Salaam IA,
In Kurdistan there are some blast walls but not all over the place like in Baghdad. Most of them are painted with nice messages and pictures.
Wa 3alaykum el salam ya Azad. It's interesting that blast walls exist in Kurdistan as well - apparently the Kurds don't make a big deal out of them like the Arabs do.
I remember reading an interesting article in 2004 about grafitti on Baghdad walls. Here is an excerpt:
"No Hakim, no Chalabi, I just want beer and lablabi," says one wit, comparing the two political leaders, unfavorably, to beer and chick pea soup.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/02...07s01-
woiq.html
In Kurdistan they have dug some moats, it would be just to paint them as well.
What makes the pictures look so happy?
Just people and nature. No political or religious messages.
IA,
The blast walls in Kurdistan are only around sensitive/special areas, like major party buildings, government buildings, and the most significant hotels ("Sheraton" in Erbil, Jiyan in Dohuk). The ones around the Sheraton are all painted with messages about peace, equality, dreams, etc. There really aren't many of them, though!
IA, I have seen that article and it is CLASSIC! Awesome. Back in 1991 as a young fellow I remember I was a graffiti artist as well in favor of the Kurdish uprising.
Nice Murals. As Czechmade pointed out, it is a hopeful sign that these pictures are of peaceful, beautiful everyday events and not paintings glorifying soldiers and war. The latter is what has happened in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland where similar walls errected by the British Army to spearate Protestant & Catholics have been painted with murals glorifying either Catholic or Protestant Paramilitary Groups and their respective "heroes". See http://hurryupharry.bloghouse.net and click down to third entry under May 3, 2007, entittled "One of Britain's top tourist attractions?" for the whole story.
Here are Murals of a different kind:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Nor...rn_Irish_murals
Scroll down &
'Enjoy' !
Azad, you were a graffiti artist??
Azad, you were a graffiti artist??
Iraqi American | Homepage | 05.09.07 - 12:58 am | #
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Yes, and you started during 91 Intifada ?
Tell us more please, I long for good stories from this time.
I was only an "artist" because I was writing "FREE KURDISTAN" on walls and everything I could find. 
It was 16 years ago, I was too young to pick up a gun and fight I guess.
Azad,
Do you still want a "Free Kurdistan"? Do you favor an independant Kurdish nation?
Maybe we might want "Free Kurdistans"
for a little change...it could roll the ball in a different way.
Commenting by HaloScan
