AN EX-BRITISH OFFICER ONCE SAID TO ME ,THAT JUST A FEW KILOMETRES
FROM ONE OF THE MAIN CITIES, WE ARE WORKING RIGHT ON THE 'ETHNIC FAULT LINE
OF IRAQ'. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT HE WAS A TOSSER.
SINCE HAVING HAD SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES TO GET MYSELF KILLED FOR NO OTHER
REASON THAN A LACK OF COMMUNICATION, LEARNING THE LOCAL LINGO SEEMED AN
ABSOLUTE NECESSITY AND NOT AN OPTION FOR WALKING AWAY FROM THIS PLACE IN
ONE PIECE.
EASIER SAID THAN DONE. LIKE ALL ARAB STATES THIS COUNTRY HAS PALACES,
WEALTHY HOMESTEADS, OCEANS OF OIL AND ENOUGH WEAPONS TO ARM EVERY MAN,
WOMAN AND CHILD IN CHINA BUT THEY DON'T HAVE AN ARABIC VERSION OF SESAME
STREET.
THE REAL PROBLEM IS NOT THE ENGLISH/ARABIC LANGUAGE BARRIER. THE BATTLE IS
TRYING TO STANDARDISE COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE LOCALS THEMSELVES.
PROPER ARABIC IS COMPLICATED BEYOND BELIEF AND PURE OR KORANIC ARABIC IS
CONSIDERED BY SOME (ESPECIALLY THE KURDS) TO BE THE LANGUAGE OF THE
WAHABBISTS I.E. THE FRUITCAKE BRIGADE WHO LOBOTOMISE THEIR MEMBERS AND
ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TERRORISM.
EVERY VILLAGE YOU COME ACROSS SEEMS TO HAVE IT'S OWN VOCABULARY WHICH
THEY ARE ALL SO PROUD OF. SOME OF THE LOCALS HAVE MINOR ISSUES WITH RACE
AND RELIGION WHICH THEY WOULD LIKE TO RESOLVE WITH AK-47's AND THE POLITICAL
PARTIES ARE BLATANTLY PAYING PEOPLE TO MOVE INTO THEIR OWN CONSTITUENCIES.
IN SHORT, THE KURDS ARE ON THE MARCH, WANT KIRKUK BACK AND GOD HELP
ANYBODY WHO STANDS IN THEIR WAY. THE TURKS HAVE NO INTENTION OF
RELINQUISHING AN AREA THEY PREVIOUSLY CONTROLLED FOR ALMOST 600 YEARS AND
THE SUNNI ARABS AREN'T ABOUT TO GIVE UP THREE DECADES OF POLITICAL CONTROL
DESPITE NOT BOTHERING WITH MINOR DETAILS SUCH AS VOTING.
THE VOCABULARY SET OUT IN THIS WEBSITE IS WHAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF IRAQIS
WILL UNDERSTAND FROM BASRAH TO BAGHDAD TO KIRKUK EVEN IF THEY REFUSE TO
SPEAK IT THEMSELVES. SOME OF THE UNPRONOUNCABLE WORDS PRODUCED BY
THROAT WARBLING ARABS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY MORE PRACTICAL LOCAL WORDS.
WELCOME TO THE ETHNIC FAULT LINE IN IRAQ.