Fifth in a beautiful series of paintings by Baghdad Artist

A very merry X-mas to all our Olivebranch Network readers on behalf of me here in Australia & all of the Olivebranch Network writers in Iraq and around the globe!
Lets pray today can bring a little extra peace around the globe.

Cross posted from First Words, First Walk… First in Iraq
Unlike many people waking up on the sounds of chirping birds, commercial planes or noises of construction works, I have started to be awakened on the sound of the muezzin, not to notify me and other worshippers in the neighbourhood about times for prayers, as his [...]

My mother Eve,
Before anything else, let me tell you about my great deal of respect and admiration for your invaluable sublime work for the entire human race. With every new born baby’s yell is another thanking expression for you.
Dear mom,
I think you know me and you know that I’m one of your successors, a male [...]

(Cross Posted from Global Voices Online)
These were the words of, normally, mild-mannered blogger Marshmallow26 to the news that her brother’s neighborhood had been blown to pieces by a suicide bomber who had aimed his load at one of the houses but in his hurry killed no one but himself. And she describes the scene:
It was [...]

Cross posted from First Words, First Walk… First in Iraq
Crippled by cold, I had to leave my blizzard-struck bedroom and get back to the good ol’ summer refuge ‘the living room’, where mum could have a closer look at how my “old-lady-cough” [as she describes it] is healing and how many sneezes per minute I [...]

This post was written on November 27, 2006 by Zappy for his blog Where Date Palms Grow and cross posted to the Olivebranch Network
Zappy has managed to get out this Morning!
Sorry for not posting, the bloody internet is useless, so is my GPRS nothing seems to work.
Anyway Thanks all, for asking about me I made [...]

This post was written on November 2, 2006 by 24 steps to liberty for his blog of the same name and cross posted to the Olivebranch Network
Well, one of the most asked questions I’ve been asked since I moved to the States is “how do you like it here?” And I was trying [...]

Cross posted from First Words, First Walk….First in Iraq
“Three phrases have degenerated Arabs,” a renowned Egyptian scholar said, “I’m free, how come and none of my business.” Sheikh Kishk said a smoker believes that he’s free to smoke, and to hell with the passive smokers, who have to inhale the poison he puffs in public [...]

Fourth in a beutiful series of paintings by Baghdad Artist