Rating 5 out of 5]

kobiety są cudowne

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mayada. What can I say about this book? It is hard because I am in the minority thinking this is not such a great book.

Yes I do agree it was interesting to get to know a bit of gossip about Saddam Hussein but most interesting was of course the history of Iraq and I noticed many readers really thought that was interesting and I agree.

Why I did not like the book as much as others did is because of the way Jean Sasson writes. She seems to be more a romance writer and I have read other books by her but with this book it started to become a hinder.. She is always trying to make the muslim world a beautiful world but that is not easy when you are talking about women in a cell being tortured by very cruel muslim men, but then made the women that had been in that jail for years and being tortured many times, laugh and joke a lot.
Very unrealistic

In one passage she writes about the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

Quote: while she was in that terror cell: Maya stared at the ceiling,remembering one of the most physically exquisite men she had met.
An image of his handsome face floated before her eyes. She recalled how a playful smile often dimpled his mouth.
He was so handsome it was rumored that many women fell in love with him at first sight. His name was Ali Hassan Al-Majid aka Chemical Ali.end of quote

She made me so curious I decided to look him up.


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WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!


So most of the women in this book are gorgeous with green eyes and are victim.

I am not so sure about that anymore after reading
and noticing how these women act when they have freedom. They still want to hold on to the old ways.

When reading about Iraq in this book I could not help but realize how cruel many people out there were.See the last centuries and it has always been in turmoil. So if I make the link to what is happening in Europe at the moment where many muslims are silently and not so silently supporting isis, I now understand that the Western countries should not have interfered back then. They are a totally different people than we are here while in Europe many have studied are educated and lived peaceful, accepting people from other religions,cultures and different sexual orientation, many of them think gays should be hanged, women can be used and are not worth much.

Now it seems Europe is going backwards. Gays have to be more careful again. Jews do not feel so safe as they did before and I did not even begin about the muslim terrorism. Women can not walk on the streets without being called whore even when wearing jeans and a normal top so perhaps that is why I get annoyed when she is writing about so much cruelty but still feels the need to romanticize it.

Yes I know a lot of people will not like what I am saying and I will probably be called a racist but I am sick of being silenced out of fear.

[Ape · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 2010 bookcrossing review:

Well, at times this was really uncomfortable to read.

It's the story of an Iraqi woman, Mayada, who comes from a very priviledged and well to do background. Which is probably the only reason she's around to tell her story. Accused of producing anti-government leaflets, she is dragged off to some kind of prison/detention centre where people were detained for all kinds of made up ridiculous reasons, and tortured daily by sadistic headcases who should have been tied into small bags and drowned. It is quite distressing to think that this actually happened, and that there were and are people that nasty out there. And the "crimes" that people were imprisioned, tortured and executed over... you could have your tongue cut out for saying something bad about Saddam or his family. Crazy. Just imagine what life would be like here if we had such a rule. Most of the country would be mutilated and behind bars now.

And just as you are disgusted by what people are capable of in this book, there is also the Shadow women, who remind you that humanity does still exist. These were the women locked in the cell with Mayada; they all looked after one another and kept each other going. And we never find out what happened to them, but presumably a lot of them died in those prisons.

Grim reading, but at the same time it feels like it's pretty essential stuff; that everyone should know about this.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall it's a great book and very well written. Jean Sasson is one of my favorite authors. It is an amazing book with intense insight into the life of Saddam Hussein (before and during his reign) as well as the lives of Iraqi citizens who lived through is dictatorship. I don't suggest this book to some one who is looking for a general overview of recent history of Iraq. I suggest it to some one who has already read that and wants to know more. I say this because this book is not the account of an "average person" living in Iraq while Hussein was in power.

The thing that made the book very interesting to me is also what made it impossible to consider it the account of an average person living under Hussein in Iraq. Mayada is not the average everyday Iraqi citizen. She was privy to Hussein's personal life as her mother was close to him. They were not fond of him in any way but they knew a lot about him. She recounts this information to the women she meets while imprisoned.

She is not treated like a typical prisoner and most of the horrors are the stories of other women. This is NOT to say that she didn't suffer. She was just treated slightly better because of who she was. This book is stil very relevant and insightful and extremely well written regardless of whether it is the story of an average Iraqi citizen.

[Sharina MS · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the rulers use fear, paranoia, blackmail, terror to control their ppl, they'll never succeed in getting the loyalty and respect from their ppl. Iraq, under the tenure of Saddam Hussein seemed to be a living hell on earth, I cant even imagine living a minute in it.

Ppl are arrested out of suspicion, exposed to ridiculous, brutal and atrocious tortures.....wow...only beasts are capable do that. in this story, there are too many beasts involved, over the helpless women in cell 52 and other men.

Eventho the highlight of the story is the shadow women in cell 52, as i flipped thru each page, i cant help myself from thinking the fate of the men...iraqi teenagers, sons, husbands, fathers who received similar or heavier torture from the guards...until the last breath of their life. Too many innocent lives are wasted in the soil of iraq, some of them were reported where families can claim their lifeless bodies...and maybe most of them gone unreported; families had no idea of their loved one's whereabouts.

I'm happy that those relatively dark days were over, the new iraq was born since 2003. I really hope the justice, fairness, some common sense are restored in the beautiful land named Iraq.

[Shaymaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still wandering if reading a book like this at this particular time was a good or bad coincidence; but I gotta say that this book captivates you in a way that you'll want to continually read it till the end.

The book gives you an idea about how human rights were violated in Iraq under the rule of Saddam Hussein. It mainly tells you the story of cell 52 in Baladiyat prison where Mayada, a well known respected family member, shared other women imprisonment and torture. The book also illustrates Iraq's history and timeline.

Well, to me it's a good read and I gotta say that this book captivates you in a way that you'll want to continually read till the very end. But I must say that sometimes I just felt that Sasson exaggerated a little bit. Also, I think that one should read other books and gather more information in order to get a complete picture about Iraq. I definitely think that I can understand "Imperial life in emerald city" better now after reading Mayada.