“Part of the reason you see so little about this in the Western media is that Iraq was closed off from the outside world for so long under Saddam. But I think there's a deeper reason, which is that it messes with our assumptions - not just about Iraq, but about culture and human nature.” ThinkingWorldHumansLittlesLongReasonCultureMediaHuman NatureWesternIraqDeeperMessAssumptionSaddamOutside WorldWestern Media Author:Annia Ciezadlo
“If you look at the list of the top wheat importers for 2010, almost half of them are Middle Eastern regimes: Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, Morocco, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Tunisia. Egypt is the number-one importer of wheat in the entire world. Tunisia leads the entire world in per capita wheat consumption. So it's no wonder that the revolutions began with Tunisians waving baguettes in the streets and Egyptians wearing helmets made of bread.” IfsWorldLooksMadeNumbersHalfWonderStreetsMiddleRevolutionIraqListsBreadRegimesConsumptionEgyptEasternWheatArabiaSaudi ArabiaSaudisHelmetLibyaMoroccoYemenTunisiaAlgeriaBaguettes Author:Annia Ciezadlo
“Being an American journalist can put people on the defensive. In countries where people assume the press is partisan, like in Lebanon, or where it had essentially become an extension of the government, like in Iraq, people tend to see a journalist as an agent of his or her government. That can be dangerous if the United States military is occupying their country, or aligned with their enemies.” PeopleIfsCountryStatesGovernmentUnitedEnemyUnited StatesMilitaryDangerousPressesAssumingIraqAgentsJournalistExtensionsPartisansLebanonUnited States Military Author:Annia Ciezadlo
“The irony is that Iraq actually has one of the richest and most sophisticated cuisines in the world. So many classic American or European foods - ceviche, albondigas, even the mint julep - have roots in Iraqi cuisine, which was a crossroads of Persian and Arab and Turkic traditions. The oldest written recipes in the world are from Iraq!” WorldWrittenTraditionRootsIraqIronyClassicSophisticatedRecipesCuisineCrossroadsPersianMintMint Juleps Author:Annia Ciezadlo
