City of Widows: An Iraqi Woman's Account of War and Resistance

by Haifa Zangana

In City of Widows, Haifa Zangana tells the story of her country, from the early twentieth century through the US-UK invasion and the current occupation. She brings to light a sense of Iraq as a society mainly of secularists who have been denied, through years of sanctions, war, and occupation, a system
within which to build the country according to their own values. She points to the long history of political activism and social participation of Iraqi women, and the fact that, before the recent invasion, they had been among the most liberated of their gender in the Middle East. Finally, she writes about
Baghdad today as a city populated by bereaved women and children who have lost their loved ones and their land, but who are still emboldened by the native right to resist and liberate themselves to create an independent Iraq.

176 pages, Hardcover

First published November 6, 2007

About the author

Haifa Zangana is an Iraqi writer, painter, and political activist, known for her novel Women on a Journey: Between Baghdad and London about political repression, violence and exile. She has written both novels and short stories as well as nonfiction, mainly about current political events relating to Iraq, Palestine or Tunisia.

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book...I really did. But in the end I think it was too deep a topic to be handled in this way. The author spent a lot of time discrediting the occupation, which I completely agree with but have learned about more effectively from other sources. This book was strong on the first-person example (some of the anecdotes are absolutely heart-wrenching - what a bleak life for these people). I liked the simple overview of key points in occupation, the good introduction to key women's rights groups involved in Iraq and an excellent overarching point that when you invade a country and destroy its civil society, the government, the infrastructure etc, how can you expect it to suddenly become a functional society? There is also a very interesting Communications thesis in the idea of the US administration using puppet women's organisations as propaganda in the war effort.

However, I finished the book feeling frustrated and disheartened with the perspective in the book as it felt too narrow. I don't think, at the end of the day, I really understand a culture that allows women to be second class citizens and allows honour killings any more than I can understand the malicious greed of the British and American administrations that invaded Iraq. Lots of shame and blame to share around.

This sentence did me in:
"At that time [60s and 70s in Iraq:] people in general were willing to compromise their freedom of speech, press and independent political organizations for improvements in the economy, health, education, and their social lives."

Maybe I am naive, but why must one sacrifice freedom of speech to have good health care?

My heart does go out to the citizens of Iraq. They have been wronged and it's going to be a messy long clean-up. They deserve a better future.