|
Woman Kurdistan-Iraq Army Officer Takes
Risks
8.7.2006
By Sarah Childress, Newsweek issue July 7, 2006 |
|
|
|
‘Everybody Must Make
Sacrifices’
One of the few women in Iraq’s Army says she’s proud
to protect her country.
Since she was a little girl in Sulaimaniyah, Shahla
always wanted to be a soldier in the Iraqi Army. But
women weren't allowed to fight under Saddam. So as
soon as Hussein was gone in 2003, the attractive
young mother put her name on the list. Shahla is now
a first lieutenant. (Because of the sensitive nature
of her work, Coalition officials asked that her real
name not be used.)
Recently, she was handpicked by Iraq’s Minister of
Defense to take leadership courses at Zahko Military
Training Academy in northern Kurdistan. At 35, she's
a Sunni Kurd who wears dark eyeliner with her
fatigues and says she lives to hunt down terrorists.
She recently sat down with two visitors at Zahko,
including NEWSWEEK's Sarah Childress, for a
conversation in English. Excerpts:
NEWSWEEK: Why did you decide to join the Army?
Shahla: I like the army, and I like my country. I've
been through many dangerous situations, but
everybody must make sacrifices. It's hard, because
in our community, it's very difficult for women to
prove themselves in the army. You hear that the
army's only for men. Before, during Saddam's time,
women in the army could only be doctors. They didn't
recognize their rank. Now, we see the difference.
Now, they respect us. Now they call us by our ranks.
What is the training like at Zahko?
One thing I like is PT [physical training]. Not many
women in the community do PT. Even if a woman is
educated and gets a degree, she sits at home. But
now that I've joined the army, I know it's important
for women to get in physical shape.
How does your family feel about your enlistment?
I've never been in the army without family support.
It's often difficult to convince families in this
situation.
Are you afraid of being targeted by insurgents?
The threat isn't on me. It's on my family, and my
neighbors. But we all must make sacrifices. Most of
the problems we have are with people who work both
sides. The terrorists are educated. They're not
stupid. They have plans. They recognize our
uniforms, but we don't know them. So they join the
army. Sometimes they do join the units, to mark us
as targets.
Is sectarianism a problem in the army?
At the beginning, no. But it's increasing. I've seen
conflicts. Things happen, and you're supposed to act
out against a mosque or husseiniya [another name for
a Shiite mosque]. You have to, because bad people
use these places for kidnapping and torture. But [a
few soldiers may] refuse. We talk with them, and
tell them that it's not the end of the world. It's
for Iraq, for security and freedom.
What's difficult about being here?
I haven't seen my daughter, who is six, in one and a
half months. It's very hard, but I do this for her,
for the future. I'd like to stay in the army. It's
my career. … And PT. At the start, it was so hard. I
like exercises, but not running, because I smoke.
They understand the situation. (Nearby American
officers overhear and laugh.) It's a new thing.
Before, I just walked. In the last week I've started
running.
What do you like about being in the army?
We're chasing the terrorists. It makes me proud of
myself. [My commanders] trust me. They trust my
judgment.
newsweek com
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 